Damaeidae (Acari, Oribatida) from high mountains in Costa Rica and Panama – biogeographical considerations

Authors

  • Heinrich Schatz Institute of Zoology, Leopold-Franzens University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
  • Jan Mourek Department of Teaching and Didactics of Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, CZ-128 44, Prague 2, Czech Republic

Keywords:

Central America, mountains, Cordillera de Talamanca, biogeography, insular effect

Abstract

More than 85 % of all Damaeidae species are known from the Holarctic region, whereas in the tropics this family is poorly represented. Investigations on oribatid mites in Costa Rica and Panama revealed a surprisingly species rich material of Damaeidae. Altogether 78 specimens were found in 8 different mountain regions in Costa Rica and Panama. They belong to 11 species, which are presumably all new for science. The Damaeidae species occur almost exclusively in the upper vegetation belts of the Cordillera de Talamanca and nearby mountain ranges in tropical montane rain forest and subalpine paramo. It seems that the Central American high mountains offer refuges with insular effect which were possibly colonized during cooler climatic periods.

References

Balogh, J. & S. Mahunka (1969): The scientific results of the Hungarian Soil Zoological expedition to South America. 11. Acari: Oribatids from the material of the second expedition. II. – Opuscula Zoologica Budapest 9: 31–69.

Bulanova-Zachvatkina E. M. (1973): The systematics and geographical distribution of mites of the superfamily Belboidea Dub., 1958 (Acariformes, Oribatei). – In: Daniel M. & B. Rosicky (eds): Proc. 3rd Int. Congr. Acarology, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Prague: 75–77.

Coates, A. G. & J. A. Obando (1996): The geological history of Central America. – In: Jackson, B. C., A. F. Budd & A. G. Coates (eds): Evolution and environment in tropical America. – The University of Chicago Press, Chicago: 21–56.

Donnelly, Th. W. (1992): Geological setting and tectonic history of Mesoamerica. – In: Quintero, D. & A. Aiello (eds): Insects of Panama and Mesoamerica. Selected Studies. – Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York, Tokyo: 1–13.

Gervais, P. (1849): Oribateas. – In: Gay, C. (ed.): Historia Fisica y Politica de Chile. – Zoologia vol. 4: 46–49.

Halffter, G. (1987): Biogeography of the montane entomofauna of Mexico and Central America. – Annual Review of Entomology 32: 95–114.

Hartshorn, G. S. (1983): Plants. – In: Janzen D. H. (ed.): Costa Rican Natural History. – University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London: 118–157.

Holdridge, L. R. (1947): Determination of world plant formations from simple climatic data. – Science 105: 367–368.

Holdridge, L. R. (1967): Life zone ecology. – Tropical Science Center, San Jose, Costa Rica.

Iglesias, R. & H. Guzman (2012): Nueva especie de Epidamaeus (Oribatei: Damaeidae) del estado de Guerrero, México. – Dugesiana (Guadalajara, Mexico) 19: 99–104.

Illig, J., R. A. Norton, S. Scheu & M. Maraun (2010): Density and community structure of soil- and bark-dwelling microarthropods along an altitudinal gradient in a tropical montane rainforest. – Experimental and Applied Acarology 52: 49–62.

Khatun, K., P. Imbach & J. C. Zamora (2013): An assessment of climate change impacts on the tropical forests of Central America using the Holdridge Life Zone (HLZ) land classification system. – iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry 6: 183–189.

Kimsey, L. S. (1992): Biogeography of the Panamanian region, from an insect perspective. – In Quintero, D. & A. Aiello (eds): Insects of Panama and Mesoamerica, Selected Studies. – Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York, Tokyo: 14–24.

Lauer, W. (1989): Climate and Weather. – In: Lieth, H. & M. J. A. Werger (eds): Tropical Rain Forest Ecosystems, Ecosystems of the World 14B. – Elsevier, Amsterdam, Oxford, New York, Tokyo: 7–53.

Marshall, C. J. & J. K. Liebherr (2000): Cladistic biogeography of the Mexican transition zone. – Journal of Biogeography 27: 203–216.

Miko, L., J. Mourek J. & S. G. Ermilov (2014): Taxonomy of African Damaeidae (Acarina: Oribatida) I. Metabelba (Pateribelba) centurion sp. nov. from Ethiopia and redescription of Metabelba (Pateribelba) glabriseta. – International Journal of Acarology 40: 519–534.

Morrone, J. J. & J. Marquez (2001): Halffter’s Mexican Transition zone, beetle generalized tracks, and geographical homology. – Journal of Biogeography 28: 635–650.

Norton, R. A. (1978): Generic concepts in the Damaeidae (Acari: Oribatei) I. Three new taxa based on species of Nathan Banks. – Acarologia 20: 603–621.

Norton, R. A. (1979a) Aspects of the biogeography of Damaeidae sensu latu (Oribatei), with emphasis on North America. – In: Rodriguez, J. G. (ed.): Recent Advances in Acarology, Volume 2. – Acadamic Press, New York: 535–540

Norton, R. A. (1979b): Damaeidae (Acari: Oribatei) collected by the Hungarian Soil Zoological Expedition to South America. – Folia Entomologica Hungarica (series nova) 32: 55–64.

Norton, R. A. & J. G. Palacios-Vargas (1982): Nueva Belba (Oribatei: Damaeidae) de musgos epífitos de México. – Folia Entomológica Mexicana 52: 61–73.

Palacios-Vargas, J. G. (1984): A new Mexican Epidamaeus (Oribatei: Damaeidae). – Entomological News 95: 23–26.

Schatz, H. (1997): Oribatid mites from the northern neotropical region - a survey of research, past and present. – Abhandlungen und Berichte des Naturkundemuseums Görlitz 70: 61–70.

Schatz, H. (1998): Oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) from the Galápagos Islands - Faunistics, Ecology and Speciation.– Experimental and Applied Acarology 22: 373–409.

Schatz, H. (2006): Catalogue of known oribatid mite species (Acari: Oribatida) from the Central American landbridge (First part). – Tropical Zoology 19: 209–288.

Schatz, H. (2007): Biogeography of oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) from the Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica and Panama. – In: Morales-Malacara, J. B., V. Behan-Pelletier, E. Ueckermann, T. M. Pérez, E. Estrada, C. Gispert & M. Badii (eds): Acarology XI: Proceedings of the International Congress. – Instituto de Biología UNAM; Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM; Sociedad Latinoamericana de Acarología, México: 151–167.

Subías, L. S. (2015): Listado sistemático, sinonímico y biogeográfico de los ácaros oribátidos (Acariformes, Oribatida) del mundo (excepto fósiles). – (Originally published in Graellsia, 60 (número extraordinario): 3–305 (2004), actualized pdf in March 2015, 587 pp., online capture).

Trägårdh, I. (1907): The Acari of the Swedish South Polar Expedition. – Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Schwedischen Südpolar-Expedition 1901-1903, unter Leitung von Dr. Otto Nordensköld, Band V, Lieferung 11, Stockholm: 1–34.

Vazquez, M. M. (1999): Catálogo de los ácaros oribátidos edáphicos de Sian Ka‘an, Quintana Roo, México. – Universidad de Quintana Roo, Chetumal, Mexico: 1–126.

Downloads

Published

2016-08-01

How to Cite

Schatz, H. ., & Mourek, J. . (2016). Damaeidae (Acari, Oribatida) from high mountains in Costa Rica and Panama – biogeographical considerations. SOIL ORGANISMS, 88(2), 139–144. Retrieved from https://soil-organisms.org/index.php/SO/article/view/99

Issue

Section

ARTICLES