Genus Melissotydeus André, 1985, family Tydeidae

Melissotydeus macrosolenus, female, dorsal view, ex Partamona mourei, Brazil (modified from André, 1985) title=

Fig. 1. Melissotydeus macrosolenus, female, dorsal view, ex Partamona mourei, Brazil (modified from André, 1985). Click to enlarge

Bee Mites : Acari : Acariformes : Trombidiformes : Tydeidae

Genus Melissotydeus André, 1985

Melissotydeus macrosolenus André, 1985: 244 (type species Melissotydeus macrosolenus André, 1985 by original designation); Eickwort, 1994: 329 (listed in table); Kazmierski, 1998a: 292.

Type speices Melissotydeus macrosolenus André, 1985 by original designation

General Description. The genus includes two species. Melissotydeus macrosolenus André was collected from nests of Partamona and Trigona (Apidae, Meliponini) in Brazil. Melissotydeus incarum Kazmierski, 1998 was found among debris in dense thickets of bamboo in Peru (André, 1985; Kazmierski, 1998a).

Hosts.
Partamona mourei Camargo, 1980 (type host)
Frieseomellita sp. (as "Frieseomellita modesta" (nom. nud., Moure’s ms n., see Moure at al., 2011]) (André, 1985).

Distribution. Brazil, Peru (André, 1985; Kazmierski, 1998a).

Species associated with bees.

Melissotydeus macrosolenus André, 1985

References

André, H. M. 1985. Acari domum meliponinarum brasiliensium habitantes. 10. Melissotydeus macrosolenus gen. n., sp. n. (Acari: Tydeidae). Bulletin & Annales de la Societe Royale Belge d'Entomologie.21: 243-246.

Eickwort, G. C. 1994. Evolution and life-history patterns of mites associated with bees. In Mites: Ecological and Evolutionary Analyses of Life-History Patterns, ed. M. A. Houck, 218-251. New York: Chapman & Hall.

Kazmierski, A. 1998. Tydeinae of the world: generic relationships, new and redescribed taxa and keys to all species. A revision of the subfamilies Pretydeinae and Tydeinae (Acari: Actinedida: Tydeidae) - part IV. Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia.41: 283-455.

Image Gallery

female