Damaeidae - Parabelbella sp.
Order Oribatida
Family Damaeidae Group Guild Status Parabelbella sp. Eutroglophile Fungivore/ Common Size: 1.06 mm Bacteriophage? Relatively little is known about the ecology of damaeid mites. Some species are microphytophages, and some of these feed on fungi and bacteria (Norton 1990). These mites were found exclusively on moldy wood in the cave, both at the recently placed invertebrate stations, and on older wood found in the cave, presumably from the commercial development of the cave. They are most likely feeding on fungi or bacteria. |
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