![Sample our Environment & Sustainability journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5935/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Environment-Sustainability.jpg"})
Abstract
The current study concerns phoresy in uropodid mites on centipedes. Research was conducted for eight months (April–November 2006) in three habitat types, each exposed to different degrees of anthropogenic impact. The centipedes were collected monthly from all accessible microhabitats across the areas studied. We collected a total of 733 lithobiomorph centipedes representing three species. We found 43.8% of these individuals transported a total of 3376 specimens representing one Uropodina superfamily, i.e. phoretic deutonymphs of Oodinychus ovalis (CL Koch, 1839) (18%) and Uroobovella pulchella (Berlese, 1904) (82%). Mites were found on nearly all (99%) studied individuals of Lithobius forficatus (Linnaeus, 1758). The number of deutonymphs on one centipede varied from 1 to 273 specimens. The dynamics of phoresy was different for both uropodid species and each of the studied areas. The two most important factors affecting phoresy of mites on centipedes were the type of a tree stand (presence of particular tree species and probably also afforestation density), and deadwood availability. The degree of anthropogenic impact seems to influence the intensity of carrier infestation. We observed that most of the phoretic deutonymphs were attached to the anterior and middle segments of the carrier’s body.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank to Halina Petrykowska for her help with material collection. We are also very grateful to Jonatan D. Ablett (Natural History Museum, London) for his help with preparation this manuscript in English language.