Melittiphis alvearius (Berlese, 1895), family Laelapidae

Mite Melittiphis alvearius (Laelapidae) found in beehives. Modified from Evans and Till (1966) title=

Fig. 1. Mite Melittiphis alvearius (Laelapidae) found in beehives. Modified from Evans and Till (1966). Click to enlarge

Bee Mites : Acari : Parasitiformes : Mesostigmata : Laelapidae : Melittiphis

Melittiphis alvearius (Berlese, 1895)

Melittiphis alvearius: Berlese, 1918: 117; Vitzthum, 1930: 285, Figs 1-3; Evans and Till, 1966: 275, Fig. 66; Samšiňák et al., 1978: 50; Crozier, 1989: 167.

Hosts.

Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758 (type host)

Distribution. Canada: Nova Scotia, Ontario; Chile; Italy (type locality), England; Germany; former Czechoslovakia; Russia; Australia; New Zeland (Berlese, 1918; Casanueva, 1992; Crozier, 1989; Davis and MacRory, 1987; Delfinado-Baker, 1994; Evans and Till, 1966; Gibbins and Toor, 1990; Grobov, 1975; Knihinicki and Halliday, 1995; Samšiňák et al., 1978; Vitzthum, 1930).

Biology. Found in beehives of the European honey bee, Apis mellifera or on bees. Serological procedures demonstrated that this mite is not a parasite or predator, but rather a scavenger of pollen in the hives (Gibbins and Toor, 1990).

References

Berlese, A. 1918. Centuria quarta di Acari nuovi. Redia.13: 115-192.

Casanueva, M. E. 1992. Acarofauna asociada con Apis mellifera L.: 1. Primeros registros para Chile de Varroa jacobsoni Oudemans y Melittiphis alvearius (Berlese) (Acari, Mesostigmata). Boletin de la Sociedad de Biologia de Concepcion.63: 51-53.

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

Davis, A. & D. MacRory. 1987. Various mites from Ontario beehives. Canadian Beekeeping.13: 209.

Delfinado-Baker, M. 1994. A harmless mite found on honey bees - Melittiphis alvearius: from Italy to New Zealand. American Bee Journal.134: 199.

Evans, G. O. & W. M. Till. 1966. Studies on the British Dermanyssidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) Part II Classification. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Zoology.14: 8-370.

Gibbins, B. L. & R. F. Vantoor. 1990. Investigation of the parasitic status of Melittiphis alvearius (Berlese) on honeybees, Apis mellifera L, by immunoassay. Journal of Apicultural Research.29: 46-52.

Grobov, O. F. 1975. [The mite fauna of the honeybee hive and stored honey.]. Trudy Vsesoyuznogo Instituta Eksperimental'noi Veterinarii.43: 255-267.

Knihinicki, D. K. & R. B. Halliday. 1995. The pollen mite, Melittiphis alvearius (Berlese) (Acarina, Laelapidae) newly recorded from beehives in Australia. Journal of the Australian Entomological Society.34: 323-325.

Samšiňák, K., E. Vobrazkova & O. Haragsim. 1978. Melittiphis alvearius Berlese, a little known bee mite. Journal of Apicultural Research.17: 50-51.

Vitzthum, H. 1930. Acarologische Beobachtungen. (14 Reihe.). Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere.59: 281-350.

Image Gallery

Mite Melittiphis alvearius (Laelapidae) found in beehives. Modified from Evans and Till (1966)