Figure 3

Mite fecundity (# of female offspring per mother mite) after they fed on phoretic hosts of different ages.

There was a significant negative effect of age of phoretic hosts on mite fecundity based on regression analysis (R² = 0.99, P = 0.01). Each point represents data from 26–35 mother mites. The data included mites that were infertile (non-reproducing). Data for no phoretic hosts were estimated from Ruijter⁴ from the first 2 reproductive cycles, after subtracting the males from total eggs laid and then factored with 80% of fertility. Data for newly merged bees were from Fig. 2A (1.58 ± 0.2).