Abstract
Although mites and springtails are important components of cave fauna, until now there was no report about host-parasite associations between these groups in subterranean ecosystem. Here we present the first record of mite parasitism in Trogolaphysa species (Paronellidae), and the first known case of parasitism in the Brazilian cave springtail. The Microtrombidiidae mite was attached on the head of the Collembola by the stylostome. Collembola is not a usual host for Microtrombidiidae mites but it may be related to the lack of reports by researchers or few samplings specific to parasitism studies in these invertebrates. Another possibility relates to the cave environment itself. The oligotrophic condition of these ecosystems could limit the occurrence of the main hosts for these mites and the parasitism in unusual groups, such as Collembola, may have been favored.
Highlights
Mites and springtails are important components of soil fauna, being widely distributed throughout terrestrial environments and found in almost all known habitats (Hopkin 1997, Walter and Proctor 2013)
The Microtrombidiidae mite was attached on the head of the Collembola by the stylostome (Figure 2)
The diversity of habitats and wide distribution of the Trogolaphysa genus qualifies it as potential host for mites, this is the first report of parasitism for this group
Summary
Mites and springtails are important components of soil fauna, being widely distributed throughout terrestrial environments and found in almost all known habitats (Hopkin 1997, Walter and Proctor 2013) In some places, such as tropical rainforests, these groups can represent up to 89% of the species found in soil and leaf litter (Franklin and Morais 2006). Alterations in mites and springtail abundance in soil can be explained by competition for food, since these groups have many scavenging species with similar food preferences (Rieff et al 2014, Kaneko et al 1998) Another curious interaction between these groups was reported by Norton and Ryabinin (1994), in which some Oribatid mite nymphs carried disposed Collembola exoskeletons on their backs, presumably as camouflage
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