Some Aspects of the Energetics of Soil Mites

Abstract

Numerous investigations (see Cummins & Wuycheck, 1971) have shown that calorific values for biological materials of all kinds fall within a range of about 3000–9500 cals/ g, and that there is considerable variation between the estimates for different groups of organisms. Since fatty tissue has an appreciably higher calorific value than protein or carbohydrate, it may be possible to use calorific values as an index of the nutritional state of an animal or population in the field (Slobodkin & Richman,196l). This report presents and discusses calorific data for seven common species of soil mite of a beech forest floor, namely Damaeus onustus, Steganacarus magnus, Platynothrus peltifer, Hermannia scabra (Cryptostigmata), Pergdmdsus sp., Parasitus sp. and a species of Macrochelidae (Mesostigmata).