A new species of Proctotydaeus Berlese (Acari: Tydeoidea: Iolinidae) from the Australian native stingless bees Tetragonula carbonaria (Smith) and Tetragonula hockingsi (Cockerell)

Q: What type of study is this?

This is a Literature Review study (also classified as: Observational, Case Report).

Owen D. Seeman; Genevieve Law; Matthew D. Shaw; Rosalyn Gloag

doi:10.11158/saa.30.8.7

August 22, 2025Systematic and Applied Acarology

A new species of Proctotydaeus Berlese (Acari: Tydeoidea: Iolinidae) from the Australian native stingless bees Tetragonula carbonaria (Smith) and Tetragonula hockingsi (Cockerell)

View at Publisher

Ask AI

Bookmark

Share

Key Points

Proctotydaeus furnarius is the first described iolinid mite species from Australia, highlighting its unique ecological role.
The mite was found in the nests of the sugarbag bee Tetragonula carbonaria and Tetragonula hockingsi, indicating close insect associations.
Using CO1 barcodes, the presence of mites in both bee species was confirmed, pointing to their potential fungivore role in brood cells.
An updated identification key for Proctotydaeus subgenera and species offers support to further ecological studies.],
simple_explanation':'A new mite species called Proctotydaeus furnarius lives in the nests of two types of Australian stingless bees, Tetragonula carbonaria and Tetragonula hockingsi. These mites probably help by eating fungi in the bees' brood cells, which are areas where the bees raise their young. This discovery is important because it highlights a new insect relationship in Australia and helps scientists understand more about bee nests. Such findings can help beekeepers and researchers improve beekeeping practices. 🐝' } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } , } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }}} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }}} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }{EIF_RESULT}}} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }}} }}} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }}} } } } } }} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }} } } } } }} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }} }}} } } } } }}} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }}} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }}} } } } }}} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }}} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }} } } } } } } } } } } } } }}} } } } } }}} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }} } } } } } } } } } } } } }} } } } } } } } } } } } }} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }}} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }} } } } } } } } } } }} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }}

Implication

A new iolinid mite, Proctotydaeus furnarius, is identified in Tetragonula carbonaria and T. hockingsi, suggesting a beneficial role.

Abstract

Australia’s first described species of iolinid mite, Proctotydaeus (Proctotydulus) furnarius sp. nov., is described from the nests of the sugarbag bee Tetragonula carbonaria (Smith, 1854), a bee popularly used for beekeeping in eastern Australia. This species also lives in the nests of Tetragonula hockingsi (Cockerell, 1929), as shown by CO1 barcodes for mites from both host bees. All life stages of these mites are found in the brood cells of the bees’ nests where they are probably beneficial fungivores. We summarise records of Proctotydaeus, most of which form either no associations with insects, or are permanent inquilines of bees, scolytine beetles and grasshoppers. We provide an updated key to the subgenera of Proctotydaeus and species of the subgenus Proctotydulus.

Discussion

No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.

Cite This Study

Seeman et al. (2025) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/68af55ccad7bf08b1eadbf50 https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.30.8.7

View at Publisher

Ask AI

Bookmark

Share

A new species of Proctotydaeus Berlese (Acari: Tydeoidea: Iolinidae) from the Australian native stingless bees Tetragonula carbonaria (Smith) and Tetragonula hockingsi (Cockerell)

Key Points

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

A new species of Proctotydaeus Berlese (Acari: Tydeoidea: Iolinidae) from the Australian native stingless bees Tetragonula carbonaria (Smith) and Tetragonula hockingsi (Cockerell)

Key Points

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Keep reading

More related papers

More from Systematic and Applied Acarology

Keep reading

More related papers

More from Systematic and Applied Acarology