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Cosmolaelaps

Harmfulness rating

HARMFUL | NOT HARMFUL | UNCERTAIN

neutral to beneficial; general predator of microarthropods in bee nests

Name

Cosmolaelaps Berlese, 1903

Taxonomy

Superorder Parasitiformes » Order Mesostigmata » Suborder Monogynaspida » Hyporder Dermanyssiae » Family Laelapidae » Genus Cosmolaelaps

Type species

Laelaps claviger Berlese, 1883

Diagnosis

Female: With widened dorsal setae having a basal asymmetric protuberance (Figs. 1, 3), dorsal idiosomaidiosoma:
Body not including the gnathosoma.
with a few unpaired setae (Fig. 1), and typical 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.
reaching middle of palpfemur and not extending to its anterior edge (Fig. 7). Otherwise similar to Hypoaspis, Group 1.

Species identification

The genus Cosmolaelaps comprises 108 species (Moreira et al., 2014Moreira et al., 2014:
Moreira, G. F., H. Klompen amp; G. J. De Moraes. 2014. Redefinition of Cosmolaelaps Berlese (Acari: Laelapidae) and description of five new species from Brazil. Zootaxa. 3764: 317-346.), which are predators of small microarthropods in soil and related habitats. One species, Cosmolaelaps vacuus, a generalist predator, was described and included in a key to British species (Evans and Till, 1966Evans and Till, 1966:
Evans, G. O. amp; W. M. Till. 1966. Studies on the British Dermanyssidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) Part II. Classification. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Zoology. 14: 107-370.).

Similar genera

By the presence of widened dorsal setae similar to Stratiolaelaps. Cosmolaelaps can be distinguished from Stratiolaelaps by its typical 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.
that reach nearly to middle of palpfemur (Fig. 7). In Stratiolaelaps, corniculi reach anterior level of palpfemur. Also similar to Hypoaspis, but dorsal setae are widened in Cosmolaelaps (simple, not widened in Hypoaspis).

Distribution

The genus is cosmopolitan. The single species recorded from bees (Cosmolaelaps vacuus) has been found in the Holarctic and Oriental regions.

Bee hosts

Cosmolaelaps vacuus has been found, among other habitats, in a bumble bee (Bombus) nest.

Host association level

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

Host associations, feeding, and dispersal

  • All stages are predatory on microarthropods in different habitats, including nests of social bees.
  • Mites can invade nearby bee nests by walking.
Fig. 1. Cosmolaelaps vacuus female, dorsal view.

Fig. 1. Cosmolaelaps vacuus female, dorsal view.
Fig. 2. Cosmolaelaps vacuus female, ventral view.

Fig. 2. Cosmolaelaps vacuus female, ventral view.
Fig. 3. Cosmolaelaps vacuus female posterior hysterosoma showing dorsal setae.

Fig. 3. Cosmolaelaps vacuus female posterior hysterosoma showing dorsal setae.
Fig. 4. Cosmolaelaps vacuus female sternal shield.

Fig. 4. Cosmolaelaps vacuus female sternal shield.
Fig. 5. Cosmolaelaps vacuus female ventral hysterosoma.

Fig. 5. Cosmolaelaps vacuus female ventral hysterosoma.
Fig. 6. Cosmolaelaps vacuus female peritreme.

Fig. 6. Cosmolaelaps vacuus female peritreme.
Fig. 7. Cosmolaelaps vacuus female gnathosoma.

Fig. 7. Cosmolaelaps vacuus female gnathosoma.
Fig. 8. Cosmolaelaps vacuus female chelicera.

Fig. 8. Cosmolaelaps vacuus female chelicera.
Fig. 9. Cosmolaelaps vacuus female spermatheca.

Fig. 9. Cosmolaelaps vacuus female spermatheca.