HOST-SEEKING BEHAVIOR OF TRACHEAL MITES (ACARI, TARSONEMIDAE) ON HONEY-BEES (HYMENOPTERA, APIDAE)

The behaviour of the endoparasitic tracheal mite, Acarapis woodi (Renn ie) on honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) is a challenge to observe becaus e of its small size. Through a microscope, we videotaped this mite's m ovement on young bees, dead bees and bees exposed to vegetable oil. Pr evious studies have shown that solid vegetable oil decreases mite infe stations in a bee colony. We hypothesized that the oil alters mite beh aviour to the detriment of the parasite, thus helping to safeguard the host. Habitat-seeking behaviour, identified as necessary for mites to locate a new host environment, was disrupted on both dead and oil-tre ated bees. Questing behaviour, which is associated with transfer betwe en hosts, increased significantly on the dead and oily bees, The behav iours of mites were significantly different between all three treatmen ts (chi(2) = 494.96, p < 0.001 on dead bees and chi(2) = 851.11, P < 0 .001 on oily bees). Both questing and seeking behaviours were signific antly different on each of the thoracic treatments (F-2,F-66 = 7.88, p < 0.001 and F-2,F-66 = 21.28, p < 0.001) and mite questing behaviour was not altered between males and females on live or oily bees (F-1,F- 22 = 0.25, p < 0.62), but habitat seeking was (F-1,F-22 = 7.42, p < 0. 012). The male questing and habitat-seeking behaviours were observed. We conclude that oil-treated bees gained protection from habitat-seeki ng mites because the normal behaviour of the mites seeking an oviposit ion site is interrupted.