Published March 19, 2026
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Journal article
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First records of Oppiella hauseri (Mahunka & Mahunka-Papp, 2000) in Ukraine (Acari, Oribatida)
Authors/Creators
- 1. State Museum of Natural History, National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Lviv, Ukraine
- 2. State Museum of Natural History, National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Lviv, Ukraine|Lviv Professional College, Lviv National Environmental University, Lviv, Ukraine
- 3. Faculty of Biology, Uzhhorod National University, Uzhhorod, Ukraine
Description
Oppiella hauseri (Mahunka & Mahunka-Papp, 2000) is a rare oribatid mite previously recorded from a few localities in Central and Southern Europe and the Caucasus. We report the first confirmed findings from Ukraine, based on specimens collected in beech forests near Kolochava village (Zakarpattia region, Ukrainian Carpathians) at 1080–1190 m above sea level. These records considerably extend the known eastern distribution of the species, bridging a biogeographic gap between Central Europe and the Caucasus, and highlight its preference for silvicolous habitats.