Comparison of qPCR and morphological methods for detection of Acarapis woodi in honey bee samples

QUINTANA S; SZAWARSKI N; SARLO G; MEDICI S; EGUARAS M; MAGGI M

JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL SCIENCE

RESEARCH INST POMOLOGY FLORICULTURE

Año: 2019

1643-4439

The honey bee tracheal mite Acarapis woodi is an internal obligate parasite of adult honey bees (Apis mellifera). The small size of the mites and location within the bee?s trachea create a challenge for diagnostic identification. Detailed assessment of low levels of mite infestations involves microscopic examination of the bee?s tracheae, but this traditional diagnostic method takes a long time. In recent years, new molecular diagnostic techniques were developed to identify A. woodi using PCRs. The purpose of this study was tocompare the diagnostic sensitivity of microscopic examination and qPCR method for the detection of A. woodi in honey bee samples. 36 samples were analyzed with both methods and qPCR was more sensitive than the microscopic method to detect A. woodi. This work demonstrates the practical application of moleculartechnology as a support tool for surveys and contingency management and to provide robust surveillance data on the presence or absence of A. woodi in honey bee colonies.