What happens to immature male Varroa mites after reaching adulthood?

The correct answer indicates that immature male Varroa mites die after reaching adulthood. Understanding the life cycle of Varroa mites reveals that males typically have a short lifespan and do not contribute to prolonged reproduction in the same manner as females. After mating with the female mites, males often succumb to various environmental factors or may even die shortly thereafter since their primary role is to fertilize females within the drone cells.

In the context of beekeeping, recognizing the dynamics between Varroa mites and honey bee colonies is important. Females are the ones that survive longer, feeding on the bees and laying eggs which further infest the hive. Males do not survive for long after reaching adulthood as their life cycle is closely tied to that of females, and they do not play any ongoing role in the hive environment, such as becoming workers or feeding on queens.

The other options, which suggest survival and mating, transitioning to a worker role, or feeding on the queen, do not accurately reflect the biological and reproductive strategies of male Varroa mites, emphasizing that their lifecycle is brief and primarily limited to mating before their demise.