Muskeg Moss Oribatid

Malaconothrus mollisetosus

General Status Rank: 
Undetermined
ELCODE: 
ILACA3L010
Common Name: 
Muskeg Moss Oribatid
Scientific Name: 
Malaconothrus mollisetosus
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Taxonomy
Group: 
Oribatid Mites
Kingdom: 
Animalia
Phylum: 
Arthropoda
Class: 
Arachnida
Order: 
Oribatida
Family: 
Malaconothridae
Habitat
Muskeg.
References: 
B2024003
Distribution

Distribution

Species collected in the Taiga Shield, an ecozone extending over 200,000 km2 in the NWT. This species is associated with freshwater and other wet habitats (peatlands, wet meadows, etc.), which would extend across the territory.
Score: 
G

Number of Occurrences

Historical record. This species is known from a single locality record published in 1952 (Hammer 1952).
Score: 
U
Threats

Intrinsic Vulnerability

Most oribatid mites are K-selected (Norton 1994), meaning they have stable populations with long generation times, adults are long-lived, and they show low metabolic rates, low fertility, and iteroparity. They are also slow to disperse/recolonize due to their small size (0.3 - 2.1 cm per day; Lehmitz et al. 2012), which also means they cannot move out of harm's way during a disturbance event.
Score: 
AB
General Status Rank
Rank: 
Undetermined
S Rank: 
SU
Decision Process Description: 
Rank drafted by L. Lumley in 2022 for the 2025 general status ranks. Rank reviewed for NWT in 2024 by S. Carriere.
Last Updated: 
June 11, 2024

References

Habitat

  • Behan-Pelletier, V.M. & Lindo, Z. (2019) Checklist of oribatid mites (Acari : Oribatida) of Canada and Alaska. Magnolia Press Zootaxa 4666(1): 001-180 - B2024003 Return