Fertilization and fertility in the female of Varroa destructor, a key point for the parasite population dynamics

In Varroa destructor, the spermathecal content allows the female mite to carry out several successive reproductive cycles after a single mating event. The present study aimed to identify the main factors influencing the sperm content. Mite adult females were sampled at different bee colony phenological phases and on different host stages/sexes. Spermatozoa was characterized and counted. Spermatozoa maturity was acquired sufficiently fast (less than 5 days after the imaginal moult), their viability (ca. 91.5 %) and the fertilization success (ca. 1 spermatozoa spent per oocyte) were sufficiently high so that none of these parameters were limiting factors in the dynamics of mite populations. Moreover, no modulation was detected in the spermathecal content according to the brood status and the seasonal activity of the colony.