Characteristics of varroa vision
- Like other arthropods, the vision of the varroa mite is similar to that of the honey bee with regard to the colour spectrum (ultraviolet).
- The vision of the varroa mite is similar to that of humans with regard to the perception of the colour red.
- Is completely absent.
- The achromatopsic vision of the varroa mite allows it to distinguish only between black and white.
View answer
Correct answer: no. 3
Although completely blind, the varroa mite has developed remarkable abilities to parasitize first Apis cerana and later Apis mellifera. Equipped with eight robust legs like its arachnid relatives—spiders, ticks, or scorpions—it can jump onto the back of bees and cling to their hairs before lodging itself between the abdominal segments to suck the bee’s well-known fat body. The detection of even the slightest movement around it and the perception of pheromones emitted by the queen, workers, males, and brood enable it to orient itself very rapidly. This fine perception of the environment allows it to shift from a phoretic phase, during which it spreads from one adult to another and from one colony to another, to a phase of confinement within a sealed brood cell, where it reproduces. The varroa mite is so well adapted to the honey bee that it cannot survive for more than 48 hours without it!
There are many blind animals that survive very well on Earth. These species manage without eyes because they have efficiently adapted to their environment. The wolf spider lives in completely dark caves and captures its prey by chasing it from behind. The olm, or proteus, is a cave-dwelling salamander whose sense of smell and hearing are highly developed for locating larvae, aquatic worms, and snails. The Brahminy blind snake resembles an earthworm and feeds on insects and termites. The Brazilian characid is a blind, depigmented fish that lives in underground caves. The star-nosed mole is completely blind and uses its 22 tentacles to locate prey. The beetle Leptodirus lacks eyes and pigmentation. These species live in the darkness of caves using long antennae and legs that are extremely sensitive to vibrations. Blind crayfish have no eyes but possess very sensitive tactile and olfactory senses that help them survive in the dark. Cave shrimp live in darkness and therefore do not need eyes; they have a pair of antennae and a small pair of shorter antennules on their head that help them touch, smell, and taste their food…
See also: How do bees see?