Seasonal Distribution Patterns of Oribatid Mites (Acari: Cryptostigmata) in a Forest Ecosystem

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Abstract
The phenology of oribatid mites was studied on Mt Holomon in Greece. The spatial distribution of adult mites wihtin microsites was related to the distribution of grass species. There were three seasonal phenological patterns each shaped by the population dynamics of the three most abundant species: Achipteria holomonensis was most numerous during autumn-winter, Scheloribates cf. latipes during winter and summer and Eremaeus balcanicus during summer-autumn. Temperature, which varied in a stable seasonal pattern, controlled the density fluctuations. The life cycle of the three most abundant species were coordinated with the yearly temperature pattern. Thus, the phenological patterns of oribatid mites on Mt Holomon seem to remain stable, hence predictable, year after year.