SPECIES LIST AND HABITAT PREFERENCE OF MESOSTIGMATA MITES (ACARI, PARASITIFORMES) IN LATVIA

This paper provides a review of the Mesostigmata mite material collected from 1992 up to 2009 in Latvia in a wide range of habitats: dead wood, Aphyllophorales fungi, forests, meadows, dune habitats, agricultural habitats, bogs, epiphytic mosses, and mites associated with Insecta and Vertebrata. A list of 368 Mesostigmata species of 27 families in Latvia with occurrence in different habitats is provided, which can be used as a future reference. According to occurrence among the habitats, the species are classified as generalist species, habitat specialist species or other species. About half of the species recorded were found to be specialist for a given habitat type. The highest proportion of habitat specialist species was found associated with the Vertebrata habitat. In total 39 species were recorded as generalist species; of them two (Parasitus kraepelini and Eviphis ostrinus) were recorded in 8 of the 10 habitat types. The highest number of generalist species was recorded in the Parasitidae (11 species), Aceosejidae (7 species) and Laelaptidae (5 species). Variation of the numbers of habitat specialist species within families among respective habitats was observed. Rhodacaridae and Laelaptidae had high number of specialist species in some habitat types. In total 32 rare species were recorded.