Knowledge of the oribatid mite community from Patagonian steppe is scarce compared with other environments, such as the Andean-Patagonian forest. In the present research we identified oribatid mites under different environmental conditions: two Patagonian steppe types (grass and shrub), two soil characteristics (bare and covered soil) and two different seasons (autumn and spring). A total of 42 species/morphospecies were found, 13 were new records for Chubut and one was a new record for Argentina. In view of its ecological role in soil formation, it is fundamental that knowledge about this fauna is enhanced in order to provide baselines for study and to aid further understanding about its ecology.
The lenga forests (Nothofagus pumilio) are the main native forest resource of the Andean Patagonian region. The aim of this research is to inform the species of oribatid mites, and new records, associated to the decomposition process of the lenga wood. Samples of soil and decayed wood were taken under a test of the decomposition process. Twenty-one genera and 26 species of oribatid mites were registered; two of them are new records for Chubut province. KEYWORDS. Lenga. New records. Soil. RESUMEN. Los bosques de lenga (Nothofagus pumilio) constituyen el principal recurso forestal nativo de la región andino-patagónica. El objetivo principal es informar las especies de ácaros oribátidos, y los nuevos registros, asociadas al proceso de descomposición de la madera de lenga. Se tomaron muestras de suelo bajo un ensayo de descomposición de madera y muestras de la madera misma. Se contabilizaron 21 géneros y 26 especies de ácaros oribátidos, dos de ellas son nuevos registros para la provincia de Chubut.
Varroa destructor is a parasitic mite, which is considered a severe pest for honey bees causing serious losses to beekeeping. Residual hydrolats from steam extraction of hop essential oils, generally considered as a waste product, were tested for their potential use as acaricides on V. destructor. Four hop varieties, namely Cascade, Spalt, Victoria, and Mapuche, showed an interesting performance as feasible products to be used in the beekeeping industry. Some volatile oxidized terpenoids were found in the hydrolats, mainly β-caryophyllene oxide, β-linalool, and isogeraniol. These compounds, together with the presence of polyphenols, flavonoids, and saponins, were probably responsible for the promissory LC50 values obtained for mites after hydrolat exposition. Victoria hydrolat was the most toxic for mites (LC50: 16.1 µL/mL), followed by Mapuche (LC50 value equal to 30.1 µL/mL), Spalt (LC50 value equal to 114.3 µL/mL), and finally Cascade (LC50: 117.9 µL/mL). Likewise, Spalt had the highest larval survival, followed by Victoria and Mapuche. Cascade was the variety with the highest larval mortality. In addition, none of the extracts showed mortality higher than 20% in adult bees. The Victoria hydrolat presented the best results, which makes it a good compound with the prospect of an acaricide treatment against V. destructor.
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