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Reproduction, development and diet of Parasitellus fucorum (Mesostigmata: Parasitidae), a mite associated with bumblebees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 1999

S. Koulianos
Affiliation:
Experimentelle Oekologie, ETH Zürich, ETH Zentrum NW, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland
H. H. Schwarz
Affiliation:
Experimentelle Oekologie, ETH Zürich, ETH Zentrum NW, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland
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Abstract

The mite Parasitellus fucorum (De Geer) (Mesostigmata: Parasitidae) lives and reproduces in the nests of bumblebees. Despite its abundance on European bumblebees and its occasional invasion of honeybee nests, little is known about its basic life-history traits and dietary requirements. This paper describes the mating behaviour, oviposition and development of P. fucorum under controlled laboratory conditions, and provides observations on the dietary preferences of its life-cycle stages.

Type
Short Communication
Copyright
© 1999 The Zoological Society of London

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