Phenopelopidae Petrunkevich, 1955

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 : 444-445

Phenopelopidae Petrunkevich, 1955

Eupelops curtipilus (Berlese, 1916)

Distribution: Europe, Caucasia, Central and Eastern Asia Habitat: preferably in wet meadows, moss cushions Obergurgl area: pine forest at 2050 m (Zirbenwald), Nardetum at 2300 m (Schönwieskopf); previous studies: 2190 m (dwarf shrub community), 2250 m (alpine meadows with lichen communities), 2500 m (scree slope) Nomenclatural remark: Eupelops sulcatus (Oudemans, 1914) according to Subías (2012)

Eupelops plicatus (C.L. Koch, 1835)

Distribution: Holarctic

Habitat: preferably in moist soils, in forests, also arboricolous Obergurgl area: Androsacetum alpinae at 2900 m (Liebener Rippe)

Eupelops strenzkei (Knülle, 1954)

Distribution: Central Europe: Northern Italy, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Lithuania

Habitat: in moist to wet meadows

Obergurgl area: Androsacetum alpinae at 2900 m (Liebener Rippe)

Remark: This species seems to be distributed across Central Europe. Originally described from a moist alder forest fen, we only detected it on the rocky promontory of Liebener Rippe (2900 m). This site is occasionally very wet as a result of the snow melt. Coincident with these findings, E. strenzkei was collected in Carinthia (Schatz unpubl.) and Vorarlberg (Schatz & Fischer 2013) in various habitats and altitudes. These are the first records of this species for the Austrian fauna.

Eupelops subuliger (Berlese, 1916)

Distribution: Central, Southern and Eastern Europe, Caucasia, Eastern Mediterrranean, Central Asia Habitat: montane and alpine (forest) soils

Obergurgl area: pine forest at 2050 m (Zirbenwald)

Eupelops torulosus (C.L. Koch, 1835)

Distribution: Palaearctic

Habitat: mainly in forest soils, also in moist and peaty substrates Obergurgl area: Nardetum at 2300 m (Schönwieskopf)