[2] They are relatively host-specific and are found primarily in the subgenus Bombus sensu stricto.

Bees infested with the mite have a reduced lifespan in laboratory conditions,[3] and although in one study they foraged at a rate similar to uninfected bees, infected bees showed a greater preference for a single flower type.

[4] Prevalence varies, but infection appears to be more common among commercial colonies than wild populations.

Among colonies commercially imported from the Netherlands and Belgium to Japan, infestation rates were 20%.

[5] In South America, prevalence is very low in native populations.