Parasitism of Trombidium brevimanum larvae on agrobiont linyphiid spiders from Germany

Abstract

An experiment on three differently-managed agricultural fields in Ahlum, Germany, which aimed at establishing the impact of different management systems on the biodiversity of predators and decomposers, yielded a significant number of spiders parasitized by larvae of Trombidium brevimanum (Actinotrichida, Parasitengona, Trombidiidae). Spider data from the whole sampling period (September 2010–July 2012), indicated that ectoparasitic larvae were recorded only on spiders in pitfall traps in the period of June–July 2011. In this period, only eight species of Linyphiidae—out of 42 species assigned to nine spider families recorded from the study area—were parasitized by mites; considerable levels of parasitism were recorded on Erigone atra, E. dentipalpis, and Oedothorax apicatus. The highest prevalence of parasitism was recorded on the organic field for E. atra (29 %), while on the integrated and conventional fields significantly fewer parasitized spiders were observed. The preferred attachment sites on the spider host were regions with softer cuticle, especially regions on the carapace and on the abdomen, adjacent to the pedicel.