The ectoparasite V. destructor is one of the major threats to Western honeybees’ production (A. mellifera) worldwide, causing colony losses and reducing bees’ productivity and pollinating capacity. Since parasitism produces high energy consumption in hosts, the aim of this study was to compare the effects of this ectoparasite on energy expenditure and survival rate in honeybees. Newborn bees were kept in chambers at 32 °C and 55% humidity with food ad libitum. Individual bees were taken at random and grouped into three treatments: T0 (no mites), T1 (one mite), and T2 (two mites). After the mites had fed on the bees, the metabolic rate (CO2 production = VCO2) was individually measured at 32 °C for 3 h. We also measured survival rate, using the same groups for 8 days. A significant effect of the number of mites on VCO2 was found (T0 = 3.14 μLCO2 min−1, T1 = 4.03 μLCO2 min−1 and T2 = 6.44 μLCO2 min−1, F(2) = 25.81, p < 0.001). The treatments did not affect significantly the bees’ survival (p = 0.283), despite the survival rates recorded were 57.5% in T0, 42.5% in T1, and 40.0% in T2. V. destructor clearly increases the energetic cost of living in bees and provoking a reduction of the survival rate even when this value was not significant statistically.

中文翻译：

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蜜蜂寄生蜂的能量和生存成本

外寄生虫 V. destructor 是世界范围内西方蜜蜂 (A. mellifera) 生产的主要威胁之一，会导致蜂群损失并降低蜜蜂的生产力和授粉能力。由于寄生虫会在宿主中产生高能量消耗，因此本研究的目的是比较这种外寄生虫对蜜蜂能量消耗和存活率的影响。新生蜜蜂被饲养在温度为 32°C 和湿度为 55% 的室内，随意进食。随机抽取单个蜜蜂并分为三个处理：T0（无螨）、T1（一只螨）和 T2（两只螨）。螨虫以蜜蜂为食后，在 32 °C 下单独测量代谢率（CO2 产量 = VCO2）3 小时。我们还测量了存活率，使用相同的组 8 天。发现螨虫数量对 VCO2 有显着影响（T0 = 3. 14 μLCO2 min-1，T1 = 4.03 μLCO2 min-1 和 T2 = 6.44 μLCO2 min-1，F(2) = 25.81，p < 0.001）。尽管记录的存活率为 T0 的 57.5%、T1 的 42.5% 和 T2 的 40.0%，但这些处理并未显着影响蜜蜂的存活率 (p = 0.283)。V. destructor 显然会增加蜜蜂的活力成本，并导致存活率降低，即使该值在统计上不显着。