Helen Michael
Department of Biology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN, USA, 55057
Abstract. Phoretic associations between mites and arthropods are quite common. An undescribed phoretic mite was discovered on the millipede Nyssodesmus python at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. This study investigated the relationship between mite load and host sex through observation and a mite transfer experiment. No significant difference was found in mite load of the two sexes, or in mite load as a function of whether or not an individual was found single or paired. A significant difference was found between the two trails on which millipedes were checked for mites. In the mite transfer experiment, a millipede of each sex (one cleaned of mites and the other with four mites) were put into a small enclosure and the level of mite transfer was recorded hourly for three hours. There was a significant increase in the number of mites transfered over time in the manipulation experiment