The armoured mite fauna (Acari: Oribatida) from a long-term study in the Scots pine forest of the Northern Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve, Latvia

Abstract

In 1992–2012, a considerable amount of soil micro-arthropods has been collected annually as a part of a project of the National Long-Term Ecological Research Network of Latvia at the Mazsalaca Scots Pine forest sites of the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve. Until now, the data on oribatid species have not been published. This paper presents a list of oribatid species collected during 21 years of ongoing research in three pine stands of different age. The faunistic records refer to 84 species (including 17 species new to the fauna of Latvia), 1 subspecies, 1 form, 5 morphospecies and 18 unidentified taxa. The most dominant and most frequent oribatid species are Oppiella (Oppiella) nova, Tectocepheus velatus velatus and Suctobelbella falcata.