varroa
/ˈvarəʊə
/(also varroa mite)
noun
A microscopic mite which is a debilitating parasite of the honeybee, causing loss of honey production.
- Varroa jacobsoni, order (or subclass) Acari.
- Monthly samples of the fallen varroa showed that the screen insert reduced the mite populations by about 15 percent.
- Earlier this year a dead varroa mite was found in a hive in North Canterbury, prompting a major investigation by MAF and restrictions on the area.
Origin
1970s: modern Latin, from Varro, Marcus Terentius (with reference to his work on bee-keeping) + -a1.