Preliminary detection of Varroa jacobsoni (Acari: Varroidae) and its relationship with climatic factors in Panama

Abstract

Objective: Preliminary detection of Varroa jacobsoni (Acari: Varroidae) in apiaries and its relationship with climatic factors in Panama. Methodology: Data were collected from 33 apiaries distributed in the provinces of Panama Oeste (n=3), Colón (n=7), Coclé (n=5), Veraguas (n=7), Los Santos (n=4) and Chiriquí (n=7), between January and December 2022. Five hives per apiary (165 in total) were randomly selected to determine the percentage prevalence of V. jacobsoni by province. Complementarily, historical climatic information of the visited areas (temperature, relative humidity and precipitation) was reviewed and a correlation analysis was performed between these factors and the prevalence of V. jacobsoni, with a third-degree polynomial model.  Results: The province of Veraguas had the highest prevalence (80%), followed by Coclé (60%), Chiriquí (48.6%), Panamá Oeste (46.7%), Colón (40%) and Los Santos (20%). Of the climatic factors analyzed, it was determined that relative humidity and precipitation can best explain the prevalence of V. jacobsoni in the study areas. Conclusion: The mite V. jacobsoni is widely distributed in the apiaries of Panama, being relative humidity and precipitation that would help to better explain its behavior and distribution.