Аннотация:The oribatid mite species, Ceratozetes spitsbergensis Thor, 1934, was first discovered on Spitsbergen island of the Svalbard Archipelago, in 1932. Later, it was also found in other locations of the Arctic and in Mongolia. In 2014, this species was recorded in Austria from soil samples collected from the nival zone of the central Eastern Alps. A total of 388 specimens were found exclusively at an elevation of 3300 m above sea level. This is the first finding in continental Europe and the global pattern indicates an Arcto-Alpine disjunct distribution of C. spitsbergensis. Possible mechanisms leading to this mosaic distribution are discussed. Climate change scenarios predict significant temperature changes which might affect high mountain ecosystems and might lead to local extinction of this highly specialized oribatid mite species.
