Wind-based Dispersal of Oribatid Mites (Acari : Oribatida) in A Subtropical Forest in Japan

Oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) are found not only on the forest floor and in arboreal habitats (e.g., Aoki, 1973; Behan-Pelletier and Walter, 2000; Travé, 1963), but also in littoral habitats (e.g., Karasawa and Hijii, 2004a, b; Luxton, 1992). Some species constantly live in bird’s feathers (Krivolutsky and Lebedeva, 2004a, b). Thus, clarifying the habitat use of oribatid mites can contribute to an understanding of the relationships between habitat diversity and biodiversity. The modes of dispersal used by individuals can determine whether or not a species can use a given habitat, and consequently contribute to defining the community structure of a given habitat (Prinzing and Woas, 2003). Thus, knowledge of the dispersal modes used by oribatid mites can help us to evaluate the importance of colonization processes in the development of their communities in various habitats. Oribatid mites can climb trees (Murphy and Balla, 1973), and some can even jump more than 10 cm (Krisper, 1990). However, they are known to use several other dispersal methods. Small mammals and insects pick up and disperse the mites passively (Miko and Stanko, 1991; Norton, 1980), and birds are also an important disperser for oribatid mites. Birds carry oribatid mites directly on their bodies, or transport them indirectly by including mite-infested litter in their nest materials (Aoki, 1966; Jacot, 1930). In addition, seawater and freshwater are likely to play critical roles in the dispersal of oribatid mites in both littoral and terrestrial environments (Coulson et al., 2002; Woodring