New research questions whether V. destructor and V. jacobsonii are actually distinct species at all:

> The introgression of alleles of V. destructor in the gene pool of V. jacobsonii from the centre and the South of Thailand at some but not all loci suggests the presence of second or third generation hybrids and indicates that the two species are capable of inter-breeding and of producing fertile offspring. Introgression suggests that reproductive barriers between these species are absent and questions the segregation of V. destructor and V. jacobsonii into two species. 

> Differences in behaviour, morphology and virulence promoted the investigation of genetic divergence within the genus Varroa (Anderson and Fuchs, 1998; de Guzman et al., 1998; Anderson, 2000). The percentage of divergence measured resulted in the definition of V. destructor as a new species (Anderson and Trueman, 2000). Yet, whether the typical biological basis for species definition is fulfilled (i.e. the absence of interbreeding and production of fertile offspring, Mayr, 1942) has never been tested. 

Dietemann V, Beaurepaire A, Page P, Yañez O, Buawangpong N, Chantawannakul P, Neumann P (2019). Population genetics of ectoparasitic mites Varroa spp. in Eastern and Western honey bees. Parasitology 1–11. 
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