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eliochel

Varroa destructor mites feed on adult bees as well as on honey bee larvae.

Dr. Samuel Ramsey showed this feeding on adults as well as on bee larvae in the capped stage and presented his research in the youtube presentation: Varroa feed on Fat Body - lecture at the INIB honey show 2019

This means that Varroa do not have a "phoretic stage" when they are attached to adult honey bees because a phoretic stage does not include feeding on the host used as transportation. Instead, Varroa's time spent on adult bees is properly called "dispersal phase or stage."

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