Associations of Mites with Social Insects

Abstract

acarine parasites (Varroa jacobsoni, Acarapis woodi) on honey bees (11) are causing concern, and the ecology of social insects and potential coevolution between hosts and parasites are topics of particular interest. Therefore, a review of the known acarine-social insect associations is timely. Previous reviews of arthropods associated with social insects (55, 107) gave little attention to mites. Recent articles in the Annual Review of Entomology on two suborders of mites, the Mesostigmata (44) and Astigmata (72), present some information on social insect associates. In this chapter I provide the first review of the diversity and biology of all mites associated with all taxa of social insects. Early studies of mites associated with social insects were principally taxonomic and limited to descriptions of species. Only a few taxonomic revisions of mite genera pertain to social insect associates, and the generic status of species named in the older literature often cannot be determined without recourse to examination of the original specimens. This review represents my best effort to place the important associates into currently accepted families [as presented by Johnston, Kethley, and OConnor in Parker (74)] and genera. Important associates are those that depend exclusively or largely on nourishment provided by social insects or their nests. I first review the acarine associates of social insects. I then discuss how these mites obtain food, the adaptations necessary to establish important relationships with social insects, their effect on the ecology of their hosts, and the evolutionary