Content area

Abstract

The population dynamics of the three intertidal oribatid species, Alismobates inexpectatus, Fortuynia atlantica and Carinozetes bermudensis, have been studied on the archipelago of Bermuda over the course of a year. All three species are univoltine, showing a clear seasonal demographic pattern, with reproduction from spring to late autumn and a complete standstill of egg production in winter. A seasonal shift in sex ratio could also be observed in all three species and is supposed to be based on sex-dependent mortality. The subtropical climate of Bermuda allows longer reproductive periods than shown in other intertidal or edaphic temperate species and temperature is supposed to be the main factor influencing the demography of these intertidal dwelling mites. Although all three Bermudian species exhibit the same basic seasonal demographic pattern, there are slight temporal shifts in population dynamics, presumably caused by local microclimatic differences among the populations. Larviparity, shown in other littoral oribatid mites, is clearly absent in the present species.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Details

Title
Population dynamics of intertidal oribatid mites (Acari: Cryptostigmata) from the subtropical archipelago of Bermuda
Author
Pfingstl, Tobias
Pages
161-72
Publication year
2013
Publication date
Oct 2013
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
ISSN
01688162
e-ISSN
15729702
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
1434119469
Copyright
Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013