Buff-tailed Bumblebee

Bombus terrestris

Mites often hitch lifts on Bumblebees as a means of transportation from flower to flower and don't usually cause any harm. Occasionally they can become a problem for their host if too many attach at a time. One particular mite, Parasitellus fucorum, is advantageous to bumblebee nest development. They help keep the nest clean by consuming debris, pollen and other small insects, but do not feed on the bumblebees or their larvae. Parasitic mite, Locustacarus buchneri, lives in the respiratory air sacs of queen bumblebees. It lays up to 50 eggs in the queen's body where the larvae develop. It has not been established if this harms the queen, but in general a parasite needs the continued survival of the host for their own reproduction and survival. 

See also page: 10

#

© hainaultforest.net. All rights reserved.