Abstract
Results from collections of oribatid mites in the cushion plant belt of Sass Pordoi and Piz Boè in the Italian Dolomites (Prov. Trento) are presented. A total of 10 oribatid species belonging to seven families were found. Most have a wide general distribution, Anachipteria shtanchaevae is restricted to the Alps. Three species are frequently or mainly found in the montane to alpine zone (A. shtanchaevae, Camisia horrida, Oribatula interrupta). Remarkable findings are Camisia foveolata, hitherto only known from the boreal climate zone, which indicates a preglacial relict distribution, and Kunstidamaeus lengersdorfi as highest recorded altitude for this species. Trichoribates valeriae n. sp., found in large numbers on both mountains, is described and compared with other congeners, and its systematic position is discussed. This species is characterized by a lamellar structure with small ridges and widely separated cusps, rounded rostrum with nose-like protuberance, 10 pairs of medium long notogastral setae with short bristles, notogastral porose area A1 divided in two parts, porose areas present on all tibiae and tarsi. Additional morphological information on the presence of porose areas on tarsi of Trichoribates scilierensis Bayartogtokh and Schatz, 2008 is given.
Highlights
The Sella group is a massif in the Dolomites, Northern Italy
The Sass Pordoi (2950 m a.s.l., Fig. 1B), a plateaushaped summit, is situated next to and west of Piz Boè. Both mountains are very popular touristic destinations, a funicular from the Pordoi Pass reaches the summit of Sass Pordoi
June 2017: Sass Pordoi, near cable car station, water logged with snowmelt, wet moss cushion (46°30.218′N, 11°48.279′E, 2935 m a.s.l., Fig. 1B)
Summary
The Sella group is a massif in the Dolomites, Northern Italy. The highest elevation is Piz Boè (3152 m a.s.l., Fig. 1A) at the intersection of South Tyrol, Trentino, and Veneto The Sass Pordoi (2950 m a.s.l., Fig. 1B), a plateaushaped summit, is situated next to and west of Piz Boè. Both mountains are very popular touristic destinations, a funicular from the Pordoi Pass reaches the summit of Sass Pordoi. The isolated mountain ranges are fossil coral reefs of a Middle Triassic carbonate platform from the Raibl formation. It preserves fossils dating back to the Norian Middle Triassic subperiod during the Mesozoic Era (Reithofer 1928, Moroder 2008).
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