Tropilaelaps is a genus of parasitic mites in the family Laelapidae. (dead link 28 June 2019) Their range spans the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Pakistan. T. mercedesae has now established a foothold in Europe with verified reports in the Krasnodar region, Western Russia and Turkey . Their primary hosts are the larva of Apis dorsata and Apis laboriosa, although after Apis mellifera was imported to Asia, they were found to also be suitable hosts for two species of Tropilaelaps, T. clareae and T. mercedesae. Species can be identified by DNA analysis. They are considered a major economic threat to the beekeeping industry.
Tropilaelaps are ectoparasites that reduce the lifespans of individual bees and reduce their overall health and wellbeing by depriving them of nutrients and inflicting injuries. Evidence of Tropilaelaps presence in a hive might include deformed wings or legs on honey bees.
Species
Tropilaelaps mercedesae Delfinado & Baker, 1961 Tropilaelaps clareae Delfinado & Baker, 1961 Tropilaelaps koenigerum Delfinado-Baker & Baker, 1982 Tropilaelaps thaii Anderson & Morgan, 2007
References
External links https://beeaware.org.au/archive-pest/tropilaelaps-2 Tropilaelaps mites https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Tropi-Full-Primer.pdf https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00218839.2025.2495393?af=R#abstract The western honey bee, Apis mellifera, faces a new threat from the spread of parasitic Tropilaelaps (Tropi) mites...