Occurrence of multiple honeybee viruses in the ectoparasitic mites Varroa spp. in Apis cerana colonies

In this study, we investigated the prevalence of honeybee viruses in Varroa destructor and Varroa underwoodi infesting Apis cerana colonies in China. Deformed wing virus (DWV) was the most prevalent virus in these two mite species, followed by Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), Black queen cell virus (BQCV), Kashmir bee virus (KBV), Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV), Apis mellifera filamentous virus (AmFV) and Sacbrood virus (SBV) in V. destructor, while in V. underwoodi, it was followed by CBPV, AmFV, BQCV, IAPV and KBV. In addition, multiple viruses were commonly detectable in both mite species.