| Title: | Artificial feeding of Varroa destructor through a chitosan membrane: a tool for studying the host-microparasite relationship |
| Author(s): | Tabart J; Colin ME; Carayon JL; Tene N; Payre B; Vetillard A; |
| Address: | "Venoms and Biological Activities Laboratory, EA 4357, PRES-Universite de Toulouse, Jean-Francois Champollion University Center, Albi, France" |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10493-013-9675-9 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1572-9702 (Electronic) 0168-8162 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Rearing pests or parasites of very small size in the absence of their living host is a challenge for behavioural, physiological and pathological studies. For feeding Varroa destructor, an ectoparasitic mite of Apis mellifera, a confinement space with a membrane separating the nutritive solution and the space was designed. The mite measures less than 2 mm and bears a perforating apparatus with a length of 15 mum. The membrane, an essential element of the chamber, has a thickness of 0.1 mum, and is made of chitosan. It closes one face of the individual confinement chamber and allows piercing and the ingestion of the nutritive solution. Factors inducing feeding can be applied on the inner walls or on the membrane. In the particular case of Varroa, the highest percentages of feeding mites are obtained by addition of host haemolymph to the nutritive solution, suggesting the kairomonal role of haemolymph in addition to its nutritional one. The membrane concept can be easily applied to several mites or other micro-pests" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Bees/*parasitology Chitosan Energy Metabolism Feeding Behavior Hemolymph/metabolism/physiology *Host-Parasite Interactions Membranes, Artificial Pheromones/physiology Varroidae/*physiology;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineTabart, Jeremy Colin, Marc-Edouard Carayon, Jean-Luc Tene, Nathan Payre, Bruno Vetillard, Angelique eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Netherlands 2013/02/21 Exp Appl Acarol. 2013 Sep; 61(1):107-18. doi: 10.1007/s10493-013-9675-9. Epub 2013 Feb 20" |
