TY  - JOUR
JF  - Acarologia
T1  - Hidden diversity: The contribution of juveniles to the species and genetic diversity of mesostigmatid mites in peatlands using DNA barcoding
VL  - 66
IS  - Suppl
SP  - 111
EP  - 111
PY  - 2026
SN  - 0044-586X
SN  - 2107-7207
PB  - Les Amis d'Acarologia
AU  - Pedro, Conceição
AU  - Zoë, Lindo
AU  - Pedro, Conceição
AU  - Zoë, Lindo
UR  - https://doi.org/10.24349/6c4q-tbdm
DO  - 10.24349/6c4q-tbdm
DA  - 2026-07-20
ET  - 2026-07-20
KW  - DNA barcode
KW  - Mesostigmata
KW  - Soil biodiversity
KW  - Peatlands
KW  - Juveniles
AB  - A big challenge in assessing soil mite diversity is the difficulty of identifying the juveniles. Most of the species’ ontological development is characterized by distinct and abrupt changes in form between the juvenile and adult stages, and juveniles are rarely described alongside adults. The limited knowledge of population dynamics and seasonality adds to the challenge. Thus, many ecological studies do not consider juveniles despite their high abundance and role in soil systems. Using DNA barcode data, we explore the contribution of juveniles to diversity of mesotigmatid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) in peatlands across a large geographic range. Mesostigmatid mites were extracted from moss/peat samples of six peatland sites across Ontario, Canada. Adults were morphotyped and representative specimens, along with all juveniles found in the samples, were sent for DNA extraction and COI gene sequencing at the Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding (CCDB). Barcode Index Number (BIN) assignment and gene tree reconstruction were used to assess genetic diversity and adult- juvenile associations. Among 1,789 mites successfully sequenced, 145 unique BINs were identified in contrast to the 60 species identified morphologically. For some genera BIN assignment aligned with morphological identification of adults across different sites; for others, several BINs were identified within a single site. Although most of the juveniles clustered with adults, clusters formed exclusively by juveniles were also recovered. DNA barcoding-based identification showed that juvenile’s assemblage is mostly a representation of the adult community, with moderate addition of new species to the overall richness. Limitations of using BINs reflect the limited knowledge about the ecological and population dynamics among soil organisms. This is the first study combining molecular and morphological tools in assessing diversity of mesostigmatid mites in Canadian peatlands.
ER -