Oribatei (Acari, Cryptostigmata) are found in a variety of terrestrial habitats, and many are associated with lichens; the relationship ranges from casual to highly dependent. Eighty‐three species associated with lichens have been surveyed, and a tentative classification, based on their ecological requirements, is presented: Group A consists of species restricted to lichens as a biotope, though occasionally occurring as accidentals in other habitats; Group B consists of species which while preferring lichens as a habitat and feeding source are also adapted to existence on other plants (though in some cases their immatures may be lichen‐restricted); Group C consists of species which, though frequently found on lichens, are equally common in other biotopes, particularly mosses, and must be regarded as much more generalized in their feeding habits. Certain aspects of oribatid‐lichen specificity are discussed. The importance of oribatid‐lichen associations from the point of view of soil fertility and energetics is emphasized.
Summary
The Oribatid fauna of Kinder Scout, a 2000‐ft plateau in Derbyshire, has been investigated and a faunal list is given.
Calyptozetes sarekensis (Trägårdh, 1910), a genus and species new to the British fauna, is reported present on Kinder Scout. This is the second ‘arctic’ form found in this locality, a report on Platynothrus punctatus (L. Koch, 1879) having been given by the author in an earlier paper.
The problem of the discontinuous distribution of these forms is discussed. The ‘wind‐dispersal’ theory, as an explanation of their discontinuous distribution, is rejected on the grounds that there is insufficient evidence to support the view that Oribatci do, in fact, undergo dispersal by wind. An alternative hypothesis, that these forms represent a relict fauna of the Pleistocene Ice Age, is preferred and discussed.
A faunal list of oribatid mites collected from the summit of the Cnicht, Snowdonia, at 2265 ft is given, together with critical notes on the taxonomy and distribution of several of the species. The list provides further evidence of the presence of arctic-alpine and European-alpine species of Oribatei on the mountain peaks of Britain. A comparison of the faunal list with lists of species recorded by the author on another peak in Snowdonia and on high ground in other parts of Britain (Peak District, Lake District) and by Block in Westmorland, provides evidence of a group of additional species which can be regarded as characteristic of upland areas in general of Britain and Europe.
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