Number and position of wounds on honey bee (Apis mellifera) pupae infested with a single Varroa mite

The Wounds inflicted Oil Pupae ill capped brood cells of the honey bee, Apis mellifera, infested with a single female of the ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor, were investigated after visualisation by vital staining with trypan blue. On average the mites made two integumental perforations for feeding oil prepupae and one oil Pupae. Most of the Punctures were oil particular ventral sites oil the abdomen. Possible reasons for this pronounced preference and the evolutionary aspects of this highly specialised parasite-host relationship are discussed.