Molecular Detection of <i>Varroa</i> spp. Mite Infesting Honey Bees in Apiaries of Al-Diwaniyah Province, Iraq

Introduction: The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is a hymenopteran insect of high economic importance to humans, primarily due to its ecological role. Like other living organisms, this beneficial insect is susceptible to various pests and diseases, some of which severely affect colony activity, leading to increased mortality and weakening or loss of colonies. Among the most destructive pests is the Varroa mite, which infests larvae, pupae, and adult bees. The danger of Varroa lies in its rapid reproduction and widespread dissemination, ultimately resulting in colony collapse. This study aimed to molecularly identify Varroa mite collected from apiaries in Al-Diwaniyah province, determine their genetic sequence, construct a phylogenetic tree, and analyze the nucleotide sequence diversity of local isolates (Varroa sp. IQD). The sequences were then compared with other reference strains from NCBI using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COX1) gene. Methods: DNA was extracted from Varroa isolates, and its quality was verified on agarose gel. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was employed to amplify an 821 bp fragment of the COX1 gene. The amplified products were sequenced and aligned using ClustalW. Phylogenetic trees were constructed in MEGA 6.0 using the UPGMA and Maximum Likelihood methods to compare local isolates with reference strains. Results: The findings revealed a high genetic similarity between the local isolates (Varroa sp. IQD.1–IQD.5) and the reference strain Varroa destructor (GQ379069.1), with a homology of 99.48%. Conclusion: The study concludes that the Varroa mite prevalent in Iraq is Varroa destructor, a parasitic mite globally known for its destructive impact on honey bee colonies.