Effects of nutritional quality on the reproductive biology of Archegozetes longisetosus (Actinotrichida, Oribatida, Trhypochthoniidae)

Abstract

The parthenogenetic trhypochthoniid oribatid mite Archegozetes longisetosus serves as a model organism. Numerous studies have investigated different aspects of its life history and nutritional biology, yet several results remain contradictive. To clarify effects of nutrition on life history parameters, we set up a large scale experiment with ten food resources of different origins and nutritional composition (animal, bacterial, fungal and herbal). Generally, food influenced all life history parameters. The number of offspring ranged from 0 to 106 individuals per female, while the developmental time and body mass varied in a range of 32 up to 88 days and 3 to 43 µg dry weight, respectively. The number of offspring per female was correlated to the C/N-ratio and thus the availability of nitrogen in the food, while the body mass was correlated to the C/P-ratio and C/Ca-ratio (for early juvenile instars). The developmental time did not respond to any measured nutritional parameter.

Keywords

• nutrient ecology
• life history
• macroelements
• mites
• development