Abstract
Mites of the cosmopolitan family Nanorchestidae may numerically dominate soil faunas of both hot and cold deserts. The genera Nanorchestes and Speleorchestes differ in their distributions with the former more abundant in cold and the latter in hot regions. We suggest that this is related to differences in cuticular structure in the two genera. The cuticle of Nanorchestes spp. is elaborated with regularly spaced granulations which are absent from Speleorchestes spp. These granulations retain a layer of air over the body which may facilitate cuticular respiration in polar soils that are seasonally waterlogged and increase chances of survival by reducing freezing through direct contact with ice. We discuss the biology of the two genera in terms of the ecological strategies that are selected in hot and cold deserts.
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© 1988 Kluwer Academic Publishers
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Rounsevell, D.E., Greenslade, P. (1988). Cuticle structure and habitat in the Nanorchestidae (Acari: Prostigmata). In: Ferris, J.M., Burton, H.R., Johnstone, G.W., Bayly, I.A.E. (eds) Biology of the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 34. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3089-6_21
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3089-6_21
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