Sustainable use, protection of world and forest 180 management in the context of climate change

distribution of Arrhopalitidae species (Collembola: ) in the Republic of Moldova

Robert S. Vargovitsh1, Galina Busmachiu2 1Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine. E-mail: [email protected] 2Institute of Zoology, Academy of Sciences of Moldova, Chişinau. E-mail: [email protected]

The first three species of Arrhopalitidae such as caecus (Tullberg, 1871), Pygmarrhoplaites pygmaeus (Wankel, 1860) and P. secundarius (Gisin, 1958) were cited from the Republic of Moldova by Buşmachiu, 2010. The new investigation concerning the fauna of Arrhopalitidae collected from eigh- teen localities from the Republic of Moldova show that the family Arrhoplaitidae are represented by two genera and four species each: Arrhopalites with Arrhopalites sp. gr. diversus, A. caecus, A. prutensis Vargovitsh & Busmachiu, 2015, A. ulehlovae Rusek, 1970 and with Pygmarrhoplaites ornatus (Stach, 1945), P. pygmae- us, P. secundarius and P. terricola (Gisin, 1958). Arrhopalitidae were collected mainly in humid habitats like floodplain forest, banks of rivers Prut, Dniester and Răut, shore of Lake Ghidighici and in the soil, litter and de- caying woods of the deciduous forest near Donici locality and two scientific reserves: Codrii and Plaiul Fagului. A total number of sampled Arrhopalitidae includes 120 speci- mens belonging to eight species with peculiar distribution in the studied habitats. A. prutensis Vargovitsh, Busmachiu, 2015 and A. ulehlovae Rusek, 1970 were re- corded on the bank of Prut River only, while Pygmarrhoplaites ornatus (Stach, 1945), Pygmarrhoplaites pygmaeus (Wankel, 1860) and P. secundarius (Gisin, 1958) on the bank of Dniester River only. Several species as Arrhopalites caecus (Tullberg, 1871), Arrhopalites sp. gr. diversus, Pygmarrhoplaites pygmaeus (Wankel, 1860) and P. terricola (Gisin, 1958) were revealed in the soil and decaying stump of the scientific reserves Codrii and Plaiul Fagului. Two species Arrhopalites caecus (Tullberg, 1871) and P. terricola (Gisin, 1958) were common in the most part of studied habitats. The results encouraged us to expand the research over other cities and we expect to raise the list of Moldovian Arrhopalitidae. New collected material includes 15 speci- mens from 5 localities, three of them: Unguri (natural deciduous forest), Varnița (bank of Dniester River) and Condrița (decaying stump from the natural deciduous forest) were not studied before.