Orchard-pollination-pest
Guides
Chaetodactylus krombeini
Krombein's hairy-footed pollen mite
Chaetodactylus krombeini is a cleptoparasitic mite in the family Chaetodactylidae that infests nests of solitary megachilid bees, primarily Osmia lignaria (blue orchard bee) and Osmia cornifrons (hornfaced bee). Described by Baker in 1962, this 0.5 mm mite consumes pollen and nectar provisions intended for developing bee larvae, causing mortality through starvation and direct egg damage. The mite disperses between nests primarily by hitchhiking on adult bees during emergence, though walking dispersal through nest entrances and parasitic wasp holes has been documented. Females are larger than males. Despite the common name "pollen mite," the species consumes more nectar than pollen.