> > 3. I wonder why Varroa has variability for a character like
> >fluvalenate resistance anyways ?  Why do alelles that confer
> >fluvalenate resistance  exist in natural Varroa populations...?...
 
> >What about mutation?  There are, I assume, billions upon billions of >mites
> >under pressure from fluvalinate.  Any sucessful mutations would soon
> >dominate.
 
> Insect resistance to pesticides is not the results of mutation. If an
> given specie of insect is poisened by a pesticide they will not transform
> themselves (mutate) to be resistant to that substance. Pesticide
> resistance of a specie is the result of a more or less small proportion
> of the population: Of the billions of individuals that form a specie
> there are always some that are slightly different as a result of errors
> in the replication of their genetic code...
 
Are not some -- or all -- of these individuals what we call mutants?
Mutations are constantly occuring in any population.  Some are successful,
many are not.  Some mutant characteristics are passed on, some are not.
 
My point was that IMO It is not *necessary* that fluvalinate resistance
actually pre-existed in a varroa population before coming under pressure
(as Adony seemed to suggest), since there is a some chance that such a
mutation could occur at any time.  Should it occur when the population is
under fluvalinate pressure, any such successful mutant specimens would
tend to survive better than non mutants and therefore their fluvalinate
resistance characteristics could be well represented in any survivors.
 
Allen
 
Allen