Ctenocollectacarus longirostris, phoretic deutonymph, ex Ctenocolletes centralis, Australia, BMOC 86-0406-003
Fig. 1. Ctenocollectacarus longirostris, phoretic deutonymph, ex Ctenocolletes centralis, Australia, BMOC 86-0406-003 Click to enlarge

Bee Mites : Acari : Acariformes : Sarcoptiformes : Acaridae : Sancassania : Ctenocolletacarus



Sancassania (Ctenocolletacarus) longirostris Fain, 1984, comb. n.

Ctenocolletacarus longirostris Fain, 1984: 79, Figs 1-6, 10 (holotype HDN, ex Ctenocolletes nicholsoni metasomal acarinarium, Western Australia (200 km N of Geraldton), in WAM; paratype HDNs in WAM, WADA, IRSNB, BMNH; included in key); Fain & Houston, 1986: 69, Figs 1-6, 11-17 (description of female, protonymph, and larva; rearing experiments from protonymphs found inside a single cell of Ctenocolletes nicholsoni yielded phoretic deutonymphs of both of C. longirostris and C. grandior; bee females occupying the nest were all carrying deutonymphs of C. grandior; mention that what they refer to under C. longirostris may be a mix of C. longirostris and C. grandior); Houston, 1987: 460, Fig. 1 (SEM picture of mites in acarinarium; detailed description of host acarinarium; observation on mite biology inside host bee nest; mention that specimens identified as "C. longirostris" may be a mix of C. longirostris and C. grandior) .

Material (show database records).

Biology. Deutonymph are found phoretic in circular metasomal acarinaria on the lateral margins of metasomal tergites 3 and 4. Houston (1987) gives a detailed biological account of "C. longirostris" (which may partially include C. grandior).

Identification. Known from phoretic deutonymphs, females, protonymph, and larva (Fain, 1984; Fain & Houston, 1986). Feeding stages may be indistinguishable from those of C. grandior. See key to species of Sancassania (Ctenocolletacarus) based on phoretic deutonymphs.

Distribution (show map). Australia: Western Australia (type locality).

Hosts
Ctenocolletes nicholsoni (Cockerell, 1929) (type host)
Ctenocolletes centralis Houston, 1983

Notes. Sibling species of C. grandior.

References

Fain, A. 1984. A new genus of mite (Acari: Acaridae) phoretic on bees (Ctenocolletes) in Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum.11: 77-86.
Fain, A. & T. F. Houston. 1986. Life cycle stages of mites of the genus Ctenocolletacarus Fain (Acari: Acaridae) associated with Ctenocolletes bees in Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum.13: 67-77.
Houston, T. F. 1987. The symbiosis of acarid mites, genus Ctenocolletacarus (Acarina: Acariformes), and stenotritid bees, genus Ctenocolletes (Insecta: Hymenoptera). Australian Journal of Zoology.35: 459-468.





 

 

B. OConnor and P. Klimov ©
Created: Oct 06, 2011
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