Tropilaelaps clareae
"Tropilaelaps clareae is a medium-sized, elongated, active, light, reddish-brown mite native to Asia and parasitic on Apis dorsata."
"This mite does not stay on the adult bees as much as V. jacobsoni [destructor] but often moves freely on the combs. T. clareae has relatively primitive, unspecialized chelicerae and is therefore incapable of piercing the membranes of adult bees to obtain food(Griffiths,1988). Thus, this species is phoretic on adults but depends on the brood for feeding."
I believe that "phoretic" means moves about on, is transported on, is carried by.
"The damage to A. mellifera is quite severe(Burgett and Akratanakul 1985)." It takes fewer T. clareae to do the damage that V. Jacobsoni do.
It is widely distributed throughout Southeast Asia.
"In areas of the world where there is a seasonal break in brood rearing, these mites apparently cannot survive." Apparently wintering in the north, where there is a broodless period, or removal of queens from hives for a period of time long enuf for all the brood to emerge, would be a way of "control". Since the T. clareae can't live very many days w/out feeding and feeds only on bee brood.
The above quotes are from "Honey Bee Pests, Predators, & Diseases" Third Edition Edited by Roger A. Morse and Kim Flottum 1997. Does anyone know if there is a more recent and updated edition?
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Originally Posted by StevenG
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