Family BRAULIDAE
Bee Louse
Compiler and date details
July 2010 - Scott Ginn, Australian Museum, Sydney, Australia
2007 - R. Johnson, data taken from Evenhuis, N.L. Catalog of the Diptera of the Australasian and Oceanian Regions (accessed 2007)
Introduction
The family Braulidae contains two genera — Braula, and Megabraula. Only a single species, Braula coeca, is recorded in Australia - where it was introduced through the apiarist trade. It is an ecto-parasite associated with the domestic bee Apis mellifera.
Biology
Adult bee lice are small (1.3-1.7 mm) and attach themselves to the queen or workers, settling on the dorsal surface at the junction of the bee's thorax and abdomen. They obtain food by causing irritation to the bee's mouthparts, in order to stimulate the bee to regurgitate a small amount of nectar. Nectar is then taken by inserting its own mouthpart into the mouthparts of the host bee. Bees actively try to remove the bee lice.
The bee louse lays its eggs on the capping of honey storage cells during May through July. After oviposition, the adults die. Upon hatching, the young larvae burrow into the cappings. The diet of the larva appears to be wax and perhaps pollen grains incorporated into the wax by worker bees.
In small numbers the bee louse is insignificant; if many are present, however, they can be serious pests to bees and beekeepers.
General References
Hamilton, J. et al. 2006. On the Fly, The interactive atlas and key to Australian fly families. [CD-Rom] CBIT & Australian Biological Resources Study, Brisbane & Canberra
Peterson, B.V. 1987. Braulidae. pp. 913-918 in McAlpine, J.F. (ed.). Manual of Nearctic Diptera. Volume 2. Research Branch Agriculture Canada Monograph Vol. No. 28 pp. vi + 675-1332
Soós, Á. & Papp, L. (eds) 1984. Catalogue of Palaearctic Diptera. Volume 10. Clusiidae—Chloropidae. Amsterdam : Elsevier 402 pp. [pp. 178-180]