Ladislav Miko

The invertebrate fauna of anthropogenic soils in the High-Arctic settlement of Barentsburg, Svalbard

The terrestrial environment of the High Arctic consists of a mosaic of habitat types. In addition to the natural habitat diversity, various human-influenced types may occur. For the resident invertebrate fauna, these anthropogenic habitats may be either unusually favourable or detrimental. In the town of Barentsburg, Svalbard, soils were imported for the greenhouses from southern Russia. These soils were subsequently discarded outside the greenhouses and have become augmented with manure from the cowsheds. Both the greenhouse and the cowsheds are now derelict. This site represents an unusually nutrient-rich location with considerable development of organic soils, in stark contrast to the naturally forming organic soils in Svalbard, which are typically thin and nutrient poor. Few previous studies have examined the soil invertebrate communities of human-disturbed or -created habitats in the Arctic. In an often nutrient-poor terrestrial environment, it is unclear how the invertebrate fauna will react to such nutrient enhancement. In these soils, 46 species of invertebrates were determined. Eleven species have not been recorded from other habitats in Svalbard and are hence likely to have been introduced. The native species assemblage in the anthropogenic soils was not atypical for many natural sites in Svalbard. Despite the enriched organic soils and highly ameliorated winter temperature conditions, the soil invertebrate fauna biodiversity does not appear to be enhanced beyond the presence of certain probably introduced species.

Taxonomy of European Damaeidae (Acari: Oribatida) V. Redescription of Epidamaeus bituberculatus (Kulczynski, 1902)

ABSTRACT Epidamaeus bituberculatus (Kulczynski, 1902) – type species of the genus Epidamaeus Bulanova-Zachvatkina 1957 (Damaeidae) – is redescribed and illustrated in detail based on adult specimens collected in dead wood and tree hollows in natural forest in Upper Silesia, Poland. The species is characterized mainly by a single pair of postbothridial tubercles (Ba) on prodorsum; comparatively strong sensillus with slightly indicated subterminal expansion and blunt tip; fully developed propodoventral (E2a, E2p) and ventrosejugal (Va, Vp) enantiophyses. The neotype is designated, because the original type series is lost. The species seems to be comparatively rare and remained poorly known until present. At least part of the published records is probably based on confusion with other species of the genus.

Ontogeny of the famulus in selected members of Damaeidae (Acari: Oribatida) and its suitability as a phylogenetic marker

The famulus is a specialised seta on the dorsal side of the tarsus of the first pair of legs in acariform mites. It has various shapes, but a stable location within the whole group. In the oribatid family Damaeidae, two states of famulus are known: emergent and sunken. The emergent famulus is a simple short seta with fully emergent insertion. It is present in the adult of all known Damaeidae and in immature stases of many damaeid genera. The sunken famulus is reduced in size and submerged in a fovea with an elevated rim, so that only its tip is visible. In this study, the ontogenetic development of the famulus in selected Central European damaeid species, namely Damaeus (Adamaeus) onustus, D. (Paradamaeus) clavipes, Epidamaeus tatricus, Spatiodamaeus verticillipes, Kunstidamaeus lengersdorfi, and Belba compta, was studied with light and scanning electron microscopy and compared with that of Gymnodamaeus bicostatus (Gymnodamaeidae). Literature data on the ontogeny of the famulus in Damaeidae are summarized and the significance of the famulus as a phylogenetic marker is discussed. In agreement with previous studies, adults of all studied members of Damaeidae had an emergent famulus. The immatures of all studied members of Damaeus sensu lato, except for E. tatricus, had a sunken famulus, whereas the immatures of B. compta had an emergent famulus. Immatures as well as adults of G. bicostatus had a sunken famulus. In contrast to Norton’s phylogenetic hypotheses, all immature stases of E. tatricus possessed an emergent famulus, similar to B. compta. Therefore, either the monophyly of Epidamaeus is questionable, or, more likely, reversal to a plesiomorphic state occurred in E. tatricus.

The paleoenvironmental reconstruction using fossil invertebrates of Zăton Lake (south-western Romania)

The Zăton Lake is a closed depressionlocated in the Ponoarele karst area (south-western Romania) formed along a tectonic-erosional window as a NE-SW corridor (250–450 m a.s.l.). In this area Mesozoic sedimentary rocks outcrop, along with the metamorphic basement of the Danubian Domain of the Southern Carpathians. The entire river basin is drained underground through the caves of Zăton (105 m in lenght) and Bulba (5 km long, developed on three levels). Flooding of the lake is temporary, during periods with high precipitation or the spring snow melting. A total of 34 samples were taken from one sedimentary section of the Zăton Lake and the diversity and abundance of fossil mites was assessed at different depths of the sediments. OSL (optical stimulated luminescence) datings and fossil mites’ determination were correlated with sediments geochemistry and rock magnetic properties and record the changes in temperature and vegetation in the area from present day to more than 2000 years ago. Presenting author Oana Teodora Moldovan ‡ §,| ‡ ¶

A new subgenus and two new species of the oribatid mite genus Eurhynchoribates (Acari, Oribatida, Rhynchoribatidae) from the Philippines

Abstract The oribatid mite genus Eurhynchoribates (Oribatida, Rhynchoribatidae) is recorded in the Philippines for the first time. Two new species are described from litter and soil of secondary forests. Eurhynchoribates samarensis sp. nov. differs from all species of the genus by the presence of 14 pairs of notogastral setae, and is designated as type species of the new subgenus Orinchobates subgen. nov. Eurhynchoribates (Eurhynchoribates) misamisensis sp. nov. is morphologically similar to E. (Eurhynchoribates) obtusus (Mahunka, 1985), but differs by the smaller body size, rostral setae clearly longer than lamellar setae, all barbed, and the presence of two transverse ridges between antero-lateral concavities on the prodorsum. The inclusion of Eurhynchoribates orientalis (Balogh, 1970) in the subgenus Orinchobates is proposed.

Redescription of Belba paracorynopus Bulanova-Zachvatkina, 1962 (Acarina: Oribatida: Damaeidae) from Georgia

Abstract Belba paracorynopus Bulanova-Zachvatkina, 1962 is redescribed on the basis of new material collected in Georgia and damaged paratypes of Bulanova-Zachvatkina. The species belongs to the Belba corynopus group and differs from other species of the group by the size and form of notogastral setae, formation of the prodorsum and detailed chaetotaxy of legs. Variability of certain traits and differences to the original description and material are discussed, as well as the relation to other species of this group. The finding in Georgia extends the known area of distribution from Far East and China to the west.