A guide to Oribatid Identification for the ABMI: - Royal Alberta Museum

Almanac of Alberta Oribatida 2.3 13 January 2013Similar taxa: E. mahunkai (much smaller, bo with 4 long tines, 3 pairs aggenital plates; famuluswith large knob and short tine); E. crosbyi (larger, bo with sessile spicules; famulus withsmall knob and short tine; 2 pairs of aggenital plates)ABMI Site Records: 2007: 277, 388 (on slide with E. crosbyi), 514, 545, 599, 631 (on slide withE. crosbyi), 632, 664, 664, 664, 792, UPL4. 2008: 343, 690, 932, 975. 2009: none. 2010:ALPAC-5, ALPAC-12, OG-910-1, OG-1208-1, OG-1325-1. 2011: 608, OG-1275-1.DOC (1/2008): [+other] Distribution: NU, NT, MB, ON, QC, NF, NS; [Moose Pasture ResearchSite 8 km W Chipman, AB (53.656667, -112.759444), Narrow Lake (54°39’N, 113°37W),343 Residuals, Holarctic]Images: SEM (MP, 388); LMEcology: These mites are found in forest litter, wood, moss, bracket fungi, and muskeg grasses.Lindo (2004-2007) reported the species from western red cedar canopy in the WalbranValley of Vancouver Island. Gut boli mostly contain hyphae and spores, and some coarseorganic matter. Schneider (2005) place E. minutissimus in the secondary decomposerfeeding guild (i.e. feeding primarily on fungi and secondarily on decomposing plantmatter). Parthenogenetic (thelytokous), gravid females carry a single large egg. Cuticle withdeposited salts (whewellite – monohydrous calcium oxalate) that cause a ‘salt and pepper’appearance under a light microscope. Specimens have been found in the feathers of birds inRussia, a possible means of long distance dispersal (see Krivolutsky & Lebedeva 2004).Literature: Marshall et al. (1987); Norton & Behan-Pelletier (2007).Back to Table of Contents36