''Acarapis woodi'' is an internal

parasite Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has ...

affecting honey bees, the symptoms of infestation was originally observed on the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

in 1904, but was not described until 1921. ''Acarapis woodi''

mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic analysis does not show clear evid ...

s live and reproduce in the

tracheae The trachea, also known as the windpipe, is a cartilaginous tube that connects the larynx to the bronchi of the lungs, allowing the passage of air, and so is present in almost all air- breathing animals with lungs. The trachea extends from the ...

of the bees. The symptoms of ''Acarapis woodi'' infestation were originally called by beekeepers as the ''Isle of Wight Disease'', however it is now called

Acarine Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic analysis does not show clear evid ...

, after the Subclass to which the mites belong. All mites are

arachnids Arachnida () is a Class (biology), class of joint-legged invertebrate animals (arthropods), in the subphylum Chelicerata. Arachnida includes, among others, spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, pseudoscorpions, opiliones, harvestmen, Solifugae, came ...

spider Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

s. The female mite attaches 5–7 eggs to the tracheal walls, where the larvae hatch and develop in 11–15 days to adult mites. The mites parasitize young bees up to two weeks old through the tracheal tube openings. There, they pierce the tracheal tube walls with their mouthparts and feed on the haemolymph of the bees. More than a hundred mites can populate the tracheae and weaken the bees. The mites are generally less than long, and can only be seen and identified under a microscope.

Mercedes Delfinado Mercedes Delfinado (born 16 January 1933) is an acarologist from the Philippines, who was a recipient of a 1962 Guggenheim Fellowship. She is a speciliast in bee mites, and published widely on insects of south-east Asia. For over twenty years s ...

identified ''Acarapsis woodi's presence'' in the USA''.'' Other mites similar in appearance include ''Acarapis externus'' and ''Acarapis dorsalis''.

References

Trombidiformes Agricultural pest mites Western honey bee pests Animals described in 1921 Parasites of bees Fauna of the United Kingdom {{bee-stub