Life History of the Honey Bee Tracheal Mite (Acari: Tarsonemidae)

Abstract

Data on the seasonal reproductive patterns of the honey bee tracheal mite, Acarapis woodi (Rennie), were obtained by dissecting host honey bees, Apis mellifera L., at intervals during their life span. Mite reproduction normally was limited to 1 complete generation per host bee, regardless of host life span. However, limited egg laying by foundress progeny was observed. Longer lived bees in the fall and winter harbored mites that reproduced for a longer period than did mites in bees during spring and summer. Oviposition rate was relatively uniform at ≈0.85 eggs per female per day during the initial 16 d of adult bee life regardless of season. In all seasons, peak mite populations occurred in bees ≈24 d old, with egg laying declining rapidly beyond day 24 in spring and summer bees but more slowly in fall and winter bees. Stadial lengths of eggs and male and female larvae were 5, 4, and 5 d, respectively. Sex ratio ranged from 1.15:1 to 2.01:1, female bias, but because males are not known to migrate they would have been overestimated in the sampling scheme. Fecundity was estimated to be ≈21 offspring, assuming daughter mites laid limited eggs in tracheae before dispersal. Mortality of adult mites increased with host age; an estimate of 35 d for female mite longevity was indirectly obtained. Daughter mites began dispersing when infested bees were ≈13 d old, and mite dispersal peaked when infested bees were 15—25 d old. The mating behavior of tracheal mites is described.