Search Results (50)

The presence of nest boxes not only increases the reproductive success of many passerine birds in transformed forest habitats, but they also constitute important artificial microhabitats for many groups of invertebrates. One of such groups which have been often found in this microhabitat is saprophagous mites from the suborder Uropodina (Acari: Mesostigmata). The current study was conducted in October 2023 and 2024 in Bory Tucholskie National Park (BTNP) (northern Poland), where material from 137 tit (Paridae) and nuthatch (Sitta europaea) nest boxes was collected. The aim of this study was to analyse the stability of the communities of Uropodina in nest boxes in the park in two seasons and to determine whether the mite community structure within these nest boxes is similar in each year. The second aim was to analyse the abundance of Uropodina in relation to the composition of the nest box bedding material. This study revealed that the community in the scrutinised nest boxes was formed in both seasons by two species of nidicolous Uropodina species, i.e., Leiodinychus orbicularis (C.L. Koch, 1839) and Chiropturopoda nidiphila (Wiśniewski and Hirschmann, 1993), and that the species composition and the community structure were also very similar in both years. This study revealed that Ch. nidiphila dominated in the nest boxes with moss and grass, whereas L. orbicularis was most abundant in the boxes where the bedding was a mixture of mammalian hair and grass. However, no statistically significant differences in the abundance of these two mite species in both cases were revealed. Full article

Rickettsiae are Gram-negative and obligate intracellular bacteria that cause rickettsioses. These pathogens are typically transmitted by arthropod vectors, such as ticks, mesostigmatid mites, and fleas. Rickettsiae are responsible for many emerging infectious diseases worldwide and are the second most frequently reported cause of non-malarial febrile illnesses in Southeast Asia. However, in Malaysia, studies on the prevalence and distribution of rickettsiae have primarily focused on humans, with limited data on these bacteria in vectors and small mammal hosts. Thus, this study aims to investigate the presence of Rickettsia spp. in small mammals and their associated mesostigmatid mites collected from potential rickettsioses areas in Selangor. Animal trapping was conducted across three different ecological study sites comprising a recreational area, agricultural land, and coastal area. A total of 41 small mammals and 363 mesostigmatid mites were collected and identified. Ten percent of the total individual mites were processed for morphological examination, and the remaining mites were then pooled by hosts, with five individual mites per tube, for DNA extraction. The collected samples, comprising blood, animal tissue, and pooled mites, were subjected to DNA extraction and were screened for Rickettsia spp. via nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), targeting the citrate synthase-encoding gene (gltA) and outer membrane protein B gene (ompB). Interestingly, two pools (3.33%) of Laelaps spp. recovered from Maxomys whiteheadi and Bandicota indica, collected from a recreational area, tested positive for Rickettsia spp. Sequence analysis and phylogenetic tree of the ompB gene revealed the presence of Rickettsia felis in both laelapid mite pools. To our knowledge, this study provides the first molecular detection of R. felis in Laelaps spp. in Malaysia. Full article

In order to establish the influence of grazing regime on soil fauna communities, a complex study was conducted on eight mountain grasslands in Romania. The grassland sites were grouped by management regime: ungrazed or intensely grazed by sheep. Eight environmental factors were measured, both abiotic (soil acidity, soil resistance at penetration, soil and air humidity, soil and air temperature, and soil electrical conductivity) and biotic (vegetation coverage). There was significant variability in the average values of these factors at the microhabitat level (between all grasslands investigated). Analysis of eighty soil samples allowed for the identification of sixteen soil fauna taxa, which constituted the database for statistical processing. The community status of these soil invertebrate faunas was mainly evaluated using three parameters: numerical abundance, taxa richness, and Shannon–Wiener index of diversity. Collembola and Oribatida were the most dominant taxa. The numerical abundance and taxa diversity recorded high values in ungrazed grasslands. Soil resistance at penetration, vegetation coverage, and soil pH influenced the numerical abundance of soil fauna communities significantly. Grassland management influenced the composition of soil invertebrates in both regimes, with Chilopoda, Staphylinidae, Diplopoda, and Enchytraeidae clearly preferring ungrazed ecosystems, whilst Mesostigmata was much commoner in grazed sites. The study revealed that correlations between the species composition of soil communities and environmental parameters under differing management regimes (ungrazed vs. grazed), demonstrated that these invertebrates can be used as bioindicators in such terrestrial ecosystems. Full article

The European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is a tree species common throughout Europe, with the eastern boundary of its range extending across Poland. Samples were collected in several microhabitats of beech stands (e.g., leaf litter, rotting wood, moss growing on tree stumps) in the Wronie Forest Reserve. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of microhabitat conditions found in beech forests on the diversity of mite assemblages and their species richness. The collected samples comprised a total of 144 identified species (78 species of Oribatida, 66 species of Mesostigmata), represented by 74,433 mite individuals (71,124 Oribatida and 3309 Mesostigmata). All the analyzed microhabitats varied in terms of their mite assemblages. The highest number of species was identified in moss on beech stumps (72 species—53 Oribatida and 19 Mesostigmata) and in samples collected from beech litter (68 species—48 Oribatida and 20 Mesostigmata). The most numerously represented species in the analyzed material was Parachipteria willmanni, which was classified to superdominants in moss on beech stumps and moss on beech trunks (0.5 and 2.0 m), which were the most similar microhabitats. In contrast, mite assemblages in rotting wood and marsh litter differed greatly. Full article

Gamasid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) are ecologically diverse arthropods, many of which act as vectors for zoonotic diseases such as rickettsial pox and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. This study investigates the faunal and ecological patterns of gamasid mites across five zoogeographic microregions in Yunnan Province, China, a biodiversity hotspot with complex topography. From 1990 to 2022, 18,063 small mammal hosts (primarily rodents) were surveyed, yielding 167 mite species (141,501 specimens). The key findings include the following: (1) Low host specificity: most mite species parasitized >10 host species, with Laelaps nuttalli, L. echidninus, Dipolaelaps anourosorecis, L. guizhouensis, L. turkestanicus, and L. chini dominating (>76.59% abundance). (2) Environmental heterogeneity: mountainous and outdoor habitats exhibited higher mite diversity than flatland/indoor environments. (3) Zoonotic risks: thirteen vector species with low host specificity were identified, potentially amplifying disease transmission. (4) Ecological niche dynamics: high niche overlaps (e.g., Laelaps guizhouensis vs. L. xingyiensis: O_ik = 0.997) and positive interspecific correlations (e.g., L. echidninus vs. L. nuttalli: R = 0.97, p < 0.01) suggest co-occurrence trends on shared hosts. (5) Biogeographic patterns: mite communities were clustered distinctly by microregion, with the highest similarity being obtained between western/southern plateaus (IV and V) and unique diversity in the Hengduan Mountains (I). (6) Chao 1 estimation predicted 203 total mite species in Yunnan, 36 of which were undetected in the current sampling. These results highlight the interplay of biogeography, host ecology, and environmental factors in shaping mite distributions, with implications for zoonotic disease surveillance in biodiverse regions. Full article

The soil’s biological quality and its functions are closely linked. They determine the ecological processes and ecosystem services. Therefore, the heavy metal contamination of forest soils, leading to their degradation, is a major international problem. Soil is a habitat for many organisms, and the strong correlations between soil properties, vegetation, and soil fauna are particularly evident in the rhizosphere. Therefore, comprehensive soil monitoring must take all these elements into account. In forest soils, Vaccinium myrtillus plays a vital role. Despite this, there is still a lack of information in the literature on the interrelationship between microarthropod biodiversity, including predatory soil mites, and heavy metals in the rhizosphere zone of blueberry plants. To fill this gap, we assessed the impact of the V. myrtillus rhizosphere on soil stability and biological quality using a bioindicator based on predatory mites. We conducted the study in Poland, on selected forest sites characterised by varying degrees of soil contamination. In our study, we used a combined analysis based on the following indicators: maturity index (MI), contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), and potential ecological risk index (PERI), which allowed us to determine the level of soil contamination. We extracted 4190 Gamasina mites from soil samples. We also investigated soil properties such as pH, organic matter content, total carbon, total nitrogen, C/N ratio, and heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Ni). Our study proved that the rhizosphere zone significantly influences the stability of the predatory soil mite community, but this influence depends on the degree of soil contamination. We found that in unpolluted or moderately polluted soil, soil mites prefer habitats with less biological activity, i.e., non-rhizosphere zones. These main results are fascinating and indicate the need for further in-depth research. Our study’s comprehensive combination of methods provides valuable information that can facilitate the interpretation of environmental results. In addition, our study can be a starting point for analysing the impact of the rhizosphere zones of many other plant species, especially those used in the reclamation or urban spaces. Full article

The state of research into acarofauna in Polish national parks is very uneven. One of the least examined areas in this regard is Bory Tucholskie National Park (BTNP), established in 1996. The aim of the current research was to explore the species diversity and community structure of mites from the suborder Uropodina (Acari: Mesostigmata), inhabiting different forest, open, and unstable microhabitats in the area of BTNP. Based on the analysis of over 300 samples collected in BTNP between 2004 and 2024, 29 taxa of Uropodina were identified, with 3839 specimens found in the analyzed material. The highest species diversity has been observed in different types of pine forests (19 species), in transformed alder and alder forests (15 species, each), and in reeds (12 species), while the lowest diversity occurred in peat bog areas (8 species) and inland dunes (5 species). The spatial distribution analyses for Uropodina in the area of BTNP have been made and distribution maps for each species have been drawn. Moreover, the Maturity Index (MI) was also calculated to compare the species diversity of the Uropodina communities in BTNP with those in other Polish national parks. The Uropodina community in BTNP ranked eighth in terms of species richness among 13 national parks explored in Poland so far. Finally, the comparative analysis of the MI for the selected Polish national parks has revealed that BTNP could be ranked fourth in terms of the faunistic value for the discussed mite group. Full article

Zelkova abelicea is an endemic tree growing only on eight mountain stands on the Greek island of Crete. The aim of this study was to determine the structure of the assemblages and analyze the diversity of the arachnid assemblages living on Zelkova abelicea, an endemic tree species in Crete. Material for the analyses was collected from tree trunks, oftentimes covered by bryophytes or lichens. In the examined material, 85 taxa were recorded. The most numerous groups represented in the analyzed material were Acari, including representatives of the orders Mesostigmata (78 ind. of 18 spp.) and Oribatida (1056 ind. of 51 spp.). In the order Mesostigmata the species represented by the highest numbers of specimens were Onchodellus karawaiewi (15 individuals) and Hypoaspisella sp. (13), which is probably a species new to science. In turn, representatives of the order Oribatida were much more numerous, with Zygoribatula exilis (284) and Eremaeus tuberosus (210) being identified in the largest numbers. Among the eight sampled localities, Gerakari (646 ind. and 50 spp.) and Omalos (409 ind. and 43 spp., respectively) had by far the richest assemblages. Statistical analyses confirmed the highly diverse character of the arachnid assemblages at the individual sites, which is a consequence not only of the varied numbers of arachnids found, but also of the presence of very rare species, such as Androlaelaps shealsi, Cosmolaelaps lutegiensis or Hoploseius oblongus. These results highlight the high species diversity of the arachnids found on Z. abelicea but also suggest the lack of connectivity between the isolated and fragmented forest stands on Crete. Full article

Rhinonyssids are obligate hematophagous mites that parasitize the nasal cavity of domestic and wilds birds worldwide. For the first time, two species of nasal mites of the genus Rhinonyssus from Estonia are described. One species of nasal mite, Rhinonyssus pluvialis Fain et Johnston, 1966, is described and illustrated based on material from Pluvialis apricaria Linnaeus, 1758 (Charadriiformes, Charadriidae). Another species of nasal mite, Rhinonyssus tringae Fain, 1963, is described and illustrated based on material from Tringa glareola Linnaeus, 1758 (Charadriiformes, Scolopacidae). The bird hosts were collected in Estonia, Puhato järv. Full article

The Sphagnum habitat is a ”miniature forest” to the mites, of which the layers offer different microenvironmental conditions. We studied the vertical distribution of the Oribatida, Mesostigmata, and Prostigmata groups in four layers (0–5 cm, 5–10 cm, 10–15 cm, and 15–20 cm) of a forest bog on Neshalvøya, Norway, to improve the knowledge of the ecology of these mites. The sampled bog was grazed by farm animals; thus, another aim was to investigate the vertical distribution of the oribatid species, which are intermediate hosts of tapeworms. The selected study site is known for its valuable yet increasingly endangered nature, so our aim was also to contribute to the knowledge on its diversity. We collected Sphagnum samples in four replicates and extracted them in the laboratory in modified Berlese funnels. In total, 16.880 mites were studied, including 16.384 Oribatida, 466 Mesostigmata, and 30 Prostigmata. The total abundance of mites, the Oribatida and Mesostigmata groups, was the highest in the upper layer of Sphagnum and decreased with depth, while the abundance of the Prostigmata did not follow any pattern. Among the Oribatida, at deeper layers, significant declines in abundance were observed in adults, but not in juveniles. Most oribatid species, e.g., Nothrus pratensis, preferred the upper layer of Sphagnum, whereas some preferred deeper layers. For example, Suctobelbella acutidens and Carabodes femoralis preferred the 5–10 cm layer, Quadroppia maritalis the 10–15 cm layer, and Ceratozetes gracilis and Eulohmannia ribagai preferred the deepest layer of Sphagnum. Adults and juveniles of the same species showed a preference for the same layer. In total, 62 species of the Oribatida were recorded, including 11 species that are known to be intermediate hosts of tapeworms. Most of them occurred in the upper layer of Sphagnum. Over 20% of the species were found exclusively in deeper layers, so sampling these layers is important for a better evaluation of the mites’ diversity. Studying the vertical distribution of the mites in bogs helps us to understand their ecology, including their role as intermediate hosts of tapeworms, as well as their diversity. Full article

Bird and mammal nests and nest boxes constitute microenvironments in which various groups of invertebrates can live, including mites from the suborder Uropodina (Acari: Mesostigmata). The main aim of the current study was to ascertain the characteristics of mite communities from the suborder Uropodina, which inhabit the nests of dormice (Gliridae) built in nest boxes. The second aim of the study was to compare the habitat preferences of Leiodinychus orbicularis (C. L. Koch) and Apionoseius infirmus (Berlese), i.e., two typically nest-dwelling species of Uropodina. The material for the study was collected from nest boxes in six forest complexes in southwestern Poland. The conducted research revealed the presence of five species of Uropodina, with a total number of 559 specimens, in the examined boxes. Leiodinychus orbicularis was found in almost half of all of the examined boxes and was a superdominant species in the communities. The analysis of the habitat preferences of the two nest species of Uropodina showed that A. infirmus preferred old natural nests, in which the communities were formed from a larger number of species, without a significant statistical prevalence of one species. On the other hand, L. orbicularis occurred sporadically in open bird nests, but was very numerous and frequent in nest boxes. The significant dominance of L. orbicularis in nest boxes can probably be explained by the specific conditions prevailing in this type of microhabitat, including the very low humidity and food resources that this mite species prefers compared to other species of Uropodina. Full article

The diversity and spatial patterns of soil invertebrates are the cornerstones for understanding their ecological functions, which are crucial to maintaining nutrient cycling and soil health in forest ecosystems. Based on a continuous altitudinal gradient (1020–1770 m) composed of 119 plots, this study analyzed the spatial patterns of invertebrate communities in temperate mountain forest litter and soil using multi-scale ordination. The results indicate that along the altitudinal gradient, the invertebrate communities in both litter and soil layers exhibit “patches” at a scale of approximately 33 plots that are mainly composed of Mesostigmata and Apterogasterine oribatid mites. In the litter layer, at the 11-plot scale, an aggregation of Onychiuridae is also formed, while in the soil layer, there are “patches” represented by Diadocidiidae at the 33-plot scale. The positive–negative associations among invertebrate taxa also shift between the litter and soil layers, as well as among “patches”. Our study confirms that the richness of invertebrates in temperate-forest litter is higher and forms multi-scale assembly “patches” despite the higher abundance of invertebrates in the soil layer. Future studies should delve deeper into the aggregation mechanisms of these specific taxa and may require higher sampling densities to reveal the multi-scale spatial patterns of soil invertebrates. Full article

The study of the ectoparasite fauna of the insectivores—Sorex araneus, Sorex minutus, Neomys fodiens, and Neomys anomalus (subfamily Soricinae)—was carried out in three locations in Poland: Białowieża National Park, Kosewo Górne in the Masurian Lake District, and in vicinity of Warsaw. Three species of Ixodidae ticks, eleven species of fleas, and four species of mites from the order Mesostigmata were noted. The most numerous ectoparasites are ticks Ixodes ricinus (larvae), Dermacentor reticulatus (nymphs), and fleas Palaeopsylla soricis, Megabothris walkeri, and Hystrichopsylla orientalis. These species show the highest prevalence and show the highest dominance index. The parasitofauna of S. araneus is much richer in species than other shrew species. The structure and dominance of parasite assemblages differ between locations. Full article

For the first time in Romania, a complex study was conducted on soil mite communities from two types of managed grasslands: ungrazed and intensively grazed. The study was accomplished in August 2018, in the Făgăraş Mountains. Within the soil mite communities (Mesostigmata), 30 species were identified, from 80 soil samples. The following population parameters were investigated: species richness, numerical abundance, dominance, Shannon index of diversity, evenness and equitability. Eight environmental variables were also measured: soil and air humidity; soil and air temperature; soil pH; resistance of soil to penetration; soil electrical conductivity; and vegetation coverage. The results revealed that species richness, Shannon index of diversity, evenness and equitability indices had higher values in ungrazed grasslands, whereas in intensively grazed areas, the numerical abundance and dominance index had significantly higher values. The species Alliphis halleri was dominant in the ungrazed grasslands. Each type of managed grassland was characterised by specific environmental conditions, which had an important influence, even at the species level. Full article

Members of the family Rhinonyssidae are tiny hematophagous endoparasitic mites that inhabit the nasal cavities of birds and can cause trauma to their hosts. Traditionally, identifying species in this group has relied on observing their morphometrical characteristics. Nevertheless, determining species within this particular group has become more challenging due to the rising number of newly discovered species. Moreover, the morphometrical traits vary depending on the specific genus or group of species being studied. In this study, the complete internal transcribed spacer ITS1, 5.8S rDNA, and ITS2 regions of the ribosomal DNA from eighteen species of rhinonyssid mites belonging to four genera were sequenced to assess the utility of this genomic region in resolving taxonomic questions in this group and to estimate the phylogenetic relationships among the species. Mites were collected by dissecting the nasal cavities of birds under a stereomicroscope. Specimens used for morphometrical analyses were cleared in 85% lactic acid for 1–48 h and mounted in Hoyer’s medium. Other specimens were preserved at −20 °C for molecular studies. From the data obtained in this study, it can be concluded that a thorough review and an accurate morphometrical identification and determination of the discriminatory traits are needed in this group of mites. Moreover, although the ITS1–5.8S–ITS2 fragment solves different taxonomic and phylogenetic problems at the species level, it would be necessary to test new molecular markers, or even a combination of nuclear and mitochondrial markers or different domains of the nuclear 28S rDNA, to discover a reliable taxonomic situation for rhinonyssids. Full article