A country-wide survey of Varroa destructor, an ectoparasitic mite of honey bees, in Nigeria: determination of mitochondrial haplotype

Abstract

As a follow-up to a previous report on the wide distribution and prevalence of Varroa destructor in Nigeria, this study proposed to determine the haplotype of the mites collected in that study, using mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase 1 (mtDNA cox1) barcoding. Therefore, a total of 114 mites, from 12 localities, were successfully sequenced at either both or one direction of the cox1 partial gene. Blast and alignment showed that all sequences obtained from Nigeria were 100% identical to the Korean K1-1/K1-2 haplotype [GQ379056-58] but also to K1-3 which is indiscernible from the related haplotype based only on cox1. An on-going whole genome sequencing on these mites is aiming to help retrace the spread and understand the country-wide population structure of Varroa in Nigeria.

Keywords:

• Apis mellifera
• Korean
• Genetics
• mtDNA
• cox1

Acknowledgments

Usman Dukku’s research was supported by the Government of Nigeria through tetFund. Maéva Techer’s research was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) (P19723), Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid, (19F19723) and OIST. We also thank Alexander S. Mikheyev for his support and especially for sample preservation and processing. We similarly thank Mr Musa Ibrahim of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, for his assistance in the collection and preservation of mites in Nigeria.

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan; and Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Nigeria.