-----Original Message-----
From:   Bob & Liz [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:   Tuesday, November 20, 2001 2:58 PM
To:     'Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology'
Subject:        RE: Varroa jacobsoni

Hello All,
Doctor Anderson refers to evidence coming from size discrepancies between
mites on the original host (Apis cerana) and those found on Apis mellifera.
Then, it was discovered that V.jacobsoni found on Java
could not reproduce on Apis mellifera brood.
In my opinion the easiest way to  tell the  two apart would be shape rather than size as above.  The varroa J. is  round  and the varroa d. is  oval shaped. 
In one bee book the frontal picture is a  varroa J. and the back side picture is a varroa  d.. 
I wondered the first time  I ever looked at  varroa  at a Missouri state beekeepers meeting why the  varroa J. sample did not look like the picture  in the book .  We have never had  reason to look  at varroa  under  a microscope  and  that is the reason in my opinion we overlooked the  difference.   Maybe I have never seen  a  varroa J.  because when  Dr. Anderson pointed  out the difference  all I found  were varroa d.. The  samples I looked at years ago were sent  to our state bee inspector  in a  alcohol solution  and although labeled varroa  j. they  were  in  fact  varroa  d.
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
Ps. The first  small hive beetles  I  saw  were in a alcohol solution . All beekeeping clubs should ask for  dead  shb samples  from a   southern beekeeper  so they can  show the samples at a meeting  so all can know exactly  what the beetle   looks like. Live SHb in a observation hive are interesting   in the south.  You  can not find  a shb until you shake the  hive then out they  come and start  laying  eggs all over the place..