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Hattena

Harmfulness rating

HARMFUL | NOT HARMFUL | UNCERTAIN

possibly kleptoparasitic; may consume provisioned pollen in nest

Name

Hattena Domrow, 1963

Taxonomy

Superorder Parasitiformes » Order Mesostigmata » Suborder Monogynaspida » Hyporder Dermanyssiae » Family Ameroseiidae » Genus Hattena

Type species

Hattena erosa Domrow, 1963

Common synonyms

Edbarellus Manson, 1974

Diagnosis

Female: Dorsal shield not rugose, without large ridges (Figs. 1, 3; compare with Ameroseius where it is rugose), with less than 25 pairs of setae (Figs. 1, 3). Setae j1 simplesimple:
Of claws or setae; not modified or not bi- or trifurcate at tip.
, filiform, setae J5 absent (Fig. 3). Corniculicorniculus:
Paired, horn-like process (sometimes toothed, bifurcate, trifurcate, spine-like, spatulate, or membranous) on the subcapitulum of parasitiform mites. These processes usually support the salivary styli. If toothed could be confused with a rutellum, a possibly homologous structure in Acariformes and Opilioacarida.
undivided (or divided), surrounded by transparent membrane (Fig. 8). All legs with well developed ambulacrumambulacrum:
The claws and empodium of the apotele or pretarsus.
, claws reduced (Fig. 12). Spermathecal ducts (rami) not fused (Fig. 15).

Species identification

A dichotomous key is available in Faraji and Cornejo, 2006Faraji and Cornejo, 2006:
Faraji, F. amp; X. Cornejo. 2006. A new Hattena Domrow (Acari: Ameroseiidae) from Ecuadorian mangroves and a new generic record for South America. International Journal of Acarology.32: 287-291., but Hattena dalyi (Elsen, 1974) comb. nov. (from Afrocypholaelaps) is omitted.

Similar genera

Similar to Afrocypholaelaps. Can be distinguished by the presence of fewer than 25 pairs of setae on its dorsal shield (29 pairs in Afrocypholaelaps) and by its separate spermathecal rami (fused in Afrocypholaelaps).

Distribution

Known from the tropics of the Old and New Worlds (Ecuador, Kenya, Taiwan, Australia, and south-east Asia). Has been found on bees only in the Old World.

Bee hosts

Bee records include the European honey bee Apis mellifera, an unidentified bee, and the small carpenter bee Ceratina subquadrata.

Host association level

facultativefacultative:
can complete entire life cycle without bees or their close relative, wasps

Host associations, feeding, and dispersal

  • All stages normally live on flowers of various tropical plants and feed on their pollen and nectar.
  • Dispersal occurs on adult bees and other flower-visiting animals. Female is the phoreticphoretic:
    Pertaining to phoresy; using another organism (i.e., a host) for dispersal to new habitats. Phoresy can be distinguished from parasitism because feeding typically does not occur during phoresy.
    stage.

Biology

Three species are known from bees: Hattena dalyi (Elsen, 1974), Hattena ewae (Haitlinger, 1987), and Hattena tonganus (Manson, 1974). Although there is no host specificity to a particular animal carrier, some host plant specificity may exist. For example, in Australia, Hattena incisa occurs only in the flowers of the stilted mangrove, Rhizophora stylosa, while Hattena panopla occurs in the flowers of a range of plants, but not those of R. stylosa (Halliday, 1997Halliday, 1997:
Halliday, R. B. 1997. Revision of the Australian Ameroseiidae (Acarina: Mesostigmata). Invertebrate Taxonomy.11: 179-201.).

Fig. 1. Hattena rhizophorae female, dorsal view.

Fig. 1. Hattena rhizophorae female, dorsal view.
Fig. 2. Hattena rhizophorae female, ventral view.

Fig. 2. Hattena rhizophorae female, ventral view.
Fig. 3. Hattena rhizophorae female idiosoma, dorsal view.

Fig. 3. Hattena rhizophorae female idiosoma, dorsal view.
Fig. 4. Hattena rhizophorae female idiosoma, ventral view.

Fig. 4. Hattena rhizophorae female idiosoma, ventral view.
Fig. 5. Hattena rhizophorae female sternal region. Posterior margin of sternal shield traced.

Fig. 5. Hattena rhizophorae female sternal region. Posterior margin of sternal shield traced.
Fig. 6. Hattena rhizophorae female peritreme; DIC.

Fig. 6. Hattena rhizophorae female peritreme; DIC.
Fig. 7. Hattena rhizophorae female peritreme; phase contrast.

Fig. 7. Hattena rhizophorae female peritreme; phase contrast.
Fig. 8. Hattena cometis female gnathosoma.

Fig. 8. Hattena cometis female gnathosoma.
Fig. 9. Hattena cometis female gnathosoma, optical section at level of labrum.

Fig. 9. Hattena cometis female gnathosoma, optical section at level of labrum.
Fig. 10. Hattena cometis female anterodorsal gnathosoma showing tectum.

Fig. 10. Hattena cometis female anterodorsal gnathosoma showing tectum.
Fig. 11. Hattena cometis female chelicera, lateral view.

Fig. 11. Hattena cometis female chelicera, lateral view.
Fig. 12. Hattena cometis female ambulacrum I.

Fig. 12. Hattena cometis female ambulacrum I.
Fig. 13. Hattena cometis male, dorsal view.

Fig. 13. Hattena cometis male, dorsal view.
Fig. 14. Hattena cometis male idiosoma, ventral view.

Fig. 14. Hattena cometis male idiosoma, ventral view.
Fig. 15. Hattena panopla female spermatheca.

Fig. 15. Hattena panopla female spermatheca.