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Is the spatial distribution of lentic water mite assemblages (Acari: Hydrachnidia) governed by prey availability?

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Abstract

Predation is a biotic interaction that links water mites to different taxonomic groups of benthic invertebrates. Diptera larvae (Chironomidae) and microcrustaceans (Cladocera, Copepoda, Ostracoda) are known to be the most commonly preferred prey by water mites. Although these predatory interactions are known from observations and ex situ investigations, the distribution patterns and co-occurrence of water mites and their prey in littoral lentic habitats have been poorly studied. Our goal was to determine whether predation might serve as a significant factor in water mite assemblage composition and distribution. Samples were taken from littoral zones of 21 artificial lakes (reservoirs) in the Dinaric Western Balkan ecoregion of Croatia. At every site, 10 samples were collected with regard to shore slope in depth zones of up to 1 m. In total 490 samples were collected from April 2016 to July 2017. Data analysis showed that the spatial distribution of water mites was partially correlated with the environmental parameters we measured (explaining 45.1% of total water mite variation). A positive correlation between water mite abundance and diversity and depth gradient (favouring more stable conditions in deeper parts of the littoral zone) was also observed. Finally, water mite abundance and species richness variation were found to be best predicted by the abundance of potential prey groups. Predation was statistically determined to be a strong dispersion variable, most probably influencing both spatial distribution and composition of water mite assemblages.

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Acknowledgements

Croatian Waters are thanked for providing water physiochemical data. Mirjana Dimnjaković is gratefully acknowledged for the help provided in samplings and isolating water mites from invertebrate samples. The investigation of water mites from Dinaric reservoirs was part of the project: Development of a System for Classifying the Ecological Potential for artificial and heavily modified surface water bodies—Part 2. Reservoirs of Dinaric ecoregion (Contract class: 325-01/16-10/22 Docket No.: 374-1-2-16-8 Contract No.: 10-034/16).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Ivana Pozojević, Natalija Vučković, Valentina Dorić, Sanja Gottstein, Ivančica Ternjej & Zlatko Mihaljević

  2. Ulica 1. Maja 11, 52215, Vodnjan, Croatia

    Lara Juršić

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  1. Ivana Pozojević
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Appendices

Appendix 1

See Table 5.

Table 5 Environmental properties of 42 sampling sites on 21 reservoirs where water mites were found
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Appendix 2

See Table 6.

Table 6 Water mite fauna of 42 sampling sites on 21 reservoirs where water mites were found (Bajer 2, Lokve 2, Ponikve 1, Prološko Blato 1, Vlačine 1, Tribalj 1 and Tribalj 2 excluded)
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Appendix 3

See Fig. 5.

Fig. 5
figure 5

Scatterplots of Pearson’s correlations between water mite taxa richness and abundance of a Chironomidae, b Cladocera, c Copepoda, and d Ostracoda

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Appendix 4

See Fig. 6.

Fig. 6
figure 6

Scatterplots of Pearson’s correlations between water mite abundance and abundance of a Chironomidae, b Cladocera, c Copepoda, and d Ostracoda

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Pozojević, I., Juršić, L., Vučković, N. et al. Is the spatial distribution of lentic water mite assemblages (Acari: Hydrachnidia) governed by prey availability?. Exp Appl Acarol 77, 487–510 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-019-00362-8

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