RE: Tmites causing thoracic collapse. As Kerry Clark said, most of the chitin,
the hard exoskeleton of bees is very hard in adults so even if the entire
musculature of the thorax were eaten away, the appearance of the thorax would
be whole. Also, the tracheal tubes are lined, like a clothes dryer tube, with
taenidia or rings of chitin to keep the tubes themsevles from collapsing.
 
From all the work done, we still don't know exactly what kills bees from TMite
infestation. I recently spoke with Medhat Nasr from Guelph, Canada; he is
looking into the respiration-thermoregulation aspects and has found some good
evidence of mite interference in these systems.
 
I have recently made a video showing the behavior of Tmites on bee throaces.
They really are bumbling and blind and I think find the tubes by proimity and
chance.
 
Diana Sammataro
Ohio State Univeristy