Effects of nutritional quality on the reproductive biology of Archegozetes longisetosus (Actinotrichida, Oribatida, Trhypochthoniidae)

Authors

  • Adrian Brückner Ecological Networks, Technische Univeristät Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 3, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
  • Romina Schuster Ecological Networks, Technische Univeristät Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 3, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
  • Katja Wehner Ecological Networks, Technische Univeristät Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 3, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
  • Michael Heethoff Ecological Networks, Technische Univeristät Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 3, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany

Keywords:

Nutrient ecology, life history, macroelements, mites, development

Abstract

The parthenogenetic trhypochthoniid oribatid mite Archegozetes longisetosus serves as a model organism. Numerous studies have investigated different aspects of its life history and nutritional biology, yet several results remain contradictive. To clarify effects of nutrition on life history parameters, we set up a large scale experiment with ten food resources of different origins and nutritional composition (animal, bacterial, fungal and herbal). Generally, food influenced all life history parameters. The number of offspring ranged from 0 to 106 individuals per female, while the developmental time and body mass varied in a range of 32 up to 88 days and 3 to 43 µg dry weight, respectively. The number of offspring per female was correlated to the C/N-ratio and thus the availability of nitrogen in the food, while the body mass was correlated to the C/P-ratio and C/Ca-ratio (for early juvenile instars). The developmental time did not respond to any measured nutritional parameter.

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2018-04-01

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How to Cite

Brückner, A. ., Schuster, R. ., Wehner, K. ., & Heethoff, M. . (2018). Effects of nutritional quality on the reproductive biology of Archegozetes longisetosus (Actinotrichida, Oribatida, Trhypochthoniidae). Soil Organisms, 90(1), 1–12. https://soil-organisms.org/index.php/SO/article/view/68