Gamasid fauna (Acari, Mesostigmata) of a hedge and adjacent meadows in Upper Franconia (Bavaria, Germany)

The gamasid fauna (Acari, Gamasida) of a hedge and adjacent meadows in Upper Franconia (Bavaria, Germany) has been analysed with respect to species composition, richness, dominance and abundance. Furthermore, the vertical distributions of the more common species and phenological density fluctuations were documented. The gamasid fauna of the hedgerow differed considerably from that of the meadows. In the latter habitats, predominantly small, fast developing pioneer species from open habitats were found. The hedge is dominated by comparatively large eurytopic and large forest species. The dominance structure of the hedge is similar to the fauna of European forests. The highest species number and individual densities were found along the edges of the hedgerow. The fauna of the meadows is dominated by nematophagous species, whereas the microarthopod feeders are most frequent inside the hedge.