The findings revealed regional occurrences of amitraz resistance, with a less severe decrease in treatment efficacy compared to other pesticides. Notably, the genetic analysis showed that the previously identified mutation at position 260 may not directly cause amitraz resistance, questioning the role of this genetic marker and suggesting a more complex resistance mechanism.
The study can be viewed in its entirety at this link, https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/15/6/390
Note: The publication mentions the term “Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)” which is a small genetic variation that occurs when a single nucleotide (the building blocks of DNA) in the genome sequence is altered. However, as this term might not be familiar to everyone, we have sometimes replaced it with the word “mutation” in the following article, a term frequently used in recent publications on resistance. It is important to note, though, that scientifically speaking, a SNP is more accurately described as a “variation” rather than a true mutation.
Introduction
This study investigated the emergence of amitraz resistance in Varroa destructor mite populations across different regions of France. Amitraz, a widely used formamidine acaricide, has been a cornerstone in varroa mite control, but recent reports of diminishing treatment efficacy, have sparked concerns about developing resistance. Unlike the rapid spread of pyrethroid (tau-fluvalinate and flumethrin) resistance, amitraz resistance appears to manifest as “islands of resistance” with initially less severe declines in efficacy, creating a unique and intriguing pattern of resistance emergence.
