Intercellular connection between the lyrate organ and the growing oocyte in Varroa jacobsoni as revealed by Lucifer Yellow dye-coupling

Micro-injected Lucifer Yellow CH (LY) was used to study cytoplasmic continuity and transport between the lyrate organ and the developing oocyte in the ovary of the mite, Varroa jacobsoni, an ectoparasite of honey bees. When LY was micro-injected into the lyrate organ of young female mites in their phoretic phase, movement of the dye towards the late stage 2 oocyte did not occur. Further oocyte development was initiated by transfer of young female mites into brood cells of Apis mellifera shortly after operculation ('reproductive phase' of mites). Uptake of haemolymph from an L5 (feeding phase) bee larva coincided with the migration of LY both from one lobe of the lyrate organ to the other as well as from the lyrate organ towards the oocyte. Since translocation of LY in vitro reflects the alimentation of oocytes (nutrimentary oogenesis), we highlight the temporal pattern of intercellular transport during oogenesis.