Bee mites: Family Laelapidae: Eumellitiphis mellitus

Fig. 1. Male of mite Eumellitiphis mellitus ex stingless bee Lestrimelitta limao (Smith, 1863) (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini). Click here to enlarge

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Genus Eumellitiphis Turk, 1948

Eumellitiphis Turk, 1948: 110 (Type species Eumellitiphis mellitus Turk, 1948 by original designation); Delfinado-Baker and Baker, 1988: 127.

This genus includes three named species that inhabit nests of stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) in the Neotropical and Oriental regions (Delfinado-Baker and Baker, 1988; Turk, 1948). Eumellitiphis mellitus Turk was found in the nests of Lestrimelitta limao in Trinidad and Tobago, Panama, and Brazil. Eumellitiphis inouei Delfinado-Baker et Baker from Trigona canifrons Smith, 1857 and Trigona thoracica Smith, 1857 from Indonesia. Eumellitiphis philippinensis Delfinado-Baker et Baker has been found in nests of an unidentified species of Trigona from the Philippines (Turk, 1948; Delfinado-Baker and Baker, 1988; our data).

Eumellitiphis mellitus Turk, 1948

Eumellitiphis mellitus Turk, 1948: 111, Figs 42-46; (?) Delfinado-Baker and Baker, 1988: 129, Fig. 1.

Material. 1 male, 2 pharate protonymphs - PANAMA: Colón Prov., Parque Nacional Soberania, 11 km N Gamboa, Pipeline Rd., nest of Lestrimelitta limao (Smith, 1863) (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini), 6 Apr 1988, D. Roubik, BMOC 88-0729-001.
Distribution. Trinidad and Tobago: Arima (type locality), Brazil (no additional data); Panama: Colón (Turk, 1948; Delfinado-Baker and Baker, 1988; our data).
Hosts. Lestrimelitta limao (Apidae) (type host). This mite species might actually have a wide range of hosts, because Lestrimelitta robs provision in the nests of other stingless bees (Michener, 2000).
Notes. This species has been originally described (protonymph, male, female) from nests of Lestrimelitta limao from Trinidad (Turk, 1948). Delfinado-Baker and Baker (1988) found a female and protonymph in the nest of the same host and included a figure of the female. The authors also mentioned that they have compared their material with the Turk's types. We have a male that has the dorsal shield very similar to that of the female figured by Delfinado-Baker and Baker (1988). However, the anterior part of spermatodactyl in our male is slightly S-shaped, but it is straight in the Turk's figure (Fig. 45). Thus, our specimens probably are not authentic Eumellitiphis mellitus.

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