Suctobelbidae Jacot, 1938

Fischer, Barbara M. & Schatz, Heinrich, 2013, Biodiversity of oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) along an altitudinal gradient in the Central Alps, Zootaxa 3626 (4), pp. 429-454 : 443

Suctobelbidae Jacot, 1938

Suctobelba altvateri Moritz, 1970

Distribution: Central and Southern Europe, Caucasia Habitat: preferably in moist forest soils, moss Obergurgl area: pine forest at 2050 m (Zirbenwald)

Suctobelba regia Moritz, 1970

Distribution: Europe, Central Asia

Habitat: forest soils, in moss

Obergurgl area: pine forest at 2050 m (Zirbenwald)

Remark: This species is a new record to the fauna of Austria; recently it was also found in Carinthia (Schatz unpubl.) and Vorarlberg (Schatz & Fischer 2013).

Suctobelbella acutidens lobata (Strenzke, 1951) Distribution: Europe, Caucasia

Habitat: preferably moist meadows, in moss Obergurgl area: 2050 m (Zirbenwald)

Suctobelbella hamata Moritz, 1970

Distribution: Europe, Macaronesia

Habitat: preferably in coniferous forest soils, in moss Obergurgl area: pine forest at 2050 m (Zirbenwald)

Suctobelbella perforata (Strenzke, 1950)

Distribution: Palaearctic

Habitat: preferably in moist habitats, in forest soils Obergurgl area: Androsacetum alpinae at 2900 m (Liebener Rippe) Suctobelbella subcornigera (Forsslund, 1941)

Distribution: Holarctic, Oriental region, New Zealand Habitat: euryoecious species

Obergurgl area: pine forest at 2050 m (Zirbenwald)

None of the recently recorded species of the family Suctobelbidae was found in this region in previous studies. But it has to be mentioned that two species were reported in Obergurgl in the 1970s (using the available identification keys): Suctobelba trigona in 1960–1980 m (hay meadows), pine forest at 2050 m (Zirbenwald), 2100 m (dwarf shrub community), 2230 m (alpine meadows with lichen communities) and Suctobelbella subtrigona in 1960–1980 m (hay meadows), pine forest at 2050 m (Zirbenwald), 2100–2190 m (dwarf shrub community), 2250–2340 m (alpine meadows with lichen communities), 2500 m (scree slope), 2800–3100 m (Androsacetum alpinae). Probably modern determination keys lead to the increase of detected species. It is remarkable that almost all Suctobelbidae species were found below the timberline. Only S. perforata was detected at 2900 m, but not in the lower study sites. Most probably this is referable to the periodical wetness due to snow melt and the exposure of the rocky promontory of Liebener Rippe.