Varroa mites (Varroa destructor) are a genus of parasitic mites associated with honey bees. They can be seen with the naked eye as red dots on the bee's thorax. Bees infected with this virus during their development will often have visibly deformed wings. Varroa mites have led to the virtual elimination of feral bee colonies in many areas, and are a major problem for kept bees in apiaries. Some feral populations are now recovering—it appears they have been naturally selected for Varroa resistance. Varroa mites were first discovered in Southeast Asia in about 1904, but are now present on all continents except Australia.