Summary

It is unclear how Varroa mites will impact viruses in Australian bees. This project will contribute to ongoing efforts to conduct surveillance of the honey bee virus landscape in Australia as Varroa establishes and spreads. Deformed wing virus (DWV) predominates in most locations where Varroa has invaded, and although current evidence indicates it is absent from Australia and did not enter with the Varroa incursion, it is important to continue to monitor for DWV and other viruses relevant to Australian bees. Current PCR-based methods will not detect all viral strains or novel species, so it is necessary to employ more accurate, unbiased tools like high-throughput sequencing to examine emerging infections in bees as Varroa spreads. Australian bees have several viruses and it is currently unclear whether the impact of these viruses will increase in the presence of Varroa. In the absence of DWV, these viruses may gain an advantage, and by closely examining the relationship between Varroa and the viruses present in Australia, we will determine whether Varroa is capable of vectoring different viruses. This knowledge will provide the industry with greater awareness about the negative impacts of Varroa, and provide fundamental knowledge about varroa biology, which may eventually lead to novel solutions for mite control.

This grant will support the research projects of two new PhD students in my group at the University of Sydney. This project will be used to help them to build a strong foundation as they become experts in honey bee, virus and varroa mite research. It will give their projects a new direction that is more in line with industry goals, and increase their capacity to perform world class research on Australian bees. In addition, it will provide the Sydney University research group with a greater capacity to tackle the current challenges faced by the Australian beekeeping and pollination industries.

Program

Honey Bee

Research Organisation

The University of Sydney

Objective Summary

The specific project objectives are to:
• Equip two new PhD students with training and support to conduct Varroa research in Australia
• Sample bees and mites from the Varroa invasion range across NSW
• Perform unbiased high-throughput sequencing to characterise viruses in bees and Varroa in the early stages of invasion
• Analyse honey bee-Varroa mite pairs to investigate exchange of viruses and small RNA material that is transmitted between bees and mites during Varroa feeding.