Study of the acarofauna of native bumblebee species (Bombus) from Argentina

Abstract

International audienceA total of 382 bumblebee specimens were examined: Bombus atratus (n = 310), Bombus morio (n = 42), Bombus bellicosus (n = 16), Bombus opifex (n = 8), and Bombus tucumanus (n = 6). Prevalence, abundance, and intensity of mite infestation for each Bombus species and for each caste were recorded. The different mite species infesting bumblebee specimens were: Kuzinia laevis (Dujardin), Kuzinia americana (Delfinado and Baker), Scutacarus acarorum (Goeze), Pneumolaelaps longanalis (Hunter and Husband), Pneumolaelaps longipilus (Hunter), Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank), and Parasitellus fucorum (De Geer). Numbers of mites varied enormously and ranged from one individual to over 200 per bumblebee. Kuzinia mites were represented by the phoretic forms (hypopi). Only nymphs of P. fucorum were recorded. Only female mites were recorded for the other mite species. Tyrophagus putrescientiae, P. longipilus, S. acarorum, and P. fucorum were less abundant, while K. laevis, K. americana, and P. longanalis were the most abundant. These records of T. putrescientiae, P. fucorum, K. laevis, K. americana, P. longipilus, and S. acarorum are the first for Argentine bumblebees

Spatial aggregation of phoretic mites on Bombus atratus and Bombus opifex (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Argentina

“…T. putrescentiae (Acaridae) and S. acarorum (Scutacaridae) were the least abundant phoretic mites on both B. opifex and B. atratus. These results are similar to those reported by Maggi et al (2011a), also in Argentina. Nevertheless, some mite species reported by Maggi et al (2011a) were not found in the current study: Parasitellus fucorum was previously detected infesting B. atratus, but was not found in the present study.…”

“…These results are similar to those reported by Maggi et al (2011a), also in Argentina. Nevertheless, some mite species reported by Maggi et al (2011a) were not found in the current study: Parasitellus fucorum was previously detected infesting B. atratus, but was not found in the present study. The same authors reported only two species of Kuzinia, while a total of four Kuzinia species were observed in the present study.…”

“…Several mite species are associated with bumblebees (Chmielewski and Baker 2008;Maggi et al 2011a), most of which live inside the nest, feeding on nectar, pollen, debris, microorganism (fungi), and other mites (Chmielewski 1971(Chmielewski , 1998Chmielewski and Baker 2008). Generally, they are phoretic on bees, using them as transport to colonize new nests (Huck et al 1998).…”

“…Mites have been observed on bumblebees and in their nests for over 150 years (Husband 1968). These associations have been studied by several authors including Chmielewski (1971, 1977, 1998), O'Connor (1988, Houck and O'Connor (1991), Schwarz et al (1996), Huck et al (1998), Chmielewski and Baker (2008), and Maggi et al (2011a). These ecological interactions among mites and bees vary in form and complexity, ranging from strictly phoresy to parasitism (O'Connor 1988), but no studies have evaluated the distribution patterns of phoretic mites on bumblebees and the factors that influence them.…”

The invasion of southern South America by imported bumblebees and associated parasites

“…However, prior to our first campaign (2004), next to nothing was known about the parasites and diseases of Bombus in southern South America, but reports have multiplied since (Plischuk & Lange ; Plischuk et al . , ; Maggi, Lucia & Abrahamovich ; Arbetman et al . ).…”