Correspondence of larval and postlarval instars in two species of the subgenus Zaracarus (Acari: Erythraeidae: Erythraeus) established with laboratory rearing.

Laboratory rearing of two mite species, Erythraeus (Zaracarus) budapestensis Fain Ripka, 1998 collected in Turkey and E. (Z.) rupestris (Linnaeus, 1758) sampled in Germany, allowed establishing the correspondence of their larval and postlarval instars. Erythraeus (Z.) iranicus Saboori Akrami, 2001 syn. nov. is considered a new subjective junior synonym of E. (Z.) budapestensis. Erythraeus (Z.) eleonorae Haitlinger, 1987 syn. nov. and E. (Z.) didonae Haitlinger, 2000 syn. nov. are synonymized with E. (Z.) rupestris. Data on the life history, parasitic associations and habitats are provided, and the status of currently recognized subgenera of Erythraeus is discussed.

A novel symbiotic relationship between mites and recluse spiders (Sicariidae: Loxosceles), with a description of a new Callidosoma species (Trombidiformes: Erythraeidae).

This study reports a symbiotic association between an unknown species of Loxosceles (Araneae: Sicariidae) and the adults of a new species of parasitengone mite that lives on their web in Brazilian caves. This mite is described as Callidosoma cassiculophylla sp. nov. (Parasitengona: Erythraeidae). The symbiotic association is clearly beneficial for the mite, which lives with the spider, and feeds on prey captured by their webs, without any aggressive behavior or expulsion of the mites by the spiders.

A new species of the genus Achaemenothrombium (Acari: Achaemenothrombiidae) from Iran.

Achaemenothrombium dariusi Saboori, Wohltmann & Hakimitabar sp. nov. (Acari, Prostigmata: Trombidioidea) is described and illustrated from larvae ectoparasitic on Euxoafallax (Eversmann) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from Sirch and Cheshmeh Bondar, Kerman province, Iran. It is the third species of this genus, which is recorded only from Iran. The status of this small family is discussed and a key to species of A chaemenothrombium (larvae) is presented.

Endoparasitic mites of the genus Endotrombicula Ewing, 1931 (Acari: Prostigmata: Parasitengona: Trombiculidae) from African and Madagascan anurans, with description of a new species.

A sample of over 6,000 specimens of frogs belonging to about 120 species of all families occurring in West Africa and Madagascar were screened for parasitic mites. Three species of Endotrombicula Ewing, 1931 were found in representatives of two African and two Madagascan frog families. All Trombiculidae found in African frogs belonged to Endotrombicula pillersi (Sambon, 1928), whereas in Madagascar E. madagascariensis (Sambon, 1928) and E. ptychadenae sp. n. were sampled. These three species are described, data about their parasitic associations are provided, and their zoogeographical distribution is discussed. Only those frog species that spend a considerable time in terrestrial ground habitats were parasitized; neither arboreal nor strictly aquatic frogs were infected. The geographic distribution of Endotrombicula, restricted to Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and Madagascar, suggests that these mites invaded Madagascar from the African continent. This is supported by the observation that the ancestors of Ptychadena mascareniensis (Duméril et Bibron) (Ptychadenidae), the host of E. ptychadenae, colonized Madagascar from the African continent quite recently, possibly accompanied by its Endotrombicula parasites.