The mite (Acari: Oribatida, mesostigmata) assemblages associated with lasius flavus (hymenoptera: Formicidae) nests and surrounding soil in an irish grassland

Ant nests are a microhabitat within grasslands that provide habitat for a wide range of invertebrates, including mites. The mite assemblages inhabiting ant nests in Ireland are poorly studied. This paper compares the mite communities in nests of the yellow meadow ant, Lasius flavus (Fabricius), with those away from the nests in an Irish grassland. A total of 6812 adult mites (Oribatida and Mesostigmata) were recovered, of which 3660 were found within nests. Twenty-one species were found exclusively in nests, while fourteen were restricted to the adjacent grassland. There were no significant differences in the abundance or richness between habitats (in nests/away from the nests). Some species that normally show preferences for inhabiting ant nests, such as Trachyuropoda bostocki (Michael, 1894), Urodiscella wasmanni (Kneissl, 1907), Oplitis minutissima (Berlese, 1903), or Urotrachys formicaria (Lubbock, 1881), were almost exclusively recovered from the nests, while others with strong preferences for pastures, such as Scheloribates laevigatus (Koch, 1835) and Punctoribates punctum (Koch, 1839), were abundant in both habitats. Several genera and species were added to the Irish species list: Fosseremus laciniatus (Berlese, 1905), Hypochthoniella minutissima (Berlese, 1904), Urodiscella wasmanni, Oplitis minutissima, Uroobovella obovata (Canestrini et Berlese, 1884), Dorycranosus acutus Pschorn-Walcher, 1951, Pseudoparasitus centralis (Berlese, 1921), Pseudolaelaps doderoi (Berlese, 1910) and Stratiolaelaps miles (Berlese, 1892).