Beneficial mites for bumblebees
r.r.mcarthur@pgr.reading.ac.uk
Profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Robin_Mcarthur
Supervisors:
- Dr Alejandra Perotti – SBS, University of Reading
- Prof Dave Goulson – School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex
Funding:
- BBSRC Industrial Case studentship
Start date:
- October 2015
Abstract:
Bumblebees interact with many arthropods including mites. Very little is known about the relationships between mites and bumblebees. Some mite species are detrimental, however this is not the case for all bumblebee associated mites.
To study these relationships mites will be identified, their life-cycles studied in detail, and experiments will be conducted to test for any beneficial effects these mites have on bumblebees. The significance of these effects will then be tested in large-scale field trials.
Improved understanding of these relationships will be beneficial for future research, and the discovery of mites beneficial for bumblebees may aid ongoing conservation efforts.