Description of Tropilaelaps mite
- The mite has 4 pairs of legs. The first pair of legs of the mite is held upright, resembling antennae. The body appears non-segmented and consists of one section only (i.e. it is not clearly divided into head, thorax, and abdomen).
- Light reddish brown colour.
- Size: approx. 1 mm × 0.5 mm (left picture) Tropilaelapsmercedesae is slightly bigger than Tropilaelapsclareae.
- Visible with the naked eye, but smaller than Varroa destructor (right picture)
Varroa mites are bigger than Tropilaelaps mites and move relatively slowly. Varroa mites are crab-shaped and wider than they are long (right picture). In contrast, the body of Tropilaelaps spp. is longer than it is wide, and the mites are nimble and move quickly across the broodcombs.
