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Rotavar: a controlled rotational assay to quantify attachment in Varroa destructor

Caroline, Vilarem ; Vincent, Piou ; Lucie, Bouly and Angélique, Vétillard


2026 - Volume: 66 Issue: Suppl pages: 283

https://doi.org/10.24349/57f9-5p8t

ICA 2026 - XVII International Congress of Acarology, 20-24 July 2026, Montpellier

Keywords

Varroa mite Organic acids Attachment disruption Arolia Rotational assay

Abstract

The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor disperses across its honey bee host while undergoing continuous changes in orientation, effectively navigating a 360° mechanical landscape relative to gravity, by notably looking for the ideal spot on the abdomen of the bee. Unlike many arthropods, it lacks true claws and relies primarily on arolia adhesive structures with associated fluids to maintain attachment. Despite this ecological reality, most experimental approaches assess adhesion under static conditions and on artificial substrates. To address this limitation, we had to first solve a technological lock, thus we developed the Rotavar, a controlled uniaxial rotational device designed to generate reproducible radial acceleration and quantify attachment resilience under dynamic mechanical load. Using this system, we assessed attachment performance at 1h30min and 24h following exposure to different organic acids of interest to determine whether the observed effect of some chemical treatments alter mechanical resilience over time in V. destructor. The Rotavar consists of a precision-controlled motor driving with horizontal rotating wooden stick onto which a single mite is positioned at a defined radial distance from the axis of rotation. Wood was selected as an ecologically relevant substrate representative of hive materials. Rotational velocity was adjustable from 0 to 100 revolutions per minute (RPM). For each trial, a fresh wooden stick was used to avoid cross-contamination, adhesive residue effects, or inter-individual interference. Detachment was recorded as a binary outcome, and time-to-detachment was measured within a standardized 180-second observation period. Following rotation, mites were examined for locomotor recovery. This innovative system, that can be transferred to other small- sized models like varroas, allowed us to test their attachment performance at 1h30min and 24h post-exposure to different organic acids (N=30/condition). Under control condition, V. destructor exhibited stable attachment on the rotating wooden support. These results confirm the intrinsic ability of mites to maintain attachment under rotational challenge. The Rotavar provides, for the first time, a sensitive and reproducible method to quantify attachment resilience in V. destructor. By combining controlled rotational speed with binary detachment recording and time-to-detachment measurement, the system detects both immediate and delayed impairments of adhesive performance. This assay discriminates between compounds that increase detachment probability or reduce grip endurance, demonstrating its value as a functional biomechanical screening tool. Importantly, the Rotavar allows the evaluation of mechanical destabilization independently of mortality. This approach establishes a standardized rotational framework for investigating mite-scale adhesion under controlled dynamic conditions.

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Article editorial history
Date published:
2026-07-20

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
2026 Caroline, Vilarem; Vincent, Piou; Lucie, Bouly and Angélique, Vétillard
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