engleski

Preliminary review of underground invertebrate fauna of the National Park "Paklenica" and adjacent area of Mt. Velebit (Croatia)

A review of underground fauna of the National Park "Paklenica" was made on the basis of currently available leterature as well as on data derived from our own field work during summer 1998 and during student biological camp in 1999. Recently collected material from 5 speleological objects has been examined. The diversity and distribution of cave fauna of the Southern Velebit was summarised. The obtained faunistic list includes representatives od 19 orders, whereby mainly Coleoptera appeared as dominant element. The total number of identified troglobitic, troglophilic and trogloxenic invertebrates recorded so far reaches 44 species and subspecies including some unidentified taxa. Of this total, 16 were troglobites, 15 were troglophiles and 13 were trogloxenes. Majority explored species belong to terrestrial fauna (16 troglobitic taxa). Among troglobitic coleopterans, txo Croatian endemic genera and subfamily Leptoderinae were present: Redensekia and Spelaeodromus. The Crustacea were represented by four species with 2 terrestrial (Isopoda) and 2 aquatic species (Isopoda, Amphipoda). Some troglobitic and troglofilic species have been so far found only on Mt. Velebit: Bogidiella sketi G. Karaman (Amphipoda), Stalyta pretneri C. L. Deeleman (Aranea), Androniscus wolfi (Isopoda), Nebria velebiticola (Coleoptera), Xestoiulus dalmaticus Mršić (Diplopoda). Arthropods, including insects, were the most diversified and the most studied group. Preliminary results provide the evidence that Southern Velebit houses high number of endemic underground invertebrates, and together with Mt. Biokovo, appears to be one of the highest center of endemism in Croatia.

Underground inverebrate fauna; National Park

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