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Non-insects

Varroa Mite
Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman (Arachnida: Acari: Varroidae)

Status
Exotic (absent from Australia)

Dorsal view female Zoomify

Caption: New Zealand, Auckland Mangere, 2 June 2000, ex Apis mellifera cobs from hive

Source: Simon Hinkley & Ken Walker Museum Victoria

Adult female mites are brown to dark brown, shaped like a crab.

Body measurements can be used to distinguish V. jacobsoni and V. destructor.

Body Length Body width

V. jacobsoni 1.06mm 1.50mm

V. destructor 1.16mm 1.70mm

Source:

Zhi-Qiang Zhang (2000) see references and weblinks

Their curved bodies fit into abdominal folds of the adult bee and are held there by the shape and arrangement of ventral setae. This protects them from the bee's normal cleaning habits. Adult males are yellowish with lightly tanned legs and spherical body shape. The male chelicerae are modified for transferring sperm. The protonymph and deutonymph stages were described by Delfinado-Baker (1984).

Source: M.T. Sanford, University of Florida; H.A. Denmark, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Division of Plant Industry; H.L. Cromroy, University of Florida; and L. Cutts, FDACS, Division of Plant Industry.

http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/bees/varroa_mite.htm

PaDIL Links:
Asiatic honeybee (Apis cerana)
Giant honeybee (Apis dorsata)
Dwarf honey bee (Apis florea)
Common Honeybee (Apis mellifera)
Cape honeybee (Apis mellifera capensis)
Africanized honeybee (Apis mellifera scutellata)
Asian bee mite (Tropilaelaps clareae)
Asian bee mite (Tropilaelaps koenigerum)
Asian bee mites (Tropilaelaps mercedesae)
Asian bee mite (Tropilaelaps thaii)
Varroa Mite (Varroa jacobsoni)

Specimen contact point: Dr Zhi-Qiang Zhang, Landcare Research, New Zealand

Citation: Walker, K. (2009) Varroa Mite (Varroa destructor) Pest and Diseases Image Library. Updated on 6/1/2009 3:09:30 PM. Available online: http://www.padil.gov.au

Created Date: 2/2/2006 1:48:57 PM

Last Updated: 6/1/2009 3:09:30 PM

Diagnostic Images
Head Front	Head Top
Overview Images
Dorsal	Lateral	Posterior	Ventral