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''Varroa'' is a genus of parasitic mites associated with honey bees, placed in its own family, Varroidae. The genus was named for Marcus Terentius Varro, a Roman scholar who was also a beekeeper. The condition of a honeybee colony being infested with ''Varroa'' mites is called varroosis (also, incorrectly, varroatosis). ''Varroa'' mites are recognised as the biggest pest to honeybees worldwide, and are believed to be the single largest contributing factor in the modern-day decline of honeybees, due to their ability to transmit diseases such as deformed wing virus to larval and/or pupating bees, resulting in death or severe deformity of the pupae. ==History and behavior== ''Varroa'' mites feed off the bodily fluids of adult, pupal, and larval honey bees, and may carry viruses that are particularly damaging to the bees (e.g., deformed wings, and IAPV), and accordingly they have been implicated in colony collapse disorder. Research has indicated that alone, neither ''Varroa'' mites nor deformed wing virus are particularly deadly, yet together they can pose an incredible risk to colonies.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Mites, Viruses Sicken Bee Hives - Colony Collapse Disorder - Hawaiian Honeybee Infection )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Bees Wiped Out by Cascade of Deadly Events )〕 ''Varroa'' mites were first discovered in Java about 1904, but are now present on all continents except Australia and the Isle of Man. They were discovered in the United States in 1987, in New Zealand in 2000, and in the United Kingdom in 1992 (Devon). Bee-breeding efforts to develop resistance against ''Varroa'' are ongoing. The USDA has developed a line of bees which uses ''Varroa''-sensitive hygiene to remove reproductive mites. This line is now being distributed to beekeepers to be used as part of their integrated pest management programs. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「varroa」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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