How many mature (mated) daughters can a female varroa mite produce due to the longer capped stage of a drone cell?

The correct choice indicates that a female varroa mite can produce 1 to 3 mature (mated) daughters specifically due to the extended capped stage of a drone cell. This is because drone cells, which are larger and longer capped than worker cells, provide a more favorable environment for the varroa mite to reproduce.

In drone cells, the longer development time allows the mite more opportunity to breed and mature. The female mite typically lays a single egg soon after entering the capped cell, and due to the increased duration until the drone emerges, she can lay additional eggs within that time frame. Generally, a female mite can successfully produce several daughters from a single drone cell because the longer period before emergence allows for multiple opportunities for egg-laying.

The reproductive potential is greater in drone cells compared to worker cells mainly because the worker cell's shorter capped duration limits the time the mite has to reproduce. Consequently, while the higher choices suggest more potential than is typical for the mite's reproductive behavior, the figure of 1 to 3 daughters effectively captures the realistic number given the biological constraints and development time associated with drone brood, making it the most accurate assessment.