1INRA, Unité de Zoologie et d'Apidologie, Domaine Saint-Paul, 84914 Avignon, France.
2CNRS-UPR 9024, Laboratoire de Neurobiologie, Communication Chimique, 31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13402 Marseille, France.
3Laboratoire Biové, Rue de Lorraine, BP 45, 62510 Arques, France.
The important role played by cuticular hydrocarbons in inter and intraspecific communication in Arthropodes is now well known. In several species, hydrocarbons are implied in reproduction and changes in their cuticular composition can occur in relation to age and sex (Trabalon et al, 1988; Howard, 1993). In the acari Varroa jacobsoni, reproduction takes place in capped brood cells of honey bees. The confined space of the cells let us think that reproduction of the mite should be guided by non volatile compounds, such as cuticular hydrocarbons. We have studied the composition of cuticular hydrocarbons (HCs) according to the developmental stage and sex of V. jacobsoni. Four groups of Varroa were studied: deutonymph female (D), young moulted female (Y), mother mite (F) and adult male (M). Cuticular hydrocarbons of each group were extracted and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and by GC coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Fifty cuticular hydrocarbons were identified and common for all Varroa groups (n-alkanes, methylalkanes, monoenes and dienes). Comparison of HC proportions between each group was carryied out using MANOVA and PCA mathematical analyses. The results showed significant differences between the F/Y, F/D, F/M, Y/M, M/D groups with greater differences in the F/M and M/D groups. No significant differences were found between D/Y. The suggestiveness of these results in the reproduction of V. jacobsoni is discussed.