Oribatida diversity in different microhabitats of Mtirala National Park

Abstract

Faunal surveys were performed in Mtirala National Park (Georgia, Caucasus). Oribatid mites were collected from four microhabitats (soil, moss, litter, decaying wood) at 15 locations from 250 to 1000 m a.s.l. Forest types included walnut (Juglans regia) plantations, mixed chestnut (Castanea sativa) forests, and beech (Fagus orientalis) forests. Our surveys revealed 124 species of oribatid mites. One species, Feiderzetes latus (Schweizer, 1956), is new for Georgian fauna and was found only in decaying beech wood at various stages of decay. Chamobates voigtsi (Oudemans, 1902) was present in all types of habitats and dominated in soil and litter samples. Liebstadia pannonica (Willmann, 1951) was numerous in decaying wood, and Mycobatidae were abundant in moss. Other species were present in moderate quantities. Simpson s index of diversity (1 D) revealed low to moderate diversity in nearly all samples, with sampling completeness of about 80%. Hierarchical cluster analyses showed the highest similarity between the soil and litter fauna, with dead wood being the most distinct, indicating special communities of oribatid mites exist there. No pattern of faunal changes along the altitudinal gradient was observed.

Diversity of Oribatids (Acari) at different land use types in Mentebah, Kapuas Hulu, West Kalimantan

“…The Duncan test showed that there was a significant difference between oribatids abundance in litter and in soil ( Table 1). The results were in line with Murvanidze et al (2016) where the abundance of oribatids were highest in litter (4326 ± 2870 individuals/m 2 ) and lowest in the soil (2120 ± 939 individuals/m 2 ) in the Garden National Mtirala Georgia. The litter has a high amount of abundance compared to the soil.…”

“…The abundance of family Phtiracaridae, Thrypochthoniidae, Malaconotrhida, Neoliodidae and Galumnidae were positively correlated with soil water content of 0.86; 0.88; 0.92; 0.89 and 0.87, respectively. Trhypocthoniidae and Malaconothridae are more common in moist and wet habitats (Evans, 2003) in the same way, Murvanidze et al (2016) found Galumnidae very abundant in the litter on the river bank in Georgia's Mtirala National Park and is a species known to specifically inhabit wet habitats in Georgia (Murvanidze et al, 2011;Mumladze et al, 2013).…”

Leaving the tropics: The successful colonization of cold temperate regions byDolicheremaeus dorni(Acari, Oribatida)

“…The temperate D. dorni was originally described from decaying leaves in the area of Baile Herculane (Meridional Carpathians) (Balogh, 1937) and Mahunka (1982) (Maraun, M€ uller, B€ assler, & Scheu, 2014;Weigmann, 2014). Moreover, Murvanidze, Mumladze, Arabuli, Barjadze, and Salakaia (2016) obtained their specimens from dead wood in Georgia and all but one population of the present study were found in bark samples of In this context, another record of this species seems to be quite interesting, namely those from a study of Pernek, Wirth, Blomquist, Avtzis, and Moser (2012) who detected specimens in samples of the fir bark beetle Pityokteines curvidens Germ. caught in pheromone traps in Croatia.…”

“…Karst., a mushroom which colonizes all kind of trees beginning from living to dying or dead ones, in Germany (Maraun, Müller, Bässler, & Scheu, 2014; Weigmann, 2014). Moreover, Murvanidze, Mumladze, Arabuli, Barjadze, and Salakaia (2016) obtained their specimens from dead wood in Georgia and all but one population of the present study were found in bark samples of P. abies trees, which were infested by different bark beetle species. In this context, another record of this species seems to be quite interesting, namely those from a study of Pernek, Wirth, Blomquist, Avtzis, and Moser (2012) who detected specimens in samples of the fir bark beetle Pityokteines curvidens Germ.…”

A new peculiar species of <i>Anaclileia</i> Meunier (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) from Georgia, Transcaucasia

“…The area is noted for the extraordinarily high annual precipitation, with an average over 2,000 mm but exceeding 4,000 mm on the seaside slopes of Mountain Didi Mtirala (e.g. Murvanidze et al 2016).…”