Abstract
A total of 72 Apis melllifera jemenitica honeybee samples were collected from eight different provinces within Saudi Arabia. Samples consisted of adult worker bees and capped brood cells. All samples were analyzed to estimate Varroa destructor mite infestation levels, and isolated V. destructor mites (n = 90) were subjected to DNA analysis. Results revealed that all colonies sampled in this survey were infested with V. destructor mites. The overall average infestation levels were 5.5 ± 4.8% and 13.1 ± 10.6% on adult worker bees and in capped brood cells, respectively. Differences in worker infestation levels were not significant among sampling locations (F = 1.5; P = 0.19); however, infestation levels in capped brood cells were highly significant among locations (F = 5.2; P < 0.001). Moreover, results indicated that all V. destructor mites from A. m. jemenitica were recognized as a Korean haplotype of V. destructor. These results should assist forthcoming mite management efforts in Saudi Arabia.