A method for rapidly marking adult varroa mites for use in brood inoculation experiments
Author(s)
Maria J Kirrane, Lilia I de Guzman, Thomas E Rinderer, Amanda M Frake, Jeremy Wagnitz and Pádraig M Whelan
Abstract
Notes and Comments
A wide variety of markers are used to mark insects and other animals for several types of biological studies (Hagler and Jackson, 2001). Due to varroa (Varroa destructor) mites being small, finding an ideal marker has proved difficult. Yet marking is crucial in identifying test mites that have been inoculated into brood, for example when brood is multiply infested or if daughters are present. Harris (2001) developed a technique for marking individual varroa mites using pieces of polyester glitters attached to the dorsal side of the idiosoma with super glue (cyanoacrylate), a variation of the method of Schulz (1984) who used cyanoacrylate with fluorescent pigments.
