> On the mite's native host, A cerana, pheromones secreted by worker larvae do not normally initiate ovulation in the mite--it takes the drone pheromone (kairomone) to do so.

Of course, this returns us to the evolutionary question, are these responses a result of the selection of successful reproductive strategies? No doubt in A. cerana moving into a worker cell is not successful so over time, varroa would have developed that could detect drone brood by scent. 

This trait still exists in varroa that invade A. mellifera, but as we know, they can also successfully reproduce in worker cells. Were it no so, it would be a simple matter of limiting the drone brood in a hive and the varroa would fail to reproduce. Instead, we offer unlimited drone brood to attract the varroa away from the worker brood (with drone comb trapping).

I am unclear at this point why varroa move into worker cells at all in A. mellifera when there is an abundance of drone comb, but it appears they do. Perhaps they are attracted to drone brood but in the final analysis, they're not that fussy

PLB

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