Hisser Mites on Elliptorhina

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Here's a photo of the common hisser mites living on an E.laevigata female. Does anyone have an E.chopardi culture with mites?

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Hi Orin!

I had a G. portentosa culture with mites. I separated them in pairs and after that, I put some bleach (not too much) in a glass with water. Then, I taked a piece of hygienic paper (the paper that we use to clean our rear :rolleyes: ) put a piece of it in the water and "clean softly the roaches. It was succesful!

Best regards,

Javier.

 
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Hi Javier,

I wasn't asking how to remove them, this female died of old age long ago and her guests died with her. These are the natural commensal mites found on hissers in the wild and many people prefer not to remove them. I was asking if anyone has the same mites on their E. chopardi since they apparently live on at least one member of that genus.

 
crittergu said:
Hmm...if they are not harmful to the hissers why bother removing them? Do they ever get to high levels?
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Some people like them and don't remove them, others find the mites 'icky'. There can be quite a few mites on one individual. They are large, fast moving mites somewhat akin to the mites found on African Giant Black millipedes (AGB mites only live on AGBs). The strange thing is the hisser mites won't transfer over to any other roaches. However, they probably live on any of the hissers since they live on Gromphadorhina and Elliptorhina (and the ones labeled "Princisia" but that genus isn't valid).

PeriplanetaAmericana said:
Sorry Orin, I didn´t underestand, my level of English isn´t very well :( .I have a E. chopardi colony and they don´t have mites.

Best regards,

Javier.
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Thanks, I'm going to see about introducing some to E. chopardi to see if they transfer.

 
I've read somewhere that the hisser mites feed on the hisser saliva. So it is a very specialised species and specialists mostly don't change feeding habits. I don't think they will thrive on the chopardis.

 
Maarten.. said:
I've read somewhere that the hisser mites feed on the hisser saliva. So it is a very specialised species and specialists mostly don't change feeding habits. I don't think they will thrive on the chopardis.
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Hello ?? Did no one read my post on this thread: http://www.bidabug.org/Forum/index.php?showtopic=741

I have the mites on G.grandidieri, but not on any other hisser. I do not mind them being there, is ok with me. I have read that they feed on the food the hisser eats, not the saliva. There is a paper published on this topic somewhere.

:blink:

 
Thanks Matt, I was going to have to find and post the link to the other thread. I don't think he even read this thread, considering Acro reported they apparently do fine on E. chopardi and they did more than fine on the E. laevigata for many years (till the culture crashed).

 
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No, I didn't read that thread. After some search I managed to find my source of information again.

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/5466/index_2.html

Since there are lots of different species of mites I don't think that it's impossible that the ones on the hissers and dwarf hissers are different.

It's a coincidence that only since yesterday I've got chopardi as a new pet. I checked them out and they didn't have any mites on them.

 
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Maarten.. said:
Since there are lots of different species of mites I don't think that it's impossible that the ones on the hissers and dwarf hissers are different.
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Thanks for adding the link to the group water conservation paper and mite paper summaries. The first summary suggesting they may be social insects is tempting, the original paper details could be interesting. The mites that live on G.grandidieri, Elliptorhina laevigata and"Princisia" came from a G.portentosa culture so they are the same mites. They dont move to any other types of roaches, even other Oxyhaloinae, but thrive on the various hisser varieties. The chance of the mites on captive E.chopardi being a new, undescribed species is extremely close to zero.

 
Well, I've got G. portentosa with mites and E. chopardi without mites (since yesterday). When I see a mite on the chopardis you guys will be the first to be informed. ;)

I also have mites in the cage of Gyna lurida. Those don't live always on the roaches, I see them just occasionally on a roach. They do eat the same food as the roaches I guess since I see them more often on the food. They are about the same size as the hisser mites but darker. They just appeared someday.

Together with the specialist saliva information I may have jumped too quick to my own conclusion. (Yes, I've read this thread ;) )

 
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It has been quite a while since the last post. I've checked it out this weekend, and my E. Chopardi hissers still haven't got any mites. I also have tiger hissers (Princisia vanwaerebeki) since march, and they too haven't got any mites on them. The tree cages are within less than a meter apart

 
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Maarten.. said:
The tree cages are within less than a meter apart
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The hisser mite is not a free living species so it's not going to jump cages, you have to put them in close contact. Most of the tiger hissers over here have hisser mites and E. chopardi can too. The only hisser that may or may not host the mite (likely can) is A. insignis. None of our other roaches, even other Oxyhaloinae, host the mite. The various free living mites have nothing to do with it.
 
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Just to further your point about it not crossing to non-hisser species. I housed two pair of B. Dubia in with my G. Portentosa for a few weeks, and the Dubias didn't have any mites on them when I seperated them out.

 
Orin McMonigle said:
The hisser mite is not a free living species so it's not going to jump cages, you have to put them in close contact. Most of the tiger hissers over here have hisser mites and E. chopardi can too. The only hisser that may or may not host the mite (likely can) is A. insignis. None of our other roaches, even other Oxyhaloinae, host the mite. The various free living mites have nothing to do with it.
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A couple of years ago I've done an experiment in which I put all the tiny hissers apart to create a new colony without mites. The two cages were several meters apart. It went ok for a couple of months but then I suddenly noticed the little mite buggers in the new colony as well. That's why I supposed the mites wouldn't mind to forage for new territories.

Then I guess there must have been an 'accident' while catching a baby roach and some mites must have accidently travelled on my hand into the new colony.

 
Here is a link to an article which is mostly about the molds and allergy problems that can be caused by Hissers, but if you scroll to the bottom there is a little paragraph about the mites. Apparently, the mites help keep the hissers clean so that mold doesn't grow on them as easily.

Hissers, mold, allergies and mites

Nhewyt

 
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