Abstract
Ecological aspects of the intertidal fortuyniid oribatid mites Alismobates inexpectatus and Fortuynia atlantica and the selenoribatid Carinozetes bermudensis and Carinozetes trifoveatus were studied in the Bermuda islands. All species are stenotopic inhabitants of the marine littoral zone. Fortuynia atlantica and C. trifoveatus dwell predominantly in the lower eulittoral zone of rocky shores, A. inexpectatus prefers the median eulittoral area of exposed rocky coasts and C. bermudensis inhabits median and upper ranges of boulder beaches and mangrove forests. All species are algivorous showing certain food preferences but they are also opportunistic feeders. Indirect sperm transfer could be demonstrated in A. inexpectatus and C. bermudensis. Both species typically produce stalked spermatophores, although A. inexpectatus de- posits spermatophores singly and C. bermudensis in groups. Occasional spermatophagy could be observed by specimens of A. inexpectatus. Oviposition was observed for all species and time from deposition to eclosion ranged from 15 to 30 days. Egg shell structure differs considerably between Fortuyniidae and Selenoribatidae. Fortuynia atlantica and A. inex- pectatus showed aggregation behaviour, but no direct function or triggering stimulus could be detected. All species are fast-moving and excellent climbers. Fortuynia atlantica exhibits a special floating behaviour and C. bermudensis exhibits levitation; both phenomena are likely to facilitate hydrochorous dispersal.
Highlights
Oribatid mites are primarily terrestrial species, most of which inhabit soil, litter, bark and foliage
Detailed information on seasonal dynamics, development, life histories, sex ratio and number of eggs per female of F. atlantica, A. inexpectatus and C. bermudensis are provided by Pfingstl (2013b)
The typical habitat of A. inexpectatus is mats of the filamentous red alga B. tenella growing on cliffs and bare rocks, which may be exposed to strong wave action
Summary
Oribatid mites are primarily terrestrial species, most of which inhabit soil, litter, bark and foliage. Certain oribatid taxa have managed to conquer the marine environment but are restricted to littoral zones suggesting that they have not completely transgressed the ecological barrier between marine and terrestrial environments (Prochesand Marshall, 2001). More than two-thirds of the oribatid mites dwelling in marine-associated http://www1.montpellier.inra.fr/CBGP/acarologia/ ISSN 0044-586-X (print). ISSN 2107-7207 (electronic) habitats are representatives of the superfamily of Ameronothroidea, which contains the families Ameronothridae, Selenoribatidae and Fortuyniidae (Prochesand Marshall, 2001). The Tegeocranellidae, which are closely related to the Fortuyniidae and Selenoribatidae, have been placed within the Ameronothroidea (Behan-Pelletier, 1997) but differ from the other members in being exclusively associated with semi-aquatic habitats of terrestrial environments. Most of the Ameronothroidea are Pfingstl T
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