Study of the acarofauna of native bumblebee species (Bombus) from Argentina

MAGGI M.; LUCÍA M,; ABRAHAMOVICH

APIDOLOGIE

EDP SCIENCES S A

Año: 2011

0044-8435

A total of 382 bumblebee specimens were examined: Bombus atratus (n=310), Bombus morio (n=42), Bombus bellicosus (n=16), Bombus opifex (n=8), and Bombus tucumanus (n=6). Prevalence, abundance and intensity of infestation by mites for Bombus species and for each caste of bumblebees were recorded. The different mite species infesting bumblebee specimens were: Kuzinia laevis (Dujardin), Kuzinia americana (Delfinado and Baker), Scutacarus acarorum (Goeze), Pneumolaelaps longanalis (Hunter and Husband), Pneumolaelaps longipilus (Hunter), Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank), and Parasitellus fucorum (De Geer). Numbers of mites varied enormously and ranged from 1 individual to over 200 per bumblebee. Kuzinia mites were represented by the phoretic forms (hypopi). Only nymphs of P. fucorum were recorded. With regard to the other mite species only female mites were recorded. T. putrescientiae, P. longipilus, S. acarorum and P. fucorum were the less abundant mites found on bumblebees while K. laevis, K. americana, and P. longanalis were the most common ones. Records of T. putrescientiae, P. fucorum, K. laevis, K. americana, P. longipilus and S. acarorum are the first for Argentine bumblebees. Keywords: Bumblebees / Argentina / associated mites