[NHCOLL-L:2505] mites in dermestid colonies

[Barry M. OConnor]

Dear Colleagues - Those who manage dermestid beetle colonies for cleaning
vertebrate
skeletons may have had problems with mites invading the colonies and
causing declines in beetle populations. Information on one of these mites,
Lardoglyphus zacheri, may be found in the following publication:

Iverson, K., B.M. OConnor, R. Ochoa & R. Heckmann.  1996. Lardoglyphus
zacheri (Acari: Lardoglyphidae), a pest of museum dermestid colonies, with
observations on its natural ecology and distribution.  Annals of the
Entomological Society of America 89: 544-549.

I am currently working on a molecular phylogenetic study for which I could
use some fresh Lardoglyphus specimens collected into 95-100% ethanol. If
anyone on this list has noticed either mites attached to Dermestes larvae
or white mites wandering about in the colony, I would appreciate knowing
about this and potentially obtaining some of the mites for our study. This
mite normally invades beetle colonies when wild caught beetles are used to
replenish a colony (the mites attach under the elytra of adult beetles, so
are not seen externally.)
	Thanks for any help! - Barry OConnor

Barry M. OConnor
Curator & Professor             phone: (734) 763-4354
Museum of Zoology               FAX: (734) 763-4080
University of Michigan          e-mail: bmoc at umich.edu
1109 Geddes Ave.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1079  USA