Beiträge zur Collembolenfauna von Höhlen der deutschen Mittelgebirge (Harz, Kyffhäuser, Thüringer Wald, Zittauer Gebirge) (Insecta: Collembola).

Abstract

In four German highlands (Harz, Kyffhäuser, Thüringer Wald, and Zittauer Gebirge) the terrestical arthropod fauna of caves and adits was investigated over a period of 4 years. 224 out of about 250 caves and tunnels visited were selected and investigated quantitatively and qualitatively. Each object was controlled 3 to 5 times during a period of one year. The arthropods were either collected by hand or caught by pitfall traps filled with ethylene glycol. Depending on the size of the cave and adit, respectively, two to 20 of the traps were deposited in about 60% of the selected caves. The following 10 species are new for the fauna of Germany: Arrhopalites boneti, A. terricola, Isotoma neglecta, I. proprinqua, Lepidocyrtus nigrescens, Neanura longiseta, Onychiurus heterodoxus, O. schoetti, Orchesella longifasciatus, Paranura sexpunctata. - The following 21 species were found in caves for the first time: Dicyrtoma minuta, Entomobrya marginata, Folsomia manolachei, F. penicula, Hypogastrura burkilli, Isotoma neglecta, Lepidocyrtus nigrescens, Neanura conjuncta, Onychiurus absoloni, O. heterodoxus, O. vanderdrifti, Orchesella flavescens, O. longifasciata, Paranura sexpunctata, Pseudachorutes asigillatus, P. corticola, P. subcrassus, Sminthurinus niger, Willemia anophthalma, W. intermedia and Xenyllodes armatus. The most frequent species were as follows: Lepidocyrtus violaceus (5 645 specimens / 70 caves) and Arrhopalites pygmaeus (5 137/72), Isotoma neglecta (2 233/25), Hypogastrura purpurescens (2 135/28), Tomocerus flavescens (1 818/59); Heteromurus nitidus (1 708/50), Onychiurus cebennarius (1 660/25), and Lepidocyrtes curvicollis (1 162/31). - The range of adaptions to a life within caves are discussed in further detail below. 73 of the 77 species detected also occur outside caves, and only 3 species exclusively live in caves. Some of the species known as trogloxene or troglophilic, however, form permanent populations in caves. This means they can be trogloxene, troglophilic or troglobiont. - 8 species, namely Arrhopalites pygmaeus, Heteromurus nitidus, Hypogastrura purpurescens, Megalothorax minimus, Onychiurus cebennarius, O. heterodoxus, Pseudosinelle alba and Schaefferia quadrioculata have been identified as eutroglobiont in our caves. Four other species - I. neglecta, L. curvicollis, L. violaceus, and T. minor - are subtroglobiont. They form permanent populations in caves. In fact, they do not show any specific morphological adaptions to caves. - The following 11 species are probably eu- or subtroglobiont, respectively: F. candida, O. absoloni, O. armatus, O. sublegans, P. decipiens, and A. principalis, E. marginalis, I. tigrina, L. nigrescens, N. muscorum, T. vulgaris. They have been found only in single caves or/and we caught some individuals only. - Mesogastrura ojcoviensis, Schaefferia decemoculata, Sch. emucronata, Sch. willemi and Arrhopalites boneti are known as cave-living species, but in our caves we found only some speciemens in some small caves.

Keywords

Collembola, Faunistics, Caves, Germany, Harz, Kyffhäuser, Thüringer Wald, Zittauer Gebirge.