The Pleistocene Glaciations as One of the Major Factors Having Impact on the Current Range of Occurrence and Species Diversity of Mites from the Suborder Uropodina (Acari: Mesostigmata) in Poland

Abstract

On the basis of data collected since 1961, the authors of the current article conducted an analysis of the distribution of Uropodina (Acari: Mesostigmata) species in Poland. The areas of occurrence of the species were compared with the range boundaries of the successive Pleistocene glaciations in Poland. The second aim of the study was to establish the importance of the former nunataks (paleonunataks) for the preservation of biodiversity of this group of mites in Poland. The study has revealed that there are six types of distribution of Uropodina species in the area of Poland: (i) species distributed consistently in the whole area of the country, (ii) species having their northern range of occurrence in Poland, (iii) species having their north-western range of occurrence, (iv) species having their north-eastern range of occurrence, (v) species of boreal-mountainous distribution with evident disjunction in central Poland, and (vi) Carpathian species migrating northwards along the Vistula River. The analyses of the species composition of Uropodina communities on nunataks shows that the concave nunatak in Jura Krakowsko-Czestochowska, described in the literature as the “Jurassic Inland Oasis”, turned out to be the location with the highest Uropodina diversity, whereas on the nunatak of the Ślęża Massif, which was covered by two glaciations, the Uropodina diversity was the lowest.