SEPTEMBER1999 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 257 --AND --'. 1993. The function of aggressive ORIANS,G.H. 1961. The ecology of blackbird (Agelaius) chasesby breeding Black and Red Kites Milvus mi- socialsystem. Ecol. Monog• 31:285-312. gransand M. milvusduring the post-fledgingdepen- --. 1969. On the evolution of mating systemsin birds denceperiod. Ibis 135:139-147. and mammals. Am. Nat. 103:589-603. CRAMP, S. AND K.E.L. SIMMONS. 1980. Handbook of the ROGERS, P.M. AND K. MYERS. 1980. Animal distribution, birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. lanscapeclassification and wildlife management,Coto Vol. II. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, U.K. de Dofiana, Spain.J. Appl.Ecol. 17:545-565. DAVIES,P.W. •ND P.E. DAVIS.1973. The ecologyand con- SIMMONS, R.E., R.E. SMITH AND R.B. MACWHIRTER. 1986. servation of the Red Kite in Wales. Br. Birds 66:183- Hierachies among Northern Harriers (Circuscyaneus) 224. haremsand the costof polygyny.J. Anim.Ecol. 55:755- 771. FAABORG,J. ANDJ.C. BEDNARZ.1990. 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The influence of hab- Lammergeiers ( Gypaetusbarbatus). Biol. Conserv.53: itat on mating systemof North American passerlne 163-171. birds. Ecology47:143-147. HIRALDO,F.,jj. NEGROANDJ.A. DON•ZAR. 1991. Aborted WEATHERHEAD,PJ. ANDRJ. ROBERTSON.1979. Offspring polygynyin the LesserKestrel Falco naumanni (Aves, qualityand the polygynythreshold: "the sexyson hy- Falconidae). Ethology 89:253-257. pothesis". Am. Nat. 113:201-208. NEWTON,I. 1979.Population ecology ofraptors. T. & A.D. Poyser,Berkhamsted, U.K. Received 5 December 1998; accepted 20 April 1999 j. RaptorRes. 33 (3) :257-260 ¸ 1999 The Raptor ResearchFoundation, Inc. MITES IN GREATER SPOTrED EAGLE NESTS DAPaUSZJ. GWIAZDOWICZ,TADEUSZ MIZERA AND MACIEJSKORUPSKI AkademiaRolnicza, Katedra Ochrony Lasu, and Zoologii •rodowiska Przyrodniczego, ul. Wojska Polskiego 71c, PL 60-625 Poznmi, Poland KEYWoRDs: SpottedEagle;, Aquila clanga;mites; Acari; Me- (Querqusspp.) and willows (Salix spp.). While the mite sostigmata;Biebrza National Park Poland. fauna in the nests of severalpredatory birds has been studied in Europe (Nordberg 1936, Philips 1981, Wi•- niewski and Hirschmann 1985, 1990, Mizera 1990, Maian The Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga)is among 1993), the acarofaunaof Greater SpottedEagle nestshas the rarest predatory birds in the world, nestingfrom the never been described.In this paper, we identify mites of eastern areas of Poland, through Belarus and Russiato the order Mesostigmatawhich inhabit the nestsof Greater the Pacific coast (Meyburg 1994). In Poland, it is legally Spotted Eagles in Poland. These mites are small (adult protected and classifiedin the Red Data Book as Endan- length 0.4-1.6 mm), free4iving arachnids which have gered (Kr61 1992). It nestsin impenetrable boggywoods phoretic or other relationshipswith birds. and, in Poland, only about 12 pairs remain in Biebrza National Park (Maciorowskiet al. 1996). Greater Spotted METHODS Eagles build their nests only in birches (Betula spp.), Samples were obtained at two Greater Spotted Eagle black beech (Alnusglutinosa) and, lessfrequently, in oaks nests in Biebrza National Park in northeastern Poland. 258 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS VOL. 33, No. 3 The lining of the first nest was collected in 1994. The molaelaps)vacua which is typicallyencountered in decid- samplecontained branches and grass and weighed ab{•ut uous and conifer forests,in humus and moss,in decaying 300 g. At the time of collection,there wasone 7-wk-old wood, and in nestsof antsof the genusLasius (Bregetova nestling in the nest. Subsequentobservation confirmed 1977b, Karg 1993). Lastly,we identified two femalesof that this bird later successfullyfledged. The nestwas built •n the crown of an aspen tree (Populustremuloides) in Hypoaspis(Pneumolaelaps) lubrica in Nest I. It is typically 1991 and wasreused each year. It wasbuilt mainly from found on rotten plants, in rodent nests, and on rodents branches and mistletoe. The sample from the second themselves, as well as in the nests of Sand Martins (Ri- nest was collected in 1995. It had a similar composition paria riparia) (Karg 1993). and wasapproximately the sameweight. This nest wasin Three speciesin the family Digamasellidaeoccurred in a birch tree. both nests. A total of 40 females, four males, and 50 deu- Mites were extractedfrom collectedmaterial by funnel- tonymphs of Dendrolaelaps(Punctodendrolaelaps) fallax heat dessicationand preservedin 70% alcohol.For mac- were in Nest I but only five femalesand one deutonymph eration and bleaching, mites were placed in a drop of were found in Nest II. This is a speciesthat is commonly lacto-phenol on a slide and a coverslipwas applied. Per- found in compost and stable manure (Hirschmann and manent preparations were made in polyvinyl alcohol (Evans 1992). Wi•niewski 1982, Karg 1993). Twelve female, one male, three deutonymph, and one larva of Dendrolaelaps(Punc- RESULTS AND DISCUSSION todendrolaelaps)zoengrisae were found in Nest II. It has been previously found in ant (Formica fusca) nests Only mites of the order Mesostiffmatawere identified to (Hirschmann and Wi•niewski 1982). Only one female of genusand specieslevel. Two subclassesof miteswere rep- Dendrolaelaps( Apophyseodendrolaelaps) zzooelferi was in Nest resented, the Anactinotrichida and Actinotrichida. In the II. It has been previouslyfound in nests of the Formica subclass Anactinotrichida, we identified mites in seven rufa, under pine bark, in the pathwaysof Dryocoetesauto- families of the suborder Gamasina. Nest II contained one graphus,and in SandMartin nests (•erbak 1980). deutonymph of Parasitusconsanguineus which is a rare A female and a deutonymphof two additional species, species in the Parasitadae found in arable and meadow Paragarmaniasp. (Phytoseiidae)and Halolaelapssp. (Hal- softs, in compost, stable manure, and in decomposing olaelapidae) were also found in Nest II. organic material (Karg 1993). This is a new speciesto the We found mites representing five families in the sub- Polish fauna. We also found a Macrochelid, Macrocheles order Uropodina. One specieseach in the familiesTrach- ancyleus,in both Nest I (104 females, 28 males, 21 deu- ytidae and Polyaspidaeoccurred in Nest I. We found one tonymphs,9 protonymphs) and Nest II (242 females, 28 female Trachytesaegrota (Trachytidae). It is a species males, 15 deutonymphs, 5 protonymphs). It has been found in moss,soil, grass,often in litter of deciduousand found previously in the decaying wood of aspen trees conifer forests,in rotting wood, in the paths of bark bee- (Krauss1970) but it is also a new speciesto the Polish ties, in bird nests,nests of the mole Talpa europaea,and fauna. Macrochelid mites are not uncommon in birds ant nests (Karg 1989, Wi•niewski and Hirschmann 1993). nestsand are known from other raptor nests (Ambros et A total of 44 females,49 males,51 deutonymphs,38 pro- al. 1992, Philips et al. 1983, Zeman andJurlk 1981). tonymphs,and one larva of Uroseius(Apionoseius) infirmus We also identified three speciesof mites in the family (Polyaspidae)were also identified from this nest. This Ascidae:Arctoseius cetratus, Proctolaelaps pini, and P. pyg- speciesis typicallyfound in moldy wood, in rotting parts maeus.We found one female and one protonymph of of plants, in the litter of deciduous and coniferous for- Arctoseius cetratus in Nest I and two females in Nest II. ests,and in bird nests (Kadite and Petrova 1977, Karg This specieshas previouslybeen found in soilsof arable 1989, Ma•an 1993, Wi•niewski and Hirschmann 1993). fields, in compost,in deciduousand mixed forests,and Three speciesin the family Trematuridae were in both humus between plant roots (Karg 1993). In Nest II, we nestsbut they were not common. A female and male of alsofound 37 females,seven males, nine deutonymphs, Nenteriafloralis, a speciesassociated with dunghills and and five protonymphs of P. pini. It is typicallyfound in greenhouse soils (Wi•niewski and Hirschmann 1993), pine stumps and on bark beetles (Hylastesspp.) (Karg were found in Nest II. This is a new speciesto the Polish 1993). We also found five females, one male, and one fauna. Four females, three males, two deutonymphs, deutonymph of P. pyffmaeusin Nest II. It has been previ- three protonymphs,and one larva of Nenteriapandioni ously found in soil, moss,decaying plants, and nestsof were identified in Nest I and 74 females, 26 males, 229 small mammals(Bregetova 1977a). deutonymphs,48 protonymphs,and nine larvae were Three speciesof mites were in the family Laelapidae. found in Nest II. This specieshas only been tbund in One female, one male, and one deutonymphof Andro- Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)and White-tailed Sea Eagle laelapscasalis occurred in Nest II. It is a speciestypically (Haliaeetus albicilla) nests (Wiõniewski and Hirschmann found in the soilsof meadows,humus between roots, hay 1985, 1990) (Fig. 1). Two females of 7•ichouropodaovalis, and straw,and in nestsof rodents and birds (Karg 1993), a speciescommonly found in hay, moss, mushrooms, such as raptors (Philips 1981, Zeman and Jurik 1981). straw, ant nests, the paths of Scolytidae,on Cerambycidae Also in Nest II, we found two femalesof Hypoaspis(Cos- and Scarabaeidae,in decayingwood, in hollow tree trunks, SEPTEMBER 1999 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 259 Figure 1. A dorsalview of Nenteriapandioni (Wi•niewski and Hirschmann 1985).