Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Mites pp 23–44Cite as

Life-History Patterns of Hummingbird Flower Mites in Relation to Host Phenology and Morphology

  • Chapter

Abstract

Hummingbirds and the flowers that they pollinate provide an unambiguous example of mutualism. In many cases the associations present clear evidence of coevolution, in the strictest sense of the term (e.g. Colwell 1989). Certain species of mites (hummingbird flower mites) exploit this bird-plant mutualism, with known examples throughout most of the geographic range of the hummingbirds (Trochilidae), which spans the New World from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego (Colwell 1985). This ecologically-defined group of gamasid mites (all within the Ascidae) encompasses all described species of the genus Rhinoseius, which inhabit a zone from northern California to central Chile, plus a diverse tropical lineage within the genus Proctolaelaps. These two ecologically similar lineages have spawned an impressive adaptive radiation of species (Colwell 1979).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Alexander, R. D. and P. W. Sherman. 1977. Local mate competition and parental investment in social insects. Science 196:494–500.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Athias-Binche, F. 1991. Ecology and evolution of phoresy in mites. In: Modern Acarology, Vol. 1 (F. Dusbábek and V. Bukva eds.). Academia, Prague, and SPB Academic Publ., The Hague. Pp. 27–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker, E. W. and C. E. Yunker. 1964. New blattisociid mites (Acarina: Mesostigmata) recovered from Neotropical flowers and hummingbirds’ nares. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 57:103–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christiansen, K. M., R. K. Colwell and M. J. Kaliszewski. 1992. Cellulose acetate electrophoretic techniques for the genetic analysis of individual ascid mites (Mesostigmata: Ascidae). Int. J. Acarol. 18:97–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colwell, R. K. 1973. Competition and coexistence in a simple tropical community. Am. Nat. 107:737–760.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colwell, R. K. 1979. The geographical ecology of hummingbird flower mites in relation to their host plants and carriers. In: Recent Advances in Acarology, Vol. 2 (J. G. Rodriguez ed.). Academic Press, NY. Pp. 461–468.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colwell, R. K. 1981. Group selection is implicated in the evolution of female-biased sex ratios. Nature 290:401–404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colwell, R. K. 1982. Female-biased sex ratios. Reply to Charlesworth and Toro, Wildish, and Borgia. Nature 298:494–496.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colwell, R. K. 1983. Rhinoseius colwelli (Acaro floral del colibri, totolate floral de colibri, hummingbird flower mite). In: Costa Rican Natural History (D. H. Janzen ed.). Univ. Chicago Press, Chicago. P. 619, and pp. 767–768.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colwell, R. K. 1985. Stowaways on the Hummingbird Express. Nat. Hist. 7:56–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colwell, R. K. 1986a. Community biology and sexual selection: Lessons from hummingbird flower mites. In: Ecological Communities (T. J. Case and J. Diamond eds). Harper and Row, NY. Pp. 406–424.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colwell, R. K. 1986b. Population structure and sexual selection for host fidelity in the speciation of hummingbird flower mites. In: Evolutionary Processes and Theory (S. Karlin and E. Nevo eds.). Academic Press, NY. Pp. 475–495.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colwell, R. K. 1989. Hummingbirds of the Juan Fernandez Islands: natural history, evolution and population status. Ibis 131:548–566.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colwell, R. K. and S. Naeem. 1979. The first known species of hummingbird flower mite north of Mexico: Rhinoseius epoecus n.sp. (Mesostigmata: Ascidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 72:485–491.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colwell, R. K., B. J. Betts, P. Bunnell, F. L. Carpenter and P. Feinsinger. 1974. Competition for the nectar of Centropogon valerii by the hummingbird Colibri thalassinus and the flower-piercer Diglossa plumbea, and its evolutionary implications. Condor 76:447–452.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cruden, R. W., S. M. Hermann and S. Peterson. 1983. Patterns of nectar production and plant-pollinator coevolution. In: The Biology of Nectaries (B. Bentley and T. Elias eds.). Columbia Univ. Press, NY. Pp. 80–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dobkin, D. S. 1984. Flowering patterns of long-lived Heliconia inflorescences: implications for visiting and resident nectarivores. Oecologia 64:245–254.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dobkin, D. S. 1985. Heterogeneity of tropical floral microclimates and the response of hummingbird flower mites. Ecology 66:536–543.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dobkin, D. S. 1990. Distribution patterns of hummingbird flower mites (Gamasida: Ascidae) in relation to floral availability on Heliconia inflorescences. Behav. Ecol. 1:131–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dusbábek, F. and V. Černý. 1970. The nasal mites of Cuban birds. I. Ascidae, Ereynetidae, Trombiculidae (Acarina). Acarologia 12:269–281.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fain, A. and K. E. Hyland. 1980. New species of the genus Rhinoseius Baker and Yunker, 1964 (Mesostigmata: Ascidae) phoretic on Colombian hummingbirds. Int. J. Acarol. 6:15–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fain, A., K. E. Hyland and T. H. G. Aitken. 1977a. Nouveaux acariens Ascidae (Mesostigmates) phorétiques dans les fosses nasales de colibris (Note préliminaire). Bull. Ann. Soc. R. Belge Entomol. 113:185–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fain, A., K. E. Hyland and T. H. G. Aitkin. 1977b. Flower mites of the family Ascidae phoretic in nasal cavities of birds (Acarina: Mesostigmata). Acta Zool. Pathol. Antverp. 69:99–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feinsinger, P. and R. K. Colwell. 1978. Community organization among neotropical nectar-feeding birds. Am. Zool. 18:779–795.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feinsinger, P., J. A. Wolfe and L. A. Swarm. 1982. Island ecology: reduced hummingbird diversity and the pollination biology of plants, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies. Ecology 63:494–506.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, R. A. 1930. The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection, 2nd rev. ed. Dover, NY. 291 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flechtmann, C. H. W. and D. E. Johnston. 1978. The rediscovery and redescription of Rhinoseius braziliensis (Acari: Ascidae). Rev. Bras. Entomol. 22:165–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, W. D. 1967. Extraordinary sex ratios. Science 156:477–488.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, P. H., L. Partridge and L. Nunney. 1985. Group selection and the sex ratio. Nature 313:10–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herre, E. A. 1985. Sex ratio adjustment in fig wasps. Science 228:896–898.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heyneman, A. J., R. K. Colwell, S. Naeem, D. Dobkin and B. Hallet. 1991. Host plant discrimination: experiments with hummingbird flower mites. In: Evolutionary Ecology of Tropical Herbivores (P. W. Price, T. M. Lewinsohn, G. W. Fernandes and W. W. Benson eds.). Wiley-Interscience, NY. Pp. 455–485.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunter, P. E. 1972. New Rhinoseius species (Mesostigmata: Ascidae) from Costa Rican hummingbirds. J. Ga. Entomol. Soc. 7:27–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyland, K. E., A. Fain and A. S. Moorhouse. 1978. Ascidae associated with the nasal cavities of Mexican birds (Acarina: Mesostigmata). J. NY Entomol. Soc. 86:260–267.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirk, W. D. 1991. The size relationship between insects and their hosts. Ecol. Entomol. 16:351–359.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Micherdzinski, W. and F. S. Lukoschus. 1980. Rhinoseius rafinskii, a new species from Ecuador and Venezuela (Acari, Gamasina, Ascidae). Zool. Meded. (Leiden) 55:65–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newstrom, L. E., G. W. Frankie, H. G. Baker and R. K. Colwell. 1993. Diversity of flowering patterns at La Selva. In: La Selva: Ecology and Natural History of a Lowland Tropical Rain Forest (L. McDade, K. S. Bawa, G. S. Hartshorn, and H. A. Hespenheide eds.). Univ. Chicago Press, Chicago (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • OConnor, B. M., R. K. Colwell and S. Naeem. 1991. Flower mites of Trinidad II. The genus Proctolaelaps (Acari: Ascidae). Great Basin Nat. 51:348-376.

    Google Scholar 

  • Primack, R. B. 1985. Longevity of individual flowers. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 16:15–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stratton, D. A. 1989. Longevity of individual flowers in a Costa Rican cloud forest: ecological correlates and phylogenetic constraints. Biotropica 21:308–318.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Werren, J. 1980. Sex ratio adaptations to local mate competition in a parasitic wasp. Science 208:1157–1158.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson, L. 1989. SYSTAT: the system for statistics. SYSTAT Inc., Evanston, IL.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, D. S. and R. K. Colwell. 1981. Evolution of sex ratio in structured demes. Evolution 35:882–897.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zamudio, M. 1985. Acaros foréticos (Mesostigmata: Ascidae) de las cavidades nasales de colibries de Mexico, I. Folia Entomol. Mex. 64:81–91.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Robert K. Colwell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shahid Naeem
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409-3131, USA

    Marilyn A. Houck

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Colwell, R.K., Naeem, S. (1994). Life-History Patterns of Hummingbird Flower Mites in Relation to Host Phenology and Morphology. In: Houck, M.A. (eds) Mites. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2389-5_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2389-5_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-6012-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-2389-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation