Prey abundance supporting unusual water mite (Acari: Hydrachnidia) community in a sublacustrine spring and tributary river

Pozojević, Ivana; Ternjej, Ivančica; Mihaljević, Zlatko; Gottstein, Sanja; Vučković, Natalija; Dorić, Valentina; Rumišek, Mario

doi:10.18276/ab.2018.25-06

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Many mites had high proportions and high species identity of DNA barcodes to multiple species of chironomids (see Figs 3 and 4). Recent studies using correlative data on water mite prey complexity demonstrated that copepod, cladoceran and chironomid densities correlated with water mite abundance and species richness [34,35]. However, this was based on correlation and not on direct observation of water mites feeding or DNA studies, the latter being unique to this present study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

Molecular diet studies of water mites reveal prey biodiversity

Vasquez

Mohiddin

et al. 2021

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Water mites are diverse aquatic invertebrates that provide potentially important ecosystem and economic services as bioindicators and mosquito biocontrol; however, little is known about water mite digestive physiology, including their diet in nature. Water mites, much like their spider relatives, liquefy their prey upon consumption. This results in the absence of morphologically identifiable prey in water mite mid-gut. Previous studies have reported associations in the field of water mites with presumed prey and laboratory observations of water mites feeding on specific organisms offered for ingestion; however, the present work aims to determine what water mites have ingested in nature based on molecular studies of gut contents from freshly collected organisms from the field. To elucidate water mite prey, we used next-generation sequencing to detect diverse cytochrome oxidase I DNA barcode sequences of putative prey in the guts of 54 specimens comprising two species of Lebertia and a few specimens of Arrenurus (2) and Limnesia (1). To our knowledge this is the first molecular study of the diets of water mites as they feed in nature. While the presence of chironomid DNA confirmed previous observations of midge larvae as part of the diets of Lebertia, we also found the DNA of diverse organisms in all four species of water mites, including the DNA of mosquitoes in 6 specimens of Lebertia and a large number of previously unknown prey, especially from oligochaete worms. These studies thereby reveal a greater diversity of prey and a potentially broader significance than previously appreciated for water mites in aquatic food webs. Molecular studies like this can detect water mite predators of mosquito larvae and add knowledge of water mite predatory contributions to freshwater food webs.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

Molecular diet studies of water mites reveal prey biodiversity

Vasquez

Mohiddin

et al. 2021

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In addition to the hydrological and hydrogeological research of karst springs, there are also biological studies. Most frequently, communities of water mites in the larger karst springs of Mountainous Croatia and Dalmatia have been studied (Pozojević et al, 2018a;2018b;2019;2020). These works have identified new water mite species, determined species richness and population density in selected springs, and monitored environmental factors affecting them.…”

Section: Modern Spring Research In Croatiamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These works have identified new water mite species, determined species richness and population density in selected springs, and monitored environmental factors affecting them. It is important to note that the aforementioned studies compared differences in communities between limnocrene and rheocrene karst springs (Pozojević et al, 2018a;2020).…”

Section: Modern Spring Research In Croatiamentioning

confidence: 99%

An overview of classifications and modern research of springs in the world and in Croatia

Martinić

2022

Hrv. geogr. glas.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Because of their importance, water springs have been the subject of scholarly study since the late 17th century. With the development of science in the 19th, and especially in the 20th and 21st centuries, they became the object of study of various fields and branches of science. The result of the diverse studies of springs is a rich knowledge of their properties and the development of numerous classifications. Most basic classifications were created at the beginning of the 20th century, but a need for interdisciplinary research and classification of springs has emerged in the last twenty years. Today, however, there is no internationally-accepted interdisciplinary classification or database of springs that would facilitate the comparison of researched features and the use of research data. In Croatia, water-rich karst springs, which are attractive phenomena, have been thoroughly researched and classified, while non-karst springs have been examined less. The aim of this paper is to present the development of spring classifications throughout history, to emphasize the variety of research approaches that have been used, and to present the most important modern research of springs in the world and in Croatia.

show abstract