Tropilaelaps

Tropilaelaps
Tropilaelaps mites on European honey bee larvae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Mesostigmata
Family: Laelapidae
Genus: Tropilaelaps
Delfinado & Baker, 1961

Tropilaelaps is a genus of parasitic mites in the family Laelapidae. Their range spans the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Pakistan. T. mercedesae has now established a foothold in Europe with verified reports in the Krasnodar region, Western Russia and Turkey. Their primary hosts are the larva of Apis dorsata and Apis laboriosa, although after Apis mellifera was imported to Asia, they were found to also be suitable hosts for two species of Tropilaelaps, T. clareae and T. mercedesae. Species can be identified by DNA analysis. They are considered a major economic threat to the beekeeping industry.

Tropilaelaps are ectoparasites that reduce the lifespans of individual bees and reduce their overall health and wellbeing by depriving them of nutrients and inflicting injuries. Evidence of Tropilaelaps presence in a hive might include deformed wings or legs on honey bees. Although the current body of knowledge regarding Tropilaelaps is lacking in many areas, early trials indicate that certain concentrations of formic acid vapors may treat Tropilaelaps infestations in beehives.

Species

Interaction with other organisms

Honeybees

Tropilaelaps mites are especially dangerous as they can be hard to spot, being translucent and around three-forths of a millimeter long. They are estimated to lay eggs every 24 hours, and take 7 days to develop.

Tropilaelaps’ sole diet is the blood of developing honeybees. Pregnant tropilaelaps mites have been observed to seal themselves in a honeycomb cell with a developing bee, using the bee to feed herself and her young. The young who are not trapped still could suffer damage when nurse bees rip off the wax cell caps in an attempt to find the mites, removing the barrier that separates the pupa from the outside world. Their feeding does damage to the immune system of bees, leaving them vulnerable to the viruses that Tropilaelaps carry. These viruses could cause death, deformities and paralysis.

Varroa

Varroa and Tropilaelaps have been known to coexist well, as they share their food and even can reproduce in the same hive cell.

Location

Tropilaelaps live around Southeast Asia and other tropical countries like Korea, but over recent years, they have been reported to be seen in colder climates such as Russia, Kazakhstan and Georgia. There is growing concern of Tropilaelaps’ spread to North America, though there have been no reports of detected Tropilaelaps in the area.

References

  1. ↑ David Evans Walter (ed.). "Laelapidae Species Listing". Biology Catalog. Texas A&M University. Retrieved August 31, 2010. (dead link 28 June 2019)
  2. ↑ Brandorf, Anna; Ivoilova, Marija M.; Yañez, Orlando; Neumann, Peter; Soroker, Victoria (2024-05-16). "First report of established mite populations, Tropilaelaps mercedesae, in Europe". Journal of Apicultural Research: 1–3. doi:10.1080/00218839.2024.2343976. ISSN 0021-8839.
  3. ↑ Fani Hatjina (2026-08-14). "High risk of spreading of Tropilaelaps mercedesae in Eastern Europe, after new detection in Turkey". Retrieved 2026-08-18.
  4. ↑ Porterfield, Andrew (2021-02-25). "Lab Test Rapidly IDs Potential Mite Pest of Honey Bees". EntomologyToday. Entomological Society of America. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  5. ↑ Del Cont, Aurélie; De Georges, Benjamin; Huleux, Anthea; Duquesne, Veronique (2021-01-27). "Rapid Identification of Tropilaelaps Mite (Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) Species Using a COI Barcode-HRM". Journal of Economic Entomology. 114 (2): 520–529. doi:10.1093/jee/toaa330. PMID 33503242.
  6. ↑ "Morphological identification of Tropilaelaps spp. (adult form) (OIE method)" (PDF). ANSES. Sophia Antipolis Laboratory. 2015-09-21. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Ong, Sandy (2026-10-27). "Stopping the Next Great Honeybee Killer—Before It Reaches the U.S." National Geographic. Archived from the original on 2026-10-28. Retrieved 2026-10-28.
  8. ↑ "Morphological identification of Tropilaelaps spp. (adult form) (OIE method)" (PDF). ANSES. Sophia Antipolis Laboratory. 2015-09-21. Retrieved 2021-02-26.

  1. ↑ USDA (December 2023). "Tropilaelaps Infestation of Honey Bees" (PDF). Retrieved May 3, 2024.