Records of new or rarely encountered arachnids in Slovakia

Im Gesamtmaterial von Spinnentier-Aufsammlungen aus der Slowakei haben wir eine Reihe bemerkenswerter Pseudoskorpion- und Webspinnenarten festgestellt, über die nachfolgend kurz berichtet werden soll

BIODIVERSITY OF SELECTED INVERTEBRATE GROUPS IN OAK-HORNBEAM FOREST ECOSYSTEM IN SW SLOVAKIA

Abstract Holecová M., Krumpál M., Országh I., Krumpálová Z., Fedor P.: Biodiversity of selected invertebrate groups in oak-hornbeam forest ecosystem in SW Slovakia. Ekológia (Bratislava), Vol. 24, Supplement 2/2005, p. 205-222. The paper summarizes analyses of 4-year long coenological research on micro-and macrofauna in oak-hornbeam forest ecosystems in SW Slovakia. The studied forest ecosystems, 40-100 years of age, are situated in the orographic units of the Malé Karpaty Mts. and Trnavská pahorkatina hills and may be classified into 3 vegetation types: Carpinion betuli, Quercion confertae-cerris and Quercion pubescentis-petraeae. In total we determined 39,987 invertebrates (except for Protozoa) and thus recorded 575 species of 4 phyla (Ciliophora, Rhizopoda, Tardigrada, Arthropoda). Twelve taxocoenoses of ciliates, naked amoebae, water bears, pseudoscorpions, spiders, mesostigmatid mites, terrestrial isopods, centipedes, millipedes, earwigs, bugs, weevils were analysed more in detail. Apart from forest epigeon we were focused on some other microhabitats, such as decaying wood mater, mosses and dendrotelmae. Of the studied microfauna just the community from decaying wood possessed affinity to soil. In the other microhabitats (dendrotelmae and mosses) species are predominantly interacted with aquatic environment. There are stronger bonds onto soil at arthropods, represented particularly by epigeic, partially by typically edaphic species. Of the 15 analysed variables just age of a stand, depth of leaf litter, undergrowth coverness of canopy and sporadically pollution (dust from the quarry) appeared as significantly influencing the studied arthropod communities

First record of a schizomid, Stenochrus portoricensis (Schizomida: Hubbardiidae), in Slovakia

The discovery of Stenochrus portoricensis Chamberlin, 1922 is the first record of the order Schizomida in Slovakia. Juvenile specimens and adult females were found in heated greenhouses in the Botanical Garden of the Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. The main morphological characters of juveniles and adult females were studied and photographed