Name and classification
Eumellitiphis Turk, 1948
Taxonomy
Superorder Parasitiformes » Order Mesostigmata » Suborder Monogynaspida » Hyporder Dermanyssiae » Family Laelapidae » Genus Eumellitiphis
Type species
Eumellitiphis mellitus Turk, 1948
lives in bee nests, but dispersal and feeding behavior are unknown
Eumellitiphis Turk, 1948
Taxonomy
Superorder Parasitiformes » Order Mesostigmata » Suborder Monogynaspida » Hyporder Dermanyssiae » Family Laelapidae » Genus Eumellitiphis
Type species
Eumellitiphis mellitus Turk, 1948
Female: Some marginal setae of idiosoma and legs with rounded or spatulate ends (Fig. 2). Epigynal shield enlarged (Fig. 2). Distance between epigynal and anal shields small (shields nearly touching each other) (Fig. 2).
Male: Genitoventral and anal shields fused.
A dichotomous key is available in Delfinado-Baker and Baker, 1988.
Neotropical and Oriental regions (Delfinado-Baker and Baker, 1988, Turk, 1948)
stingless bees (Lestrimelitta, Geniotrigona, Lophotrigona, and Trigona)
associated exclusively with bees or their close relative, wasps; cannot live without these hosts
some life stages are associated with bees, while others are not
can complete entire life cycle without bees or their close relative, wasps
permanent