TETRODONTOPHORA BIELANENSIS (COLLEMBOLA, ONYCHIURIDAE), ITS DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS

Tetrodontophora bielanensis is one of the largest species of Collembol a. It occurs in Europe and has a peculiar Circumpannonic distribution. Starting in the Italian and Austrian Dolomites, its distribution spre ads eastwardly to the South Carpathians in Romania, then north and wes terly to the Ukrainian, Slovak, Polish and Moravian North Carpathians and continues westwardly to the Herzynian Sudetic mountains up to the Elbe and Vltava Rivers. It does not occur in the Pannonian lowland. It s ecological requirements were studied, using pitfall traps, in differ ent ecosystems and mountain altitudinal zones in the Tatra National Pa rk (Slovakia) and Hruby Jesenik Mountains (Czech Republic). Its soil s urface activity was highest in beech and spruce forests in the mountai n forest zone and in Pinus mugo and Vaccinium myrtilli dominated ecosy stems in the subalpine zone. T. bielanensis was substantially less act ive in grasslands of the subalpine and lower alpine zones and it did n ot occur in the upper alpine zone. T. bielanensis is limited to mounta in and humid mountain areas with cold seasons. Away from mountains, it s distribution is restricted to wet ecosystems in the vicinity of rive rs, brooks and springs.