Water mites (Hydrachnidia) are good model organisms for the assessment and long-term monitoring of the biological impacts of natural and human-induced environmental changes in freshwater ecosystems, including those related to global climate change. However, monitoring programs using water mites as bioindicators may be impeded by difficulties associated with species identification. Here we integrate conventional morphology, DNA sequence data (using the COX1 barcoding locus) and extensive voucher photo documentation to create and validate a tool for accurate species identification of water mites in Western Siberia (including a dedicated reference climate monitoring and research site). Using this approach, we detected a total of 95 species, of which, one was a conventional new species; 14 taxa were cryptic species having large among-species COX1 K2P distances but lacking any apparent morphological differences. Our a priori species delimitation was successfully validated a posteriori. An automatic species delimitation algorithm (ASAP) identified exactly the same set of 95 species, with a species delimitation threshold of 6.1%. This result agrees with previous works suggesting a large threshold of 5.6–6.0% for water mites, but contrasts with the BOLD approach which uses a much lower threshold to identify BINs (1%). Furthermore, by comparing our identified sequences with GenBank data, we expanded known geographic ranges of several water mite species. Using extensive GenBank data on mites in Canadian waters, four species were detected to be Holarctic rather than Palaearctic as thought previously (Lebertia obscura, Limnesia undulatoides, Oxus nodigerus and Arrenurus papillator). Four species, Lebertia obscura, Torrenticola brevirostris, Hygrobates limnocrenicus and Unionicola parvipora, were recorded for the first time in Russia. We provide an annotated species checklist reporting the distribution, ecology, bioindiocation potential, and COX1 barcode sequence data along with high-resolution photographs of each DNA voucher. Future ecological and biodiversity studies will benefit from using molecular tools for accurate identification of useful mesofaunal bioindicator organisms, such as water mites.
Introduction. The article presents the results of archaeoparasitological analysis of the Phanagoria necropolis materials. Methods and materials. We studied soil samples obtained during the processing of anthropological material (sacrums) from 45 individuals. Results. The eggs of two species of intestinal parasites - human whipworm (Trichuris trichiura) and broad tapeworm (Diphyllobothrium latum) were found. Analysis. Consideration of the obtained data in the historical and cultural context has shown that similar, relatively high frequency of parasitosis caused by human whipworm is observed virtually in all investigated archaeological monuments from the Mediterranean, which are synchronic to the studied period of existence of Phanagoria. This may indicate the absence of fundamental differences in the causes of the incidence of trichuriasis between the “ancient centers” and their periphery. The absence of statistically reliable differences in the incidence of trichuriasis between epochs, and also between gender and age groups, indicate the same intensity of the factors leading to the infection of the ancient population of Phanagoria with this pathogen in all studied time periods of the city, regardless of gender and age. The same route of transmission of human worms and a number of intestinal infections also indicates the assumed high frequency of the latter. The detection of Diphillobothrium latum eggs indicates the presence of freshwater fish in the diet, which led to the assumption of a high importance of the latter for the fishery in Phanagoria. Diphillobothriasis infestation in more remote areas also cannot be ruled out, given the presence of roads and the ability to move to other river basins. Authors’ contribution. S.M. Slepchenko organized the study, conducted microscopy, processed and interpreted obtained data. Writing of the article. A.N. and O.M. Voroshilov conducted excavations, composited archaeological context, involved in interpreting the data. M.O. Filimonova performed laboratory processing of the crosses and microscopy of the material. N.G. Svirkina carried out the selection of sacrums stored in the museum of the Phanagoria Reserve.
Water mites (Hydrachnidia) are good model organisms for the assessment and long-term monitoring of the biological impacts of natural and human-induced environmental changes in freshwater ecosystems, including those related to global climate change. There are approximately 7,500 species, 485 genera and 56 families. Water mite communities can be affected by pollution and variations in temperature, dissolved oxygen level, conductivity and carbonate concentrations. Due to the complex interactions of water mites with other members of the macroinvertebrate fauna and their habitats, water mite assemblages can rapidly respond to perturbances in the interconnected ecological networks of aquatic communities, and therefore are particularly suitable for early warning systems that monitor water quality. However, monitoring programs using water mites as bioindicators may be impeded by difficulties associated with species identification. Siberia is a crucial region for biodiversity conservation and climatic research by being a major carbon sink due to the large amounts of carbon preserved in permafrost and sequestered by vast boreal forests and peatbogs, and is also a key region for climate change research. There are several reference sites in the Arctic tundra, forest and grassland areas allocated for long-term monitoring of climatically active gases, as well as assessment of the impact of climate change on animal and plant communities.
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