Arthropoda fauna of Zindan Cave (Isparta, Turkey) with notes on new records and some ecological characteristics

Abstract

The aims of the study were to investigate the Arthropoda fauna of Zindan Cave (Aksu, Isparta Province, Turkey) and to consider some ecological characteristics of the collected species such as feeding habits, cave-dwelling categories, and zone distributions in caves. Twenty-seven species of Arthropoda were determined between May 2015 and December 2016, from Zindan Cave. The species found belong to the following orders: nine to Collembola, six to Coleoptera, five to Araneae, two to Diplopoda and one to Orthoptera, Trichoptera, Diptera, Trombidiformes and Isopoda. Nine species are endemic of Turkey. Traegaardhia distosolenidia Zacharda, 2010 (Acari: Rhagidiidae) and Folsomia asiatica Martynova, 1971 (Collembola: Isotomidae) are newly recorded for the fauna of Turkey. The presence of Heteromurus sexoculatus Brown, 1926 (Collembola: Entomobryidae) in Turkey is confirmed. Twenty-four of the 27 species were from the dark zone and half of the collected species (6 troglobites and 8 troglophiles) are ecologically adapted to cave ecosystems. Species can be divided into three groups according to trophic preferences: 15 scavengers, 10 predators and two omnivores. Food habits, cave-dwelling categories, and zone distributions of collected species are discussed.