End-mites catalogue of the Gesäuse National Park — first processing of the animal group: Push-button runner (Arachnida: Palpigradi)

Palpigradi are tiny spider animals whose existence has only been known since 1885. Their way of life under the earth’s surface makes them the rarest and in many ways most enigmatic. While the increase in newly described species in recent years suggests that the global number of species is far greater than the current number of 110, each find of a palpigrade is still a remarkable event. Even among the arachnologists, i.e. the spider explorers, there are not a few who have never seen a living push runner. Austria is located on the northern edge of the distribution area of the entire group of pushbutton runners. Two species are found here, which, like all European palpigrades, belong to the genus Eukoenenia: Eukoenenia spelaea and Eukoenenia austriaca. Pushbuttons are rare in our widths ex-trem. The Odelstein Cave near Johnsbach in Styria is only the 17th overall. Fundstel-le in Austria. While a single specimen became known by most localities (which in some cases was lost before an in-depth investigation), there are five individuals from the Odelstein Cave. They were all caught in barber traps in the day-to-day cave section. The Odelstein Cave, the only show cave in the Eisenerzer Alps, is the first Pal Pigraden find in the Grauwackenzone. The runners of the Odelstein Cave belong to Eukoenenia spelaea. The range of this species extends from the south of France over the Alpine arch to the western Carpathians. Several subspecies have been described. The population of the Odelstein Cave corresponds in all morphological characteristics with the population in the glacial gravel of Purgstall in Lower Austria; this is placed in the Nominat subspecies E. spelaea spelaea. There was no difference in comparison with animals from caves in Piedmont and Liguria. At the present time, E. spelaea spelaea is considered an endemic subspecies of the Alps. It is found in France, Italy and Austria. The Odelstein Cave is Austria’s fourth locality with safe deposits of Eukoenenia spelaea spelaea. All altitudes of the National Park are populated by Endemiten, with the biotopes of the high altitudes of particular importance: Upholstery and Alpine lawn societies, Schutthalden, Grünerlen-Buschwald, Hochtaudenfluren as well as dwarf shrub heaths are the most endemic habitats in the area. Many of the endemic leaf and trunk beetles are also specialised in one or a few fodder plums. About three-quarters of all species have a bond to Alpine lawn societies or rock and debris habitats. Endemic beetle species are endangered in the Alpine region due to the loss and conversion of alpine lawn societies, which are caused on the one hand by grazing sensitive areas and, on the other hand, by climate change. In total, 456 species of beetles from 65 families were detected in the current surveys between 2015 and 2016 and including historical data. The boar beetle Oedemera monticola and the trunk beetle Amalorrhynchus melanarius are reported for the first time for Styria The long-term existence of the protected area Gesäuse National Park and the continuation of the research work are the best prerequisites for the protection of endemic beetle fauna.