Lasioseius penicilliger (Berlese, 1916), family Ascidae

Bee Mites : Acari : Parasitiformes : Mesostigmata : Ascidae : Lasioseius

Lasioseius penicilliger (Berlese, 1916)

Lasioseius (Zercoseius) penicilliger Berlese, 1916: 44;

Lasioseius penicilliger: Evans, 1958: 219, Fig. 68; Bregetova, 1977: 180, Figs 106,3.

Distribution. Canada: Nova Scotia; Mexico; British Isles; Italy (type locality); Germany; former Czechosovakia, Iran, New Zealand (Bregetova, 1977; Crozier, 1989; Estebanes-Gonzalez, 1997; Haragsim et al., 1987; Hughes, 1976; Kamali at al., 2001; Macfarlane, 2005; Mosaddegh, 1997).

Biology. This species was found in decaying wood, old grassland and fields, in soil, nests of mammals and birds, in mills, on damp barley, and in beehives (Apis mellifera) and bumble bee (Bombus) nests. No harm to the bees was reported. Hughes (1976) speculates that this species might feed on mould.

References

Berlese, A. 1916. Centuria prima di Acari nuovi. Redia.12: 19-67.

Bregetova, N. G. 1977. [Family Aceosejidae]. In [Opredelitel' obytayshchikh v pochve kleshchey Mesostigmata = Identification key to soil-inhabiting mites Mesostigmata], eds. M. S. Gilarov & N. G. Bregetova, 169-226. Leningrad: Nauka.

Crozier, L. 1989. Melittiphis alvearius (Berlese) and other mites found in honeybee colonies in Nova Scotia. Journal of Apicultural Research.28: 166-168.

Evans, G. O. 1958. A revision of the British Aceosejinae (Acarina: Mesostigmata). Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London.131: 177-229.

Haragsim, O., K. Samšiňák & E. Vobrázková. 1978. The mites inhabiting the bee hives in ČSR. Zeitschrift für Angewandte Entomologie.87: 52-67.

Kamali, K., H. Ostovan & A. Atamehr. 2001. A Catalog of Mites and Ticks (Acari) of Iran. Islamic Azad University Scientific Publication Center. 196 pp.

Macfarlane, R. P. 2005. Mites associated with bumble bees (Bombus: Apidae) in New Zealand. Records of the Canterbury Museum.19: 29-34.

Mosaddegh, M. S. 1997. Some mites of the honey bee Apis mellifera L. hives in Iran. The Scientific Journal of Agriculture (Shahid Chamran Univ., Ahwaz, Iran).19: 7-16.