Parasitidae (Acari: Gamasida) of the Sto³owe Mts. National Park

179 BIOLOGICAL LETT. 2006, 43(2): 179 185 Available online at http://www.biollett.amu.edu.pl Parasitidae (Acari: Gamasida) of the Sto³owe Mts. National Park S AWOMIR KACZMAREK and TOMASZ MARQUARDT Kazimierz Wielki University, Institute of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Zoology, Ossoliñskich Av. 12, PL-85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland; e-mail: slawkacz@ukw.edu.pl (Received on 28 December 2005, Accepted on 16 November 2006) Abstract: Research on the family Parasitidae (Acari: Gamasida) was conducted in 2 reserves: Szczeliniec and B³êdne Ska³y within the area of the Sto³owe Mts. National Park (SW Poland). Overall, 20 species of Parasitidae were recorded within the study area. This work presents a general zoocoenological analysis of communities of Parasitidae in the studied reserves on the basis of the abundance, dominance and constancy indices. Additionally, an analysis of distribution and ecology of the dominant and rare species in Poland (Leptogamasus parvulus, Paragamasus neoruncatellus, P. runciger and L. lobatus) was performed on the basis of available specialist literature. Key words: Gamasida, Parasitidae, ecology, Sto³owe Mts. National Park INTRODUCTION The Polish mite fauna of the family Parasitidae comprises representatives of the subfamilies Parasitinae (9 genera, 34 species) and Pergamasinae (10 genera, 75 species) (MICHERDZIÑSKI 1969, B ASZAK et al. 1997). So far, studies of the Parasitidae in southern Poland were performed in the mountains, in the Gorce, Sto³owe, Karkonosze, Ojców and Pieniny National Parks (WITALIÑSKI 1976, SKORUPSKI & GO OJUCH 1996, SKORUPSKI & GWIAZDOWICZ 1996, SZYMKOWIAK 1998, 2001, 2002, GWIAZDOWICZ & FABROWSKI 2001, GWIAZDOWICZ 2003) as well as in the postindustrial wastelands in Upper Silesia (MADEJ 2004). The aim of the study was to assess the species richness of the Parasitidae in 2 reserves: Szczeliniec and B³êdne Ska³y, within the area of the Sto³owe Mts. National Park. Special attention was paid to habitat preferences and zoogeographical distribution of the dominant and rare species in Poland. MATERIAL AND METHODS The research was conducted in spring 2003 and autumn 2004. Altogether, 95 samples were collected, 250 cm 3 each, from various microhabitats, such as forest

180 S³awomir Kaczmarek and Tomasz Marquardt litter, moss and decaying wood. The mites were extracted by using modified Tullgren funnels for 6 days, next preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol, and finally prepared in Hoyer s liquid. All the parasitid mites were identified to the species level by using MICHERDZIÑSKI s (1969) and KARG s (1993) keys. Additionally, a general zoocoenological analysis of the Parasitidae (based on the abundance, dominance and constancy indices) was performed and followed by the analysis of the distribution of Leptogamasus lobatus (Willmann, 1951), L. parvulus (Berlese, 1903), Paragamasus neoruncatellus (Schweizer, 1961) and P. runciger (Berlese, 1903) in Poland. RESULTS Gamasid mites were represented by 54 species, of which 20 belonged to the family Parasitidae (37%). The Parasitidae accounted for 28.7% of the total gamasid community. The dominant species were Leptogamasus parvulus (D=11.12%; C=61.1%), Paragamasus neoruncatellus (D=10.44%, C=65.3%) and P. runciger (D=2.27%, C=7.4%) (Table 1). Of note, the rare Leptogamasus lobatus was recorded during this study. DISCUSSION Within Poland, Leptogamasus parvulus is recorded mainly in the south (MICHERDZIÑSKI 1969, CICHOCKI 1984, SOLARZ et al. 2001, GWIAZDOWICZ 2002, 2003), although it has been also found in the Bia³owie a National Park (GWIAZDO- WICZ et al. 1999) (Fig. 1A). So far, it has been recorded in moss, soil, rotten wood (SOLARZ et al. 2001), soil of ski slopes (GWIAZDOWICZ 2002), in moss and Sphagnum in spruce forest, in wet moss, soil under stones, swampy soil, heaps of compost, moorlands, fallen leaves, sandy soil, raised bogs, and beech forest in the Sudetes (MICHERDZIÑSKI 1969, GWIAZDOWICZ et al. 1999). Among the communities of the studied reserves, the species occurred with the mean density of 2.937 ind./ (250 cm 3 ), accounting to 11.12% of the gamasid community (with the frequency of 61.1%). Pergamasus neoruncatellus is rarely encountered in Poland, except in the south of the country (SKORUPSKI & GO OJUCH 1996, GWIAZDOWICZ & FABROWSKI 2001, GWIAZDOWICZ 2002, SZYMKOWIAK 2002), although KIE CZEWSKI and WIŒNIEWSKI Fig. 1. Distribution of selected mite species of the family Parasitidae in Poland. A Leptogamasus parvulus (Berlese, 1903); B Paragamasus neoruncatellus (Schweizer, 1961); C Paragamasus runciger (Berlese, 1903); D Leptogamasus lobatus (Willmann, 1951)

181 Table 1. Abundance [A, in ind./(250 cm 3 )], dominance (D, in %) and constancy (C, in %) indices of mite species of the family Parasitidae in soil gamasid communities in the Sto³owe Mts. National Park Species A D C Aclerogamasus similis (Willmann, 1953) 0.126 0.48 6.3 Leptogamasus carpaticus (Micherdziñski, 1969) 0.084 0.32 5.3 L. lobatus (Willmann, 1951) 0.105 0.40 7.4 L. parvulus (Berlese, 1903) 2.937 11.12 61.1 L. perissus (Micherdziñski, 1969) 0.011 0.04 1.1 L. suecicus Trägardh, 1936 0.021 0.08 1.1 L. tatrensis (Micherdziñski, 1969) 0.221 0.84 14.7 Paragamasus insertus (Micherdziñski, 1969) 0.021 0.08 2.1 P. lapponicus (Trägardh, 1910) 0.137 0.52 6.3 P. neoruncatellus (Schweizer, 1961) 2.758 10.44 65.3 P. runcatellus (Berlese, 1903) 0.242 0.92 2.1 P. runciger (Berlese, 1903) 0.600 2.27 7.4 Parasitus fimetorum (Berlese, 1904) 0.011 0.04 1.1 Pergamasus barbarus (Berlese, 1904) 0.095 0.36 7.4 P. brevicornis Berlese, 1903 0.053 0.20 3.2 P. crassipes (Linne, 1758) 0.011 0.04 1.1 P. integer Bhattacharyya, 1963 0.032 0.12 2.1 P. mediocris Berlese, 1904 0.011 0.04 1.1 Porrhostaspis lunulata Müller, 1859 0.095 0.36 6.3 Vulgarogamasus kraepelini (Berlese, 1904) 0.011 0.04 1.1 Other Gamasida 18.842 71.29 - (1983) report its existence in bark beetle galleries on the Hel Peninsula (Fig. 1B). Additionally, it has so far been found in the soil of ski slopes (GWIAZDOWICZ 2002), Carpathian beech woods, decaying poplar wood, heaps of compost, forest litter, and rotting tree stumps (MICHERDZIÑSKI 1969, SZYMKOWIAK 2002), as well as in the moss and lichen covering rocks (GWIAZDOWICZ & FABROWSKI 2001), followed by wet moss, spruce-pine forest litter, spruce-larch forest litter, sycamore-spruce-beech forest litter, beech-larch-spruce forest litter, spruce-birch forest litter and decaying pericarps of the bracket fungus Piptoporus betulinus (Bull ex Fr.) P. Karst growing on the birch (SKORUPSKI & GO OJUCH 1996). Among the communities of the studied reserves, the species occurred with the mean density of 2.758 ind./(250 cm 3 ), accounting for 10.44% of the gamasid community (with the frequency of 65.3%). Paragamasus runciger is widespread in our country, although it has been recorded mainly in the northern part of Poland (Fig. 1C). It reached a high position in the dominance structure of soil gamasid communities in Scots pine stands, where it reached the constancy of 60% to 100% with the dominance from 10% to 20% (KACZ- MAREK & SENICZAK 1996, 1997, SENICZAK et al. 1997a, KACZMAREK et al. 2005). A high dominance of P. runciger was also recorded in stands including robinia (SENI-

182 S³awomir Kaczmarek and Tomasz Marquardt CZAK et al. 1991a) as well as in ecotone zones between mid-field woodlots and meadows, between pine forests and meadows (SENICZAK et al. 1996, 2000), and between a blackthorn shelterbelt and a barley field (KACZMAREK 2000a). It has also been recorded in the soil in larch and hornbeam stands (SENICZAK et al. 1991b), in robinia stands (KACZMAREK 1990), in patches of Scots pine forests with mossy and grassy ground cover (SENICZAK et al. 1991c), in stands including false acacia, sessile oak and Canadian poplar (SENICZAK et al. 1991b, 1994), in Scots pine stands (KACZMAREK & SENICZAK 1997, SENICZAK et al. 1997a, KACZMAREK 2000b), in ecotone zones between mid-field woodlots and lucerne fields (SENICZAK et al. 1997b), in patches of Scots forests with and without ground cover (KACZMAREK et al. 1996), in wheat and barley fields as well as ash stands (KACZMAREK & RATYÑSKA 1998), in patches of Taxus baccata L. needle litter (KACZMAREK & MARQUARDT 2004), in the pericarps of Aphyllophorales (GWIAZDOWICZ & AKOMY 2002), in the galleries of the bark beetle Hylurgops palliatus (Gyll.) (KIE CZEWSKI & WIŒNIEWSKI 1983), in the soil of ski slopes (GWIAZDOWICZ 2002), waterlogged alder forests (GWIAZDO- WICZ et al. 1999), in meadow turf, scrubs in dry forests and the ground cover in pine forests (GWIAZDOWICZ & MATYSIAK 2004), in willow tree decay (GWIAZDOWICZ & KMITA 2004), as well as in vegetation patches dominated by Sedum acre in a rehabilitated waste dump (SENICZAK et al. 2004). MICHERDZIÑSKI (1969) reports its occurrence in the moss covering tree trunks growing beside streams (2200 m a.s.l.), in the soil of a drained high-altitude peatbog, in the soil of lawns, heaps of compost, fallen leaves, damp mossy ground cover, salty streams and meadows, as well as deciduous and mixed forests. Among the communities of the studied reserves, the species occurred with the mean density of 0.6 ind./(250 cm 3 ), accounting for 2.27% of the gamasid community (with the frequency of 7.4%). Leptogamasus lobatus is very rarely encountered in Poland (SKORUPSKI & GO OJUCH 1996) (Fig. 1D). MICHERDZIÑSKI (1969) reports its existence in other countries in weedy places and decaying grass. It is listed among Central European species (KARG 1993). Apart from Poland, it is only recorded in Austria and Germany (MICHERDZIÑSKI 1969). In the studied reserves, L. lobatus accounted for 0.4% of the gamasid community, with an abundance of 0.105 ind./(250 cm 3 ) and frequency of 7.4%. CONCLUSIONS Overall, 20 mite species of the family Parasitidae were recorded in the area of the studied reserves in the Sto³owe Mts. National Park. Leptogamasus parvulus, Paragamasus neoruncatellus, and P. runciger were the dominant mite species of the family Parasitidae within the studied reserves. L. parvulus and P. neoruncatellus are encountered mostly in the south of Poland, whereas P. runciger occurs primarily in the north of Poland. L. lobatus is a rare species in the Polish fauna found so far exclusively in the Sto³owe Mts. National Park, apart from very few sites in the rest of Europe.

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