Mesostigmata

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Taxonomy

updated 2025

Diagnostic characters

• Hypertrichous associates of honeybees with a sternal keel and a bullet-shaped ventrianal shieldventrianal shield:
  in Mesostigmata, a ventral shield bearing the anal opening, circum anal setae, and one or more pairs of ventral setae or pores (lyrifissures) [see anal shield]; maybe rather narrow or very broad and covering most of the gaster.
  

More about Melittiphis on Bee Mite ID

Similar taxa

See Tropilaelaps, Varroa, and Euvarroa.

Ecology and distribution

Pollen thieves in honeybee hives.

References

• Casanueva 1993Casanueva 1993:
  Casanueva ME. 1993. Phylogenetic studies of the free-living arthropod associated Laelapidae (Acari: Mesostigmata). Gayana Zoologica 57: 21–46.
• Evans and Till 1966Evans and Till 1966:
  Evans GO and Till WM. 1966. Studies on the British Dermanyssidae (Acari: Mesostigmata). Part II. Classification. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Zoology 14: 107-370.