Viral and fungal pathogens associated with Pneumolaelaps niutirani (Acari: Laelapidae): a mite found in diseased nests of Vespula wasps

Introduced social wasps (Vespula spp.) are a pest in many parts of the world. Recently, a mite species (Pneumolaelaps niutirani) was described and associated with disease symptoms in wasps. The mite does not appear to directly parasitise the wasps, but has been observed in high abundance, feeding on exudates from the mouths of larvae. We investigated the viral and fungal pathogens community in these mites and wasps. We found known viruses...