Free-living Tydeoidea (Acari: Actinedida) from the vicinity of Gniew

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BIOLOGICAL LETT. 2006, 43(2): 163–168
Available online at http://www.biollett.amu.edu.pl
Free-living Tydeoidea (Acari: Actinedida) from the vicinity
of Gniew (northern Poland): preliminary report
JUSTYNA DOÑCZYK
Research & Development; BIOFARM Sp. z o.o.; Wa³brzyska 13; 60-198 Poznañ, Poland;
e-mail: [email protected]
(Received on 13 January 2006, Accepted on 8December 2006)
Abstract: Tydeoidea are insufficiently known prostigmatic mites, although they represent a significant
part of the soil fauna and occur on various plants. Investigations took place in 2 Areas of Protected
Landscape in the vicinity of Gniew town, in 10 different habitats. Over 3 years, 4167 specimens belonging
to 36 species, 10 genera, 4 subfamilies and 4 families were collected. Among them, 9 species are new
to science and another 6 species are new in Poland. In all habitats, the taxonomic composition, total
abundance and dominant species of tydeoid mites were determined. Preliminary descriptions and timing
of developmental stages in 2 of the most common species: Lorryia subularoides (KaŸmierski, 1989) and
L. brevicula (Koch, 1838) show substantial differences in their phenology.
Key words: phenology, prostigmatic mites, Northern Poland
INTRODUCTION
The superfamily Tydeoidea comprises 4 families: Tydeidae, Iolinidae, Ereynetidae, and Edbakerellidae. The family Tydeidae – nominative for the superfamily Tydeoidea – was established by KRAMER (1877) on the basis of the earlier described genus Tydeus Koch, 1835 (KAMIERSKI 1998). The first monograph on Tydeoidea was
published in 1933 by THOR. Subsequent revisions clarifying the tydeoid taxonomy
were given by BAKER (1965), ANDRÉ (1979, 1980, 1981a, b), KAMIERSKI (1998)
and ANDRÉ & FAIN (2000).
Tydeoidea are small, poorly sclerotized, more or less oval in shape and relatively fast-moving. They are common but little-known prostigmatic mites, although
the core family Tydeidae represents the main group of soil and plant mites (KAMIERSKI 1998).
Tydeoid morphology, ontogeny and systematics are better known than their
ecology, biology and economic importance (KAMIERSKI 1998). The aim of my study
was to provide more information concerning the superfamily Tydeoidea: (1) to char-
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acterise the species structure of the tydeoid fauna, (2) to survey the tydeoid mite
species in the various habitats typical for the study area, and (3) to characterise
phenologically the most common tydeoid species. The phenology of tydeoid mites
has not been studied up to the present.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The study was performed in northern Poland, in the vicinity of Gniew, which
is included into the Gniew Area and the Vistula River Area of Protected Landscape
(PRZEWONIAK & ROLBIECKI 1995). Ten plots representing floristically different
habitats were chosen: 1 – acid oak forest; 2 – acid oak forest with spruce; 3 – mosses;
4 – pine forest; 5 – riverside carr; 6 – midfield hedgerows; 7 – village park; 8 – thickets
near a small farm; 9 – oak-hornbeam forest; 10 – xerothermic grassland.
Samples were collected from each of the 10 plots from June 1999 to July 2000
(7 times, every 2 months), and from April 2002 to November 2003 (19 times, every
month). In total, 2600 samples of soil, moss, detritus, and remnants of various plants
were collected (260 per plot). Each sample was about 500 ml in volume.
The mites were extracted by using Tullgren funnels, and next mounted on slides
in Fauré-Berlese medium under an Olympus stereomicroscope. The specimens were
then examined under Zeiss–Jena Peraval Interphako and OLYMPUS BH-2 microscopes.
RESULTS
The collection of mites consisted of 4167 specimens of 36 species, 10 genera,
4 subfamilies and 4 families:
TYDEIDAE
1. Acanthotydides jarema KaŸmierski, 1996
2. Lorryia ancoraria (Karg, 1975) [new in Poland]
3. Lorryia brevicula (Koch, 1838)
4. Lorryia catenulata (Thor, 1931)
5. Lorryia danutae KaŸmierski, 1979
6. Lorryia devexa (Kuznetzov, 1973)
7. Lorryia inconstans KaŸmierski, 1989
8. Lorryia longiuscula (Kuznetzov, 1972) [new in Poland]
9. Lorryia mirabilis (Kuznetzov, 1973)
10. Lorryia reticulata (Oudemans, 1928)
11. Lorryia subularoides KaŸmierski, 1989
12. Lorryia triloba (Karg, 1992) [new in Poland]
13. Lorryia volgini (Kuznetzov, 1973)
14. Lorryia wooleyi (Baker, 1968)
15. Neoapolorryia hippocastani KaŸmierski, 1998
16. Pseudolorryia edwardbakeri KaŸmierski, 1989
17. Tydeus caudatus (Dugés, 1834)
18. Tydeus kochi Oudemans, 1928
19. Tydeus maculatus (Momen & Lundqvist, 1996) [new in Poland]
TYDEOIDEA FROM THE VICINITY OF GNIEW
165
EDBAKERELLIDAE
20. Triophtydeus immanis Kuznetzov, 1973
IOLINIDAE
21. Microtydeus beltrani Baker, 1944 (syn: M. bellus Livshitz & Kuznetzov, 1973)
22. Microtydeus similis (Canestrini 1886) [new in Poland]
23. Microtydeus subtilis (Koch, 1838)
24. Paratydaeolus rafalskii (KaŸmierski, 1979)
25. Tydaeolus frequens (Grandjean, 1938)
26. Tydaeolus teniuclaviger (Thor, 1931)
EREYNETIDAE
27. Ereynetes (Obsereynetes) norvegicus Thor, 1932 [new in Poland]
and species new to science:
28–33. TYDEIDAE: 6 Lorryia sp.
34–35. IOLINIDAE: 1 Microtydeus sp. and 1 Paratydaeolus sp.
36. EREYNETIDAE: 1 Ereynetes (Gymnereynetes) sp.
The dominant group, considering both abundance and diversity, are the Tydeidae (4047 specimens of 25 species and 5 genera), followed by Iolinidae (110 specimens of 9 species and 4 genera), Ereynetidae (9 specimens of 2 species, 1 genus,
and 2 subgenera), and Edbakerellidae (only 1 specimen of Triophtydeus immanis,
Triophtydeinae). Nine species new to science were found, as well as additional
6 species new in the Polish fauna: Microtydeus similis (Canestrini, 1886), Lorryia
ancoraria (Karg, 1975), L. longiuscula (Kuznetzov, 1972), L. triloba (Karg, 1992),
Tydeus maculatus (Momen et Lindqvist, 1996), and Ereynetes (Obsereynetes) norvegicus (Thor, 1932).
The structure of the tydeoid fauna varied between habitats. The majority of
species were collected in plot 9 (20 species) and plot 4 (17 species). The highest
number of specimens was collected from plot 3 (1846 specimens in total) and plot 1
(678 specimens). Plots 1 and 2 have the most similar tydeoid species structure,
whereas the most dissimilar in this respect are plots 5 vs. 6, and also 5 vs. 10. The
dominant species in individual plots were as follows: plot 1, Lorryia subularoides
(KaŸmierski, 1989); plot 2, Lorryia sp. n. II and L. subularoides; plot 3, L. brevicula
(Koch, 1838); plot 4, L. brevicula and L. subularoides; plot 5, Tydeus kochi (Oudemans, 1928); plot 6, L. woolleyi (Baker, 1968); plot 7, no dominant species (6 mites
of 4 species); plot 8, no tydeoid mites were found; plot 9, L. catenulata (Thor, 1931)
and L. subularoides; plot 10, T. kochi.
Phenological investigations were based on 2 of the most common species:
Lorryia subularoides (KaŸmierski, 1989) and L. brevicula (Koch, 1838) (Figs. 1, 2).
The former species (Fig. 1) completes its life cycle in 1 year. Female lifespan is about
7 months (October to April), whereas pregnant females occur from November to April.
Males also appear in October, showing the highest abundance in October and January (23% and 20%, respectively, of all individuals caught then) and persist till April
(6–7 months). Larvae live for 1-2 months, appearing abundantly in April (ca. 38%),
and are practically the only developmental stage found in May. Protonymphs live
for ca. 1 month (June), deutonymphs for ca. 2 months (July and August), and tritonymphs for 1 month (September, 98%). In October they abruptly transform into
adults. Females inseminated in October contain nearly mature eggs a month later (i.e.
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Justyna Doñczyk
×
+
Fig. 1. Seasonal variation in proportions of life stages of Lorryia subularoides KaŸmierski, 1989 in 2002–
2003. DN = deutonymphs; L = larvae; PN = protonymphs; TN = tritonymphs
×
Fig. 2. Seasonal variation in proportions of life stages of Lorryia brevicula (Koch, 1838) in 2002–2003.
DN = deutonymphs; L = larvae; PN = protonymphs; TN = tritonymphs
in November), thus egg development is completed within 6 months in the case of
overwintering eggs, but is evidently shorter (ca. 1 month) for eggs laid in spring.
The overwintering stages are adults and, reportedly, eggs laid at the beginning of
winter.
Phenology of L. brevicula (Fig. 2) differs in many respects from that of L.
subularoides. Females appear in September and are the dominating stage till May,
whereas from June to August they are observed only occasionally. Females with eggs
are present from December, with peaks in February and April. Males occur from
August to May, most numerously in January (ca. 40%) and May (ca. 20%). Tri-
TYDEOIDEA FROM THE VICINITY OF GNIEW
167
tonymphs are scarce over the year except for August, when they are a dominant stage
(ca. 57%). Deutonymphs are numerous in June (ca. 70%) and August (ca. 36%).
Protonymphs and larvaeare present only in samples collected in June.
DISCUSSION
Tydeoidea is a moderately large taxon, which consists of more than 620 species (KAMIERSKI 1998, ANDRÉ & FAIN 2000), of which 83 have been found in Poland
(KAMIERSKI 1997, 1998, 2000, SKORUPSKI et al. 2000, NIEMCZYK & KAMIERSKI
2002). This study has shown that both Areas of Protected Landscape located near
Gniew have a heterogeneous environment characterised by a high diversity and abundance of Tydeoidea. Among the 36 recorded species, only 21 are known from Poland, whereas 15 are new in the Polish fauna, including 9 species new to science.
Tydeoid mites are an interesting and little-known group. Despite a broad knowledge concerning their morphology and taxonomy (BAKER 1965, ANDRÉ 1979, 1980,
ANDRÉ 1981a, b, KAMIERSKI 1996a, b, 1997, 1998, ANDRÉ & FAIN 2000), many
new species are reportedly waiting to be found and described even within the Polish
fauna. Moreover, detailed biological and ecological studies are lacking, so their economic importance and roles played in the environment are still unclear. For example,
observations concerning environmental preferences of Polish Tydeoidea are fragmentary and reported in the context of broader projects focused on the entire order
Actinedida (NIEDBA£A et al. 1982, 1990), or as part of faunistic studies (NIEDBA£A
et al. 1982, KAMIERSKI 1990, B£OSZYK et al. 1994, KAMIERSKI 2000, SKORUPSKI
et. al. 2000).
Since the phenology of the group has not been studied extensively yet, some
observations on developmental stages and life cycles for 2 of the most common species
have been reported here. Interestingly, these species differ in duration and occurrence
of subsequent stages. However, our results are quite preliminary and require further,
more detailed studies.
Acknowledgements: This study is based on my PhD thesis written at the Adam Mickiewicz University
in Poznañ under the supervision of Prof. A. KaŸmierski.
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