Meeting Abstract

P2-26   -   Patterns of co-occurrence in New Zealand mite harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi) Shu, Y*; Moyes, N; Fu, PA; Anderson, SF; Boyer, SL; Macalester College, St. Paul, MN; Macalester College, St. Paul, MN; Macalester College, St. Paul, MN; Macalester College, St. Paul, MN; Macalester College, St. Paul, MN yshu@macalester.edu

Mite harvestmen (Cyphophthalmi) are tiny arachnids and are found in leaf litter habitats throughout New Zealand. These animals have an ancient origin and are dispersal-limited, which makes them excellent models for studying historical biogeography. There are three genera of mite harvestmen endemic to New Zealand: Aoraki, Rakaia, and Neopurcellia. Neopurcellia is the only genus that is limited to just the South Island, with the other two genera spanning both the North and South Islands. Species ranges are extremely variable in size, with some species such as Rakaia minutissima found on both the North and South Island, while others such as Aoraki calcarobtusa are only known from a single locality. Although many species ranges overlap, at most localities only a single mite harvestmen species has been collected. Perhaps because it is rare, species co-occurrence has not been studied previously in these animals. We explored phylogenetic relatedness and morphological differentiation among co-occurring species, providing a first look at patterns of co-occurrence in Cyphophthalmi.