Flower Mites and Phoresy: the Biology of Hattena Panopla Domrow and Hattena Cometis Domrow (Acari:Mesostigmata:Ameroseiidae)

Abstract

Two flower-inhabiting ameroseiid mites exhibited different degrees of host specificity; Hattena panopla occurred only in Bruguiera gymnorhiza, but Hattena cometis occurred in Aegiceras corniculatum, Castanospermum australe, Dendrophthoe vitellina, Erythrina variegara, Aloe sp. and Amyema sp. Both species of mite consumed nectar and probably pollen in the laboratory. Flowers of B. gymnorhiza were short lived and senesced after about 5 days. Most H. panopla inhabited the flower for 1-3 days and relied on birds for transport between flowers, but could move from flower to flower via plant stems and were found on ants visiting dying flowers. H. panopla responded to an aging flower by moving out of the petals onto the calyx. All post-larval stages of H. panopla were phoretic; many immature mites of both species dispersed by climbing onto the dorsal surface of dispersing adult mites. The dispersal of immature mites and the behavioural response of H. panopla to flower age were considered to be adaptations to the mite's ephemeral habitat. Adult female H. cometis and adult male and female H. panopla had sucker-like ambulacra that lacked claws, a probable adaptation for phoresy.