Breeding for resistance to Varroa destructor in Europe

Sélection d'abeilles résistantes à Varroa destructor en Europe

Ralph Büchler , Stefan Berg , Yves Le Conte

The rich variety of native honeybee subspecies and ecotypes in Europe offers a good genetic resource for selection towards Varroa resistance. There are some examples of mite resistance that have developed as a consequence of natural selection in wild and managed European populations. However, most colonies are influenced by selective breeding and are intensively managed, including the regular use of miticides. We describe all characters used in European breeding programs to test for Varroa resistance. Some of them (e.g., mite population growth, hygienic behavior) have been implemented in large-scale selection programs and significant selection effects have been achieved. Survival tests of pre-selected breeder colonies and drone selection under infestation pressure are new attempts to strengthen effects of natural selection within selective breeding programs. Some perspectives for future breeding activities are discussed.

Mots clés: Varroa resistance; breeding program; tolerance character; vitality; natural selection<br>---<br>résistance au Varroa; programme d'élevage; caractère tolérant; vitalité; sélection naturelle

Domaines: Zoologie des invertébrés; Biodiversité; Ecologie, Environnement; Science des productions animales

Ralph Büchler, Stefan Berg, Yves Le Conte. Breeding for resistance to Varroa destructor in Europe. Apidologie, 2010, 41 (3), pp.393-408. ⟨10.1051/apido/2010011⟩. ⟨hal-00892098⟩