Abstract
Parasitic associations between larval Unionicola formosa and U. foili obtained from the freshwater unionid mussels Pyganodon cataracta and Utterbackia imbecillis, respectively, and the chironomid dipteran Chironomus tentans were established in the laboratory. Several life history characteristics of larvae of both species of water mites were examined during these associations. Larval water mites occurred exclusively on the ventral surface of C. tentans, attached to the articular membranes of the thorax and abdomen. There was no significant difference in the number of larvae parasitizing male and female chironomids, with a mean of approximately 2–3 larvae per host and a maximum of 9 larvae per host. Larval mites remained attached to an insect for an average of 3 days, during which time they increased significantly in size and weight. In the absence of an insect host, the larvae lived approximately 14 days. Larvae that had completed their parasitic phase and had detached from a chironomid lived an average of...
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