The origins, global spread and evolution of novel honey bee parasites

该项目旨在研究突发疾病是如何产生、传播和进化的，研究瓦螨——一种不可避免地会到达澳大利亚的蜜蜂寄生虫，预计会破坏农业和环境。由于螨虫有一个很好的本地分布范围，独立的宿主转换和有充分记录的传播历史，它们是很好的模型。螨虫在入侵后进化，尽管在中性标记上没有显著的遗传分化。本项目旨在确定与主机开关相关的遗传机制；重构瓦罗亚全球传播的模式和人口结构；并确定宿主切换后选择对螨虫的影响。

This project aims to study how emergent diseases arise, spread and evolve, studying varroa mites – a parasite of honey bees that will inevitably arrive in Australia and is expected to damage agriculture and the environment. As the mites have a well-characterised native range, independent host switches and a well-documented history of spread, they make good models. Mites have evolved after invasion, although without significant genetic differentiation at neutral markers. This project aims to identify genetic mechanisms associated with the host switches; reconstruct the pattern and demography of varroa’s global spread; and determine how selection acted on the mites after the host switch.