A phoretic Uropodid mite associated with honey bee swarms of Northeastern Mexico

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Abstract
In a bait-hive survey of natural honey bee populations of central Tamaulipas state, Mexico, and South Texas, U.S.A., two Mexican, European-origin swarms were found to include phoretic deutonymphs of the family Uropodidae (Acari: Mesostigmata). Subsequently two Africanized honey bee swarms, captured in the state of Veracruz, were also found to harbor the mites. No adult mites were found. These are the first known instances of phoresy by this family of mites on Apis mellifera. Mites were attached on the pollen baskets of the bees with as many as 21 mites occurring per bee. The association reported here is most likely transitory; both bees and mites are essentially migrants exploiting the same habitats.

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