Ácaros (Arachnida: Acari) guanobios de cuevas en México.

In most caves, the main source of organic matter is provided by bats, through guano, which is influenced by their type of diet. A wide variety of organisms live in it, such as bacteria, fungi, mites, springtails, and other arthropods, many of them adapted to the cave environment, especially several families of mites with different eating habits are frequent in the guano and each of them has a role in the nutrient cycling that takes place within the caves. As part of a research project on argasid ticks in caves in Mexico, during 2010-2016, bat guano collections were carried out in 15 caves in seven states of the country. Herein, the records of 90 Acari taxa are presented, included in four orders, 52 families, 27 genera and 11 species determined to date, associated with guano from caves in central and southern Mexico with a diverse geological origin. Different groups of mites carry out particular roles in the food web within caves, due to their diverse feeding habits. The information presented provides data to understand the diversity of guanobia mites and their role within the caves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]