Acarina 25 (2): 181–189 © Acarina 2017

FIRST DATA ON AQUATIC MITES (ACARI) OF INLAND WATER BODIES OF WEST SPITSBERGEN, SVALBARD Elena S. Chertoprud1,2, Olga L. Makarova2* and Anna A. Novichkova1,2

1Lomonosov Moscow State University, Biological Faculty, Moscow, Russia 2Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia *corresponding author; e-mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT: This paper presents the first results of a study on the aquatic mites (Acari) from the inland water bodies of West Spitsbergen, Svalbard. Six mite species have been found: namely, the oribatids Camisia foveolata Hammer, 1955 and Ameronothrus lineatus (Thorell, 1871); the gamasid mite Halolaelaps sp.; as well as the halacarids Halacarellus sp., Isobactrus levis (Viets, 1927) and Rhombognathides spinipes (Viets, 1933). The latter two species are new to the fauna of Svalbard. No true freshwater mites (Hydrachnidia) have been identified. A preliminary comparison of the inland aquatic acarofauna of Svalbard with the fauna of other Arctic regions has been conducted. The entire halacarid mite fauna of Svalbard (13 species), including both inland water species and true marine ones from the surrounding seas, can be characterized as rather regionally specialized and mainly cryophilic.

KEY WORDS: , Oribatida, Mesostigmata, new records, geographical range, High Arctic, amphibious species, eury- haline species, freshwater species.

DOI: 10.21684/0132-8077-2017-25-2-181-189

INTRODUCTION Aquatic mites of the inland waters in the Arctic mate (Coulson 2007; Coulson et al. 2014). How- are still poorly known. They belong to two taxo- ever, the faunas of temporary pools, ditches, spring nomically remote groups of the suborder Prostig- mosses and wetlands are insufficiently explored. mata, order , i.e. the “true” fresh- Thus, the latest catalogues of terrestrial and fresh- water mites Hydrachnidia (cohort Parasitengonina) water invertebrates of Svalbard make no mention and the mostly marine mites of the family Halac- of water mites being present in the main part of the aridae (cohort Eupodina). Parasitic larvae of Hy- archipelago (Coulson and Refseth 2004; Coulson drachnidia feed on and are dispersed by insects, 2012). The same concerns the recent review of while deutonymphs and adult mites are predators. biodiversity of the Barents Sea archipelagoes Most of the species of Halacaridae populate sea (Coulson et al. 2014), although some data on the bottom habitats. Whereas freshwater forms are presence of brackish and freshwater mite species rather rare, euryhaline species are numerous. The in West Spitsbergen have been published (Bartsch family Halacaridae includes both phytophagous 1978, 2009). Bear Island, which is officially con- (mostly algophagous) and predatory forms (Bartsch sidered part of the Svalbard Archipelago, is known 1989, 2008). Although a significant amount of data to support one hydrachnid species (references in on freshwater mites of the Low Arctic is available Coulson and Refseth 2004). (Viets 1928; Sokolov 1952; Habeeb 1957; Bartsch The objective of the present study is, therefore, 1978, 2011; Semenchenko et al. 2010; Gerecke to fill the aforementioned lacuna. For the first time, 2015), information on the faunas of the High Arc- we have focused on aquatic mites that inhabit vari- tic areas is scarce (Bartsch 1978; Danks 1981; ous types of inland waters of Svalbard. This group Gerecke 2015). often constitutes an important part of the species The Svalbard Archipelago is an internationally richness and abundance of in temporary valuable and sensitive High Arctic area with a and perennial freshwater, as well as brackish water considerable amount of various water bodies. bodies (Mokievsky 2009). Freshwater and brackish habitats—such as springs, rivers, lakes, ponds, and lagoons—are numerous, MATERIAL AND METHODS covering about 2% of the total land area (Hisdal Svalbard is composed of a group of islands, 1998). Most of the water bodies on the arctic islands including West Spitzbergen (or Spitsbergen in Rus- are small, shallow (Janiec 1996), and can freeze sian toponymy), which is the largest and the only solid in the winter (Pienitz et al. 2008). During the permanently populated body of land on the archi- summer, there is an extensive development of pelago. The survey was performed in the central and micro-invertebrates whose diversity responds to western parts of West Spitsbergen in 2014–2015 the environmental variables controlled by the cli- (Fig. 1).

181 E.S. Chertoprud, O.L. Makarova and A.A. Novichkova

Fig. 1. Sampling localities on West Spitsbergen, Svalbard, in 2014 and 2015.

Climate. Svalbard lies within an area of interac- gushin and Osipova 1989). Most of them freeze to tion of the warm North Atlantic Current and the the bottom in winter (Pienitz et al. 2008). More- cold, ice-covered Arctic Ocean in the zone of a over, there are lots of coastal lake-like lagoons stable west-east transport of air masses (Dolgushin along the seashore (Coulson et al. 2014). and Osipova 1989). The rate of annual precipitation Study sites. Samples were taken between Au- on the west coast of Spitzbergen averages 500 mm gust 18th and 24th, 2014 in the Isfjorden area alone, (COAT). Positive air temperatures are usually ob- as well as between August 17th and 22nd, 2015 both served for four months a year. The average tem- in the Isfjorden area and near the Ny-Ålesund Vil- perature in the warmest months, July and August, lage (Kongsfjorden area). Sampling was con- is 4–6 °С. In winter, the mean monthly temperatures ducted in different parts around Isfjorden [Long- rarely rise above −12 to −16 °С, even on the west yearbyen (4 mixed samples), Aldegondabreen (21), coast, which faces the warm waters of the West Grønfjordbreen (11), Randvika (13), Barentsburg Spitsbergen Current (Nordli 2005). (2), Ymerbukta (4), Pyramiden (6), Kapp Napier Inland water bodies. Rivers in Svalbard feed (6), Diabassoden (2)] and Kongsfjorden [Ny- on melting snow or glacial ice and usually originate Ålesund (12) and Gåsebu (6)]. Altogether, 11 on glaciers’ edges (Pechurov 1983). The hydro- sampling localities were visited and 87 samples logical activity is characterized by considerable were taken from water bodies of various size and seasonal and daily flow fluctuations. The water in depth. the rivers is very cold, with the summer tempera- According to the size, sampling sites were catego- tures of only a few degrees above zero. The rivers rized into four classes: puddles (area < 0.01 ha)—28 freeze solid in the winter and sometimes dry up sampling sites; small ponds (from 0.01 to 0.1 ha)—19 during autumn. sampling sites; large ponds (from 0.1 to 1.0 ha)—18 There are relatively few large lakes in Svalbard, sampling sites; lakes (more than 1 ha)—17 sampling with the maximum linear size of more than 10 km sites. In this survey, six oligo- or mesohaline lagoons (Hisdal 1998). However, there are numerous small were also studied, as well as the coastal zone of two shallow lakes (ponds) and puddles, with mostly large lakes: Linné Lake (surface area 4.6 km2) and stony bottoms, bounded with permafrost (Dol- Bretjørna Lake (surface area 1.3 km2).

182 Aquatic mites of inland water bodies of West Spitsbergen

Aquatic mites were found only in six samples, Sokolov (1952), Blaszak and Ehrnsberger (1998), whose general characteristics are presented in Weigmann (2006), Bartsch (2006a, b) and Ma- Table 1. Half of the samples were taken from the karova (2015a). The slides with mounted mite brackish puddles along the seashore, and the others specimens of all recovered species, as well as the were related to freshwater puddles on moraines in main part of the material on oribatid Camisia fo- glacier areas. veolata Hammer, 1955 (58 specimens in 96% al- Sampling and species identification.Samples cohol) have been deposited in the Natural History were obtained from the shores of the water bodies. Museum, University of Oslo, Sars Gate 1, NO-0562 Three substrate portions were taken for each mixed Oslo, Norway. sample. Meiobenthic samples were taken with a plastic tube (2 cm in diameter). A column of the RESULTS upper sediment layer (3–4 cm) was pushed out from A total of six species of Acari were found in the tube with a plunger and preserved with 96% the present survey (Table 2), namely, two oribatid ethanol. Thus, sampling of aquatic mites was per- species, one gamasid and three prostigmatic mite formed together with other groups of meiobenthos species. The latter trio belongs to the mainly marine (Copepoda, Cladocera, Tardigrada and Nematoda). family Halacaridae. Two halacarid species are new In addition, samples of zooplankton were taken to the Svalbard fauna. No true freshwater mites using a net (100 mm in diameter, 50 µm in mesh (Hydrachnidia) have been identified in the water size). However, mites in the net сatches were to- bodies of Svalbard. tally absent. Most mite species were observed in a single As for the primal sample treatment, the sedi- water body (i.e., one species per water body), and ment patterns were washed with filtered fresh were represented only by a few specimens. This is water through a gauze net with a 50 µm mesh. The very distinct from the situation with meiobenthic arthropods were out of the residual matter in Bo- crustaceans in the same material. The latter were gorov’s counting chambers under a stereo micro- recorded in 94% of the samples numbering more scope with 32х magnification. Iodine alcohol sol- than 5,000 specimens in total. vent coloring was used in order to recognize the organisms more easily. DISCUSSION The mites were mounted on permanent slides using Hoyer’s medium. Their identification was The fauna of aquatic mites in the European conducted with light microscopy at 200–400х mag- sector of the Arctic (Viets 1928; Sokolov 1952; nifications. The following handbooks were used: Bartsch 1978, 2009) and Greenland (Gerecke 2015)

Table 1 Characteristics of the samples from Spitsbergen where aquatic mites were found

Samples Type Salinity, Average Locality Date pH Eh, μS Temp, oC Coordinates No. of water body permille depth (m) small pond 78.9159 N; 79 Nu-Ålesund 19.08.15 7.07 ˃10,000 6.0 >10 0.7 (lagoon) 11.9772 E small pond 78.9235 N; 80 Nu-Ålesund 19.08.15 6.23 ˃10,000 6.8 >10 0.4 (lagoon) 11.9537 E 77.9561 N; 84 Grønfjordbreen puddle 21.08.15 8.19 272 7.5 0 0.5 14.2595 E 77.9560 N; 85 Grønfjordbreen puddle 21.08.15 8.34 265 7.8 0 0.5 14.2595 E >10 77.9637 N; 93 Grønfjordbreen puddle 21.08.15 9.34 861 11.5 (close to 0.3 14.2606 E bottom) 78.0012 N; 98 Aldegondabreen small pond 22.08.15 8.67 487 8.8 0 0.2 14.1710 E

183 E.S. Chertoprud, O.L. Makarova and A.A. Novichkova has long been under study, but our research dem- 2003 and references therein). In Iceland, this onstrates that new findings are still emerging. Most species was recorded in a lake (Lindegaard, of the found species, including halacarids, are very 1992). Members of the oribatid genus Camisia scarce. Their overall rate of occurrence is repre- are mainly typical soil or litter dwellers. Yet sented only by a few specimens, which amount to Camisia foveolata has also been recorded in moss 7%. Perhaps, this is because they have never been in spring (Colloff 1993). recorded in the Canadian High Arctic (Danks 1981; No representatives of the large water mite Bartsch 2011). group, Hydrachnidia, Parasitengonina, have been found. As a result, together with two euryhaline Taxonomic structure of Svalbard’s halacarid species, Halacarellus subcrispus non-marine water acarofauna Bartsch, 1978 and H. subterraneus Schulz, 1933, Only half of the mite species registered— the combined brackish and freshwater acaro- those beloning to the marine family Halacari- fauna of the archipelago presently amounts to no dae—are really water . The oribatid mite less than seven species: four halacarids, two Ameronothrus lineatus, as well as the members oribatids, and one gamasid mite. Both of the of the gamasid mite subgenus Halolaelaps euryhaline halacarid species mentioned above, (Halogamasellus) are usually littoral dwellers which have been recorded in Svalbard by Bartsch (Blaszak and Ehrnsberger 1995; Weigmann 2006; (1978), inhabit not only the tidal zone (Bartsch Makarova 2013, 2015b), although Ameronothrus 1978), but also almost fresh brackish water bod- lineatus can penetrate deep inland into the Arctic ies and the near-shore fresh groundwaters (Bartsch to populate various tundra habitats (Søvik et al. 2009).

Table 2 Mite species found in Svalbard water bodies during 2014 and 2015. New records are marked with asterisk (*)

Order, suborder/ Family Species Number, stage No. of samples cohort

Mesostigmata, 2 deutonymphs 79 Halolaelapidae Halolaelaps (Halogamasellus) sp. Gamasina 1 deutonymph 80 Rhombognathides spinipes 4 females 93 (Viets, 1933)* Trombidiformes, Halacaridae Eupodina Isobactrus levis (Viets, 1927)* 1 female 93 Halacarellus sp. 1 protonymph 93

11 females, 5 tritonymphs, 3 deutonymphs, 84 3 protonymphs, 2 larvae

Crotoniidae Camisia foveolata Hammer, 1955 16 females, Sarcoptiformes, 12 tritonymphs, Oribatida 5 deutonymphs, 85 3 protonymphs, 1 larva

1 tritonymph 98

1 female, Ameronothridae Ameronothrus lineatus (Thorell, 1871) 93 3 larvae

184 Aquatic mites of inland water bodies of West Spitsbergen

Characteristics of the mite species the northern Holarctic, but is also known in Cali- The predatory gamasid mite, Halolaelaps fornia (Søvik 2004 and references therein). On Svalbard, the aforementioned mite can be found in (Halogamasellus) sp., possibly is a species new to the soil up to 0.5 km off the seashore in tundra science. In the seaside areas of Svalbard, two species habitats (Søvik et al. 2003 and references therein). of this predatory subgenus are known: the littoral This mostly algophagous mite* has been considered North Atlantic H. (H.) gerlachi Hirschmann, 1966 non-aquatic, meaning it is only tolerant to submer- (Makarova 2015b) and a yet undescribed species gence in water, but is not active when submerged associated with seabird colonies (Makarova 2013). (Schatz and Behan-Pelletier 2008). It is interesting The specimens from our survey could be linked to to note that once it has been recorded from a lake neither of the two, being represented solely by at a 10-m depth (Lindegaard 1992). Pfingstl (2017) nymphs. The sporadic specimens of Halolaelaps reckoned A. lineatus among transition species, i.e., (H.) sp. were found in two brackish lagoons near occurring in the littoral and terrestrial areas. Its Ny-Ålesund (samples 79 and 80). development on Svalbard takes five years (one The predatory halacarid mite, Halacarellus sp., moult per year) and its reproductive output is low, was represented only by the nymphal stage. Two ca 20 larvae (Søvik and Leinaas 2003; Søvik 2004). euryhaline species of this genus have been recorded In our samples, A. lineatus has been recovered from in Svalbard: H. subcrispus Bartsch, 1978, known one brackish puddle along the seashore in the from mainland Norway, Svalbard, and Greenland; Grønfjordbreen glacier area (sample 93). and the clearly psammobiontic H. subterraneus The comminuting microbio-detritivorous (after Schulz, 1933, known from the North Atlantic, the Walter and Proctor 2013) oribatid mite, Camisia Baltic, Svalbard, the Mediterranean, and the Black foveolata Hammer, 1955, is rather common in the Seas (Bartsch 2009). Another, a yet unidentified Arctic soils, being mostly arctoboreal in distribu- member of the genus has been recorded on a Spits- tion (Colloff 1993; Subias 2004; our new data). It bergen sandy beach (Bartsch 1978). Most species usually inhabits the litter and moss carpets, but is of Halacarellus are marine (Bartsch 2008). In our also known to inhabit moss that grows in streams Svalbard samples, one protonymph of Halacarellus (Colloff 1993). Many species of the superfamily sp. was found in a brackish puddle in the Grønfjord- Crotonoidea are amphibious or aquatic (Behan- breen glacier area (sample 93). Pelletier and Eamer 2007 and references therein). The phytophagous halacarid mite, Isobactrus One amphibious member of the Crotoniidae levis (Viets, 1927), inhabits the eastern and western proper, Platynothrus peltifer (C.L. Koch, 1839), is North Atlantic, the Baltic, Novaya Zemlya (Bartsch known to be a common benthic dweller in montane 2009), and the Karelian coast of the White Sea springs (Schatz and Gerecke 1996). One cannot (Krivolutsky and Antsiferova 2008). It has been exclude the possibility that the numerous specimens found on tidal algae, in brackish to marine habitats of Camisia foveolata in our material were sub- (Sokolov 1952; Bartsch 2009). In our Svalbard merged in a small temporal puddles formed by material, I. levis was recorded in a brackish puddle quick snow/ice thawing. We recorded them on a in the Grønfjordbreen glacier area (sample 93). moraine in the Grønfjordbreen and in Aldegondab- The phytophagous halacarid mite, Rhombog- reen glaciers’ areas (samples 84, 85 and 98; all from nathides spinipes (Viets, 1933), has been recorded freshwater puddles). in the eastern North Atlantic, the Baltic, Novaya Zemlya (Bartsch 2009), and the Karelian coast of the White Sea (Krivolutsky and Antsiferova 2008; Geographical analysis of the Svalbard fauna of Halacaridae sub Rhombognathus aculeatus Sokolov, 1952). It has been found in the upper and mid-tidal zones, Most of the mite species found are representa- in a freshwater lake, and is possibly also common tives of the generally marine family Halacaridae. in saltmarsh areas (Sokolov 1952; Bartsch 2009). It is rather hard to discuss the similarities between In our samples, R. spinipes was recorded in a brack- ish puddle in the Grønfjordbreen glacier area * There are no particular data on their diet in natural (sample 93). conditions, but A. lineatus was found in pure Entero- The oribatid mite, Ameronothrus lineatus morpha and cyanobacteria overgrowths (Søvik 2004). (Thorell 1871), is common on Svalbard. This spe- It can consume unicellular phycobionts of lichens and cies possesses a mainly arctoboreal distribution in the laboratory it fed upon green and red algae, yeast, pattern, inhabiting the marine littoral throughout ascomycete fungi, cyanobacteria (Schulte 1976).

185 E.S. Chertoprud, O.L. Makarova and A.A. Novichkova different insular halacarid faunas in the Arctic water bodies. All available lists (without individu- because they often include either strictly marine al records though) of euryhaline or freshwater (subtidal, bathyal) species; euryhaline species (i.e., members of the family in the Arctic are presented species that occur in shallow sea water, littoral in Table 3. Of the 12 species found, 10 species have habitats, nearshore fresh groundwaters, brackish been recorded in two regions. This observation and fresh water bodies); or freshwater inhabitants. seems to question any existing patterns in this spe- Even though the list of littoral, brackish, and cies set. Yet, it is easy to see that truly freshwater freshwater mite species of the archipelago totals nine species show vast geographical distributions (Hol- halacarid species, they have been omitted from the arctic or cosmopolitan). latest catalogues of the terrestrial and freshwater At present, the list of halacarids found in the invertebrate fauna of Svalbard (Coulson and Refseth marine, tidal and inland habitats of Svalbard totals 2004; Coulson 2007; Coulson 2012), as well as from 13 species: Bradyagaue alberti (Trouessart, 1902); the recent review of its diversity on the Barents Sea Copidognathus poucheti (Trouessart, 1893); C. archipelagoes (Coulson et al. 2014). These nine reticulatus (Trouessart, 1893); C. richardi (Troues- species include four non-marine species (Table 3), sart, 1902); Halacarellus subcrispus Bartsch, 1978; as well as the marine littoral Bradyagaue alberti H. subterraneus Schulz, 1933; Halacarellus sp., (Trouessart, 1902), Copidognathus richardi (Troues- Halacarus borealis Trouessart, 1893; Thalassar- sart, 1902), Copidognathus reticulatus (Trouessart, achna coeca (Trouessart, 1902); T. princeps 1893), Rhombognathus subtilis Bartsch, 1975, and (Trouessart, 1902); Isobactrus levis (Viets, 1927); Halacarellus sp. (Bartsch 1978, 2009). Rhombognathides spinipes (Viets, 1933); Rhom- Nonetheless, some published information ex- bognathus subtilis Bartsch, 1975 (Trouessart 1893; ists concerning the halacarids in the Arctic inland Bartsch 1978, 2009; our data).

Table 3 Euryhaline and freshwater species of the family Halacaridae found in the Arctic regions (after Viets 1928; Sokolov 1952; Bartsch 1978, 2009, 2011; Gerecke 2015; new data)

Island/archipelago/region Prefe- Species Novaya Area Svalbard Greenland Quebec* Iceland rence Zemlya Rhombognathides seahami (Hodge, 1860) + + E NA, A Rhombognathus notops (Gosse, 1855) +? +? E eNA, A Halacarellus subcrispus Bartsch, 1978 + + E NA, A Halacarellus balticus (Lohmann, 1889) + E NA, A Porolohmannella violacea (Kramer 1879) + + F H, Pz Soldanellonyx chappuisi Walter, 1917 + + F H, Pz Isobactrus levis (Viets, 1927) + +** E NA, A Rhombognathides spinipes (Viets, 1933) + +** E NA, A Halacarellus subterraneus Schulz, 1933 + E NA, A, M Lobohalacarus weberi + + F С, Pz (Romijn and Viets, 1924) Porohalacarus alpinus (Thor, 1910) + + F С, Pz Soldanellonyx monardi Walter, 1919 + + F С, Pz Notes. *—Lake Matamec, eastern Quebec, forested tundra district; **—new data. Preference—E, euryhaline; F, freshwater. Codes of areas: euryhaline species—eNA, eastern North Atlantic; NA, North Atlantic; A, Arctic; M, Mediterranean; freshwater species—H, Holarctic; C, cosmopolitan; Pz, polyzonal. ?—record requires con- firmation (Bartsch 2009).

186 Aquatic mites of inland water bodies of West Spitsbergen

This list includes four exclusively marine spe- and on Baffin Island (Habeeb 1957). At the border cies (C. poucheti, H. borealis, T. coeca, T. prin- with the taiga zone, in a lake within the Bolsheze- ceps). Another four species live both in marine and melskaya Tundra, up to 24 hydrachnid species have littoral habitats (B. alberti, C. reticulatus, C. rich- been registered (Tsember 1972). Larval stages of ardi, R. subtilis). The remaining four species (H. most of these mites parasitize water insects, mainly subcrispus, H. subterraneus, I. levis, R. spinipes) dipterans (Smith and Oliver 1986). Since their spe- are euryhaline, found among other habitats in cies number increases sharply southward along the brackish and fresh waters as well (Trouessart 1893; latitudinal gradient (Danks 1990), it is possible that Sokolov 1952; Bartsch 2009). Presently, we have the diversity is warmth-dependent and that the no information on the ecology of Halacarellus sp. warming effect enhances the dispersion of hydrach- Among these 13 species, B. alberti, T. coeca and nids both directly and indirectly. T. princeps were only found near the Svalbard coast. Seven other species are restricted in their distribution CONCLUSIONS to the North Atlantic (C. poucheti, C. reticulatus, R. (1) At the bottom of fresh and brackish water subtilis, H. borealis and H. subcrispus) or inhabit bodies of Svalbard, six mite species were found the North Atlantic, the Baltic, and the White Seas (I. during this survey, namely, the oribatids Camisia levis, R. spinipes). Only two species appear to be foveolata and Ameronothrus lineatus, the gamasid eurythermic: C. richardi, which dwell in the eastern mite Halolaelaps sp., and the halacarids Halacarel- North Atlantic and the Azores; and H. subterraneus, lus sp., Isobactrus levis and Rhombognathides known from the eastern and western North Atlantic, spinipes. Two species of Halacaridae, I. levis and the Baltic, the Mediterranean, and the Black Seas R. spinipes, are new to the Svalbard fauna. (Bartsch 2009). Hence, in general, the halacarid mite (2) In general, the currently known halacarid fauna of the Svalbard region can be described as mite fauna of the Svalbard area, including euryha- rather specialized and mainly cryophilic. The non- line and marine species, is rather specialized re- swimming halacarid mites have very limited disper- gionally, being mainly cryophilic. This can prob- sion and reproductive capacities (Bartsch 1989, ably be explained by a rather low exploration 2008). Nevertheless, we may attribute this conclu- level of the High Arctic fauna. sion to our still insufficient knowledge. (3) No members of truly freshwater mites (Hydrachnidia) have been identified in such High On the absence of true freshwater mites Arctic area as West Spitsbergen, Svalbard. (Hydrachnidia) from Svalbard No members of “true” freshwater mites, the rela- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS tively easily visible Hydrachnidia, were found in such The expedition to Svalbard was supported by High Arctic areas as the main part of Svalbard, No- the Research Council of Norway (projects FRE- vaya Zemlya, and Franz Josef Land. Their distribution MONEC, BRANTA DULCIS) and the Norwegian is possibly limited by the heat supply. At the same Institute for Nature Research (NINA). The sampling, time, Sperchon brevirostis Koenike, 1895 (Sperchon- the laboratory work with the collected samples, and tidae) is known for sure to occur on Bear Island, the the definition of the objectives were all supported southern enclave of the Svalbard Archipelago (refer- ences in Coulson and Refseth 2004)*. In the Cana- by the Program “Scientific bases for the creation of dian High Arctic, individual hydrachnid members a national depository bank of living systems” of the have regularly been registered. Thus, only one species Russian Science Foundation, project No. 14-50- inhabits either Ellesmere or Devon Islands (neither 00029. The study on the and biogeogra- identified; references in Danks 1981), as well as the phy of Acari was financially supported by the Rus- northernmost Greenland [Lebertia porosa (Thor, sian Foundation for Basic Research, project No. 1900)]. It is interesting to note that further to the south, 17-04-01603. The valuable help of S.I. Golovatch in Greenland, a total of five hydrachnid species have in improving the English text is highly appreciated. been recorded (Gerecke 2015). No less than four Our Norwegian colleagues, B. Walseng and I. Di- hydrachnid species live in the Low Arctic landscapes mante-Deimantovica, provided us with valuable of the Lena River Delta (Semenchenko et al. 2010) comments on an early manuscript draft. K.V. Ma- karov assisted with the prepartion of the map of the * This species, widespread in the western Palaeartcic, is collecting localities on Svalbard. We are most grate- also known from northeastern Greenland (Lettevall 1962). ful to all those bodies and colleagues.

187 E.S. Chertoprud, O.L. Makarova and A.A. Novichkova

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