A Review of the Water Mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) from Protected Areas of Romania
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NORTH-WESTERN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 10 (Supplement 1): S67-S77 ©NwjZ, Oradea, Romania, 2014 Article No.: 140302 http://biozoojournals.ro/nwjz/index.html << Fauna of the Romanian protected areas - A special issue in memoriam of Acad.Dr.Doc. Petru M. Bănărescu >> A review of the water mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) from protected areas of Romania Mirela CÎMPEAN Department of Taxonomy and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, 5-7 Clinicilor Str., 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. E-mail: [email protected] Received: 08. December 2013 / Accepted: 05. June 2014 / Available online: 20. November 2014 / Printed: December 2014 Abstract. The paper aims to provide, for the first time, an overview of water mite (Acari, Hydrachnidia) distribution in Natura 2000 network in Romania (Sites of Community Importance – SCI and Special Protection Areas – SPA). Water mite species database was compiled and the known species distribution was assessed against Natura 2000 network maps. From a total number of 257 accepted Hydrachnidia species recorded in Romania, 207 species (80.5 %) were reported from one or more SCIs and/or SPAs. Sperchonopsis verrucosa, Sperchon glandulosus, Torrenticola elliptica, Hygrobates calliger, Atractides gibberipalpis, A. nodipalpis, Aturus crinitus, A. scaber had a wide distribution occurring in more than 10 protected areas. Seven rare water mite species: Tadjikothyas fibulata, Wandesia stygophila, Kawamuracarus chappuisi, Kongsbergia d-motasi, Mideopsis fonticola, Chappuisides thienemanni, Phreatohydracarus mosticus were proposed as candidates for the European Red List. Key words: database, species richness, Sites of Community Importance (SCI), Special Protection Areas (SPA), Red List. Introduction water mite distribution has not been approached in the context of their occurrence across current Water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia), also called protected areas in Natura 2000 Network of Roma- Hydrachnellae, Hydracarina, Hydrachnida, repre- nia. sent the most important group of Arachnida in Many protected areas related with lakes and freshwater, with over 6,000 species described rivers were included in Natura 2000 Network. worldwide (Di Sabatino et al. 2008). This group is This is an ecological network of protected areas, highly diversified both in lotic and lentic habitats, set up to ensure the survival of Europe's most as well as in springs and interstitial waters (Di Sa- valuable species and habitats. Natura 2000 is batino et al. 2000, 2003, Smith et al. 2001). Hy- based on the Birds Directive 2009/147/EC and drachnidia is characterized by a specific life cycle, Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC. Currently Natura unique among mites, similar to that of holome- 2000 network covers 18% of EU land and includes tabolous insects, having a parasitic heteromor- nine biogeographic regions: Alpine, Atlantic, Bo- phous larval stage, two inactive pupa-like resting real, Continental, Macaronesian, Mediterranean, stages (proto- and tritonymph) and two free-living Black Sea, Pannonian and Steppic. Five out of nine stages as predators (deutonymph and adult) (Di biogeographic regions are recognized in Romania: Sabatino et al. 2000). Because of their complex life Alpine, Continental, Black Sea, Pannonian and cycle, water mites play a key role in aquatic habi- Steppic, the last one being present only in our tats. country. Natura 2000 network in Romania covers The water mite fauna of Romania was a sub- 22.68% of the total land area (Brînzan, 2013). There ject of intense investigation from 1897 to 1971, are 383 Sites of Community Importance – SCI cov- when 87 papers were published. In 1979 Kon- ering 16.76% of Romanian territory and 148 Spe- nerth-Ionescu was the first author to present a cial Protection Areas – SPA (14.91%) includes in survey about the water mite state of knowledge Natura 2000 ecological network (Brînzan, 2013). about in Romania. This review synthesized all the All these sites were mostly declared based on previous papers and 284 water mite species from presence/absence of species of mammals, reptiles, 367 sampling sites are catalogued. After 2000, the amphibians, freshwater fishes, butterflies, dragon- water mite list of species was reviewed and en- flies and selected groups of beetles, molluscs and riched (Cîmpean 2007, 2011). To our knowledge, vascular plants. Most of these species are also in- S68 M. Cîmpean cluded in the European Red List. Although water Table 1. The studied Romanian Sites of Community Im- mite’s role in freshwater habitats is very impor- portance (SCI) and Romanian Special Protection Areas (SPA). tant, species belonging to this group were not taken into account when Red lists were estab- Site cod Site name lished. ROSCI0002 Apuseni In this context the aims of present papers are: ROSCI0007 Bazinul Ciucului de Jos (i) to assess up-to-date distribution of water mites ROSCI0013 Bucegi ROSCI0024 Ceahlău in Romanian protected area (SCIs and SPAs); (ii) ROSCI0027 Cheile Bicazului - Hăşmaş to create a useful database for protected area ad- ROSCI0036 Cheile Vârghişului ministrators; (iii) to give insight into water mite ROSCI0043 Comana diversity from Romanian protected area; (iv) to ROSCI0050 Crişul Repede amonte de Oradea discuss the possibility of extending the ‘‘Red ROSCI0062 Defileul Crişului Repede - Pădurea Craiului Lists’’, to include the threatened water mite spe- ROSCI0065 Delta Dunării cies in Romania. ROSCI0069 Domogled - Valea Cernei ROSCI0078 Fânaţele Clujului - Copârşaie ROSCI0085 Frumoasa ROSCI0087 Grădiştea Muncelului - Ciclovina Materials and methods ROSCI0088 Gura Vedei - Şaica - Slobozia ROSCI0099 Lacul Ştiucilor - Sic - Puini - Bonţida The present checklist of water mites from Romanian pro- ROSCI0128 Nordul Gorjului de Est tected area is based, on the one hand, on the review made ROSCI0194 Piatra Craiului by Konnerth-Ionescu (1979), and on the other hand on the ROSCI0195 Piatra Mare papers published after the year 2000: Battes et al. 2000- ROSCI0196 Pietrosul Broştenilor - Cheile Zugrenilor 2001, Pavelescu & Cîmpean 2002-2003, 2006, Cîmpean et ROSCI0213 Râul Prut al. 2003, Cîmpean & Tudorancea 2003, Avram et al. 2005, ROSCI0217 Retezat 2009, Cîmpean 2006, 2011, Cîmpean & Gerecke 2006, Me- ROSCI0222 Sărăturile Jijia Inferioară - Prut leg et al. 2009, Moldovan 2011. Every sampling site where ROSCI0233 Someşul Rece water mites occurred was analysed to assess if it overlies ROSCI0236 Strei - Haţeg the protected areas using a public Natura 2000 viewer, ROSCI0238 Suatu -Cojocna - Crairât developed by the European Commission. This tool allows to explore Natura 2000 sites across EU and it is available ROSCI0270 Vânători - Neamţ at the web address: http://natura2000.eea.europa.eu/#. ROSCI0295 Dealurile Clujului Est ROSCI0381 Râul Târgului - Argeşel - Râuşor ROSPA0018 Cheile Bicazului - Hăşmaş ROSPA0022 Comana Results and discussion ROSPA0031 Delta Dunării şi Complexul Razim - Sinoie ROSPA0035 Domogled - Valea Cernei Out of 438 analysed sampling sites, 208 sites are ROSPA0042 Eleşteele Jijiei şi Miletinului situated in one or more protected areas (SCIs and ROSPA0045 Grădiştea Muncelului - Cioclovina SPAs) (Table 1). Nine protected areas are in the ROSPA0050 Iazurile Miheşu de Câmpie - Tăureni same time SCI and SPA with the same or with dif- ROSPA0057 Lacul Siutghiol ferent borders. Cases of protected area that are in ROSPA0072 Lunca Siretului Mijlociu ROSPA0081 Munţii Apuseni - Vlădeasa the same time SCI and SPA are: Danube Delta ROSPA0084 Munţii Retezat (ROSCI0065 and ROSPA0031), Retezat Mountains ROSPA0088 Munţii Vrancei (ROSCI0217 and ROSPA0084), Apuseni Moun- ROSPA0098 Piemontul Făgăraş tains (ROSCI0002 and ROSCI0081), Ceahlău ROSPA0104 Bazinul Fizeşului Mountains (ROSCI0024 and ROSPA0129), Domo- ROSPA0106 Valea Oltului Inferior gled Mountains (ROSCI0069 and ROSPA0035), ROSPA0107 Vânători - Neamţ Comana (ROSCI0043 and ROSPA0022), Grădiştea ROSPA0108 Vedea - Dunăre Muncelului – Ciclovina (ROSCI0087 and RO- ROSPA0121 Lacul Brateş ROSPA0129 Masivul Ceahlău SPA0045), wetland Jijia (ROSCI0222 and RO- ROSPA0146 Valea Câlniştei SPA0042) and Vânători – Neamţ (ROSCI0270 and ROSPA0107) (Table 1). A total number of 257 accepted species are re- cies (representing 80.5 % of all water mite species) corded in the Romanian water mite fauna (Kon- being reported from one or more SCIs and/or nerth-Ionescu 1979, Cîmpean 2007, 2011). Only 50 SPAs. From these 207 species, 187 were reported species are absent from protected areas, 207 spe- before 1979 and 20 species only after the year 2000. A review of the water mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) from protected areas of Romania S69 Only 42 species cited before 1979 were found (ROSCI0013) situates this protected area, together again after 2000. with the previous, in the high species-rich pro- Appendix 1 gives an overview of the water tected areas in terms of water mite diversity (Fig mites distribution in Romanian protected area 1). ROSCI0233 – The Someşul Rece is also a pro- (SCIs and SPAs). Water mites were present in only tected area with high species richness, with 35 re- 29 SCIs from the total number of 383 (7.5 %) and in ported species after the year 2000 (Cîmpean et al. 19 SPAs from the total of 148 (12.8 %). Forty-one 2003, Avram et al. 2005, Cîmpean 2006, 2011, Me- species were presented in only one protected area leg et al. 2009) (Fig 1). These four protected areas and a considerable number of species, 56, was also with high species richness are situated at different reported from only one protected SCI and SPA at altitudes, ranging from the lowest altitude (0-229 the same time.