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Hunteria

Harmfulness rating

HARMFUL | NOT HARMFUL | UNCERTAIN

probably mutualistic or commensal; presumably feed on microarthropods and waste in bee nests

Name

Hunteria Delfinado-Baker, Baker and Flechtmann, 1984

Taxonomy

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

Type species

Hunteria brasiliensis Delfinado-Baker, Baker and Flechtmann, 1984

Diagnosis

Adult: Sternal shieldsternal shield:
A shield in the anterior intercoxal region of parasitiform mites that bears one or more pairs of sternal setae.
expanded anteriorly, forming two tubercles on anterior idiosomaidiosoma:
Body not including the gnathosoma.
(Figs. 2, 3).

Species identification

This genus includes a single species, Hunteria brasiliensis.

Distribution

Neotropical region

Bee hosts

stingless bee Melipona fasciculata

Host association level

permanentpermanent:
associated exclusively with bees or their close relative, wasps; cannot live without these hosts

Host associations, feeding, and dispersal

  • All stages live in nests of bees.
  • Dispersal on adult bees not documented, but possible.

Biology

Members of this genus are presumably predaceous and coprophilous (growing or living on dung); permanentpermanent:
associated exclusively with bees or their close relative, wasps; cannot live without these hosts
 commensals in bee nests.

Fig. 1. Hunteria brasiliensis holotype female, dorsal view.

Fig. 1. Hunteria brasiliensis holotype female, dorsal view.
Fig. 2. Hunteria brasiliensis holotype female, ventral view.

Fig. 2. Hunteria brasiliensis holotype female, ventral view.
Fig. 3. Hunteria brasiliensis holotype female idiosoma, ventral view.

Fig. 3. Hunteria brasiliensis holotype female idiosoma, ventral view.
Fig. 4. Hunteria brasiliensis holotype female, ventral view showing reduced peritremal shield.

Fig. 4. Hunteria brasiliensis holotype female, ventral view showing reduced peritremal shield.
Fig. 5. Hunteria brasiliensis holotype female ventral hysterosoma in region of leg IV showing the absence of exopodal shields IV.

Fig. 5. Hunteria brasiliensis holotype female ventral hysterosoma in region of leg IV showing the absence of exopodal shields IV.