Identification, seasonality, and body attachment location and nomenclature of parasitic water mites (Trombidiformes: Arrenuridae) on Anopheles crucians sensu lato, Anopheles quadrimaculatus sensu lato, and Culex erraticus (Diptera: Culicidae) from a North Florida botanical garden.

Water mites (Hydrachnidia) commonly parasitize mosquitoes; however, the nature of these parasitic interactions remains poorly understood. We sampled mites collected from mosquitoes taken from CDC light traps placed in a botanical garden in Northern Florida from April to November 2022. Mites were found almost exclusively parasitizing the mosquitoes, Anopheles crucians sensu lato (Wiedemann, 1828), Anopheles quadrimaculatus sensu lato (Say, 1824), and Culex erraticus (Dyar and Knab, 1906). All sampled mites were of the genus Arrenurus. Further identification proved to be impossible given the available resources. Seasonality of the mites corresponded with the seasonality of their hosts, with the highest numbers being recorded in May and September. Nomenclature for mite attachment sites on mosquitoes was developed and provided. Mites most commonly attached to the second abdominal segments of all sampled mosquitoes with varied positions around the segment depending on mosquito species. We found significance for the relationship between the abdominal segment mites attached to and what position on the segment mites would take for Cx. erraticus, which indicates a preference of attaching directly underneath the second and fourth abdominal segments. Such a relationship was not found for either Anopheles species.

Annotated checklist of Georgian oribatid mites-II.

The checklist of oribatid mites from Georgia is updated using sampling data from more than 230 locations during field works conducted between 2016 and 2022. We report 32 species of oribatid mites, sixteen of them were collected between 2017 and 2019, six were missing in Checklist I, while eleven species are new records for the country. The genus Ameronothrus was found in Georgia for the first time, but could not be identified to species level. Additional information about the distribution of Epilohmannia styriaca Schuster, 1960, Sphaerozetes orbicularis (C.L. Koch, 1835) and Fuscozetes fuscipes (C.L. Koch, 1844) is given. For each species we provide notes about regional and global distribution as well as information about their ecology. This list brings the number of identified species known for Georgia up to 563.

Checklist of Indian mites in the family Laelapidae (Acari: Mesostigmata).

Laelapidae Canestrini, 1891 is one of the most diverse mite families in the order Mesostigmata, but the Indian fauna of this family is very poorly known. This paper is a checklist of the known species of Laelapidae recorded from India, with a summary of the available information on the distribution and biology of each species. The known fauna includes 66 species in 21 genera, plus seven species whose generic placement is unresolved and a number of others that lack validly published descriptions.

Taxonomic Diversity of the Quill Mites of the Family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) Associated With Old World Parrots (Psittaciformes: Psittaculidae).

The quill mite fauna of the family Syringophilidae Lavoipierre, 1953 (Acariformes: Prostigmata) associated with parrots (Aves: Psittaciformes) are reviewed. Seven new species are described: Pipicobia cyclopsitta Marciniak-Musial, Hromada & Sikora sp. nov. from the Double-Eyed Fig-Parrot Cyclopsitta diophthalma in Papua New Guinea; P. fuscata Marciniak-Musial, Hromada & Sikora sp. nov. from the Dusky Lory Pseudeos fuscata in Papua New Guinea; P. tahitiana Marciniak-Musial, Hromada & Sikora sp. nov. from the Blue Lorikeet Vini peruviana in Tahiti (French Polynesia); P. malherbi Marciniak-Musial, Hromada & Sikora sp. nov. from the Malherbe's Parakeet Cyanoramphus malherbi in New Zealand; Lawrencipicobia eclectus Marciniak-Musial, Hromada & Sikora sp. nov. from the Eclectus Parrot Eclectus roratus in Papua New Guinea; Neoaulobia pseudeos Marciniak-Musial, Hromada & Sikora sp. nov. from the Dusky Lory Pseudeos fuscata in Papua New Guinea; and N. Skorackii Marciniak-Musial, Hromada & Sikora sp. nov. from the Eastern Rosella Platycercus eximius in Australia.

Taxonomy of European Damaeidae (Acari, Oribatida) XI. European species of the genus Piribelba Miko 2021: redescriptions of P. rossica (Bulanova-Zachvatkina, 1957) and P. piriformis (Mihelcic, 1964) using morphology and DNA sequence data.

Two closely related species of the genus Piribelba (Oribatida, Damaeidae) are redescribed based on morphology of adults and developmental instars. Redescription of P. rossica (Bulanova-Zachvatkina, 1957) is based on specimens collected in Russia, including specimens identified by Bulanova-Zachvatkina; redescription of P. piriformis (Mihelcic, 1964) is based on specimens collected in Europe, including Mihelcic's types. COX1 sequence barcoding of P. piriformis and P. rossica indicated that they are distinct species, having 12.0% uncorrected p-distances and 13.3% Kimura two-parameter distances (K2P). Based on the morphological and genetical differences, the synonymy of P. rossica and P. piriformis is rejected. A key to known species of Piribelba is provided.

Mite fauna on transgenic soybean in an experimental station in western Bahia, Brazil

The aim of this study was to identify mite fauna associated with soybean crops and to report new species of the Monsoy 8349 IPRO variety in the municipality of Luís Eduardo Magalhães, western region of Bahia. Samplings were performed in an area with transgenic soybeans, subdivided into three treatments: T01, with no use of agricultural pesticides; T02, complete package of pesticides, except for acaricides; and T03, complete package of pesticides including acaricides. Twenty plants were selected per treatment at each sampling; one apical, one median, and one basal leaf were collected from each plant, totaling 60 leaves per treatment. A total of 1,292 mites were found, belonging to three families, five genera, and six species. The major phytophagous mite species found were Mononychellus planki McGregor and Tetranychus urticae Koch, while the major predatory mites found were Neoseiulus transversus Denmark & Muma and Euseius concordis Chant.

Molecular phylogeny of Phyllocoptes associated with roses discloses the presence of a new species.

There are few plant maladies as devastating as rose rosette, a disease caused by an eriophyoid -transmitted virus. Rosette annihilates roses across North America, and to date, there is a single verified vector of the virus, Phyllocoptes fructiphilus Keifer. In direct contrast to the importance of rose for the ornamental industry there is limited knowledge on the eriophyoids that inhabit roses in North America and even less information on their vectoring capacities. This study dissects the genetic diversity of the eriophyoid fauna in rosette-affected hotspots and provides evidence of the existence of an undescribed species named Phyllocoptes arcani sp. nov., that could potentially be a second vector of the rosette virus.

A dataset of distribution and diversity of blood-sucking mites in China.

Mite-borne diseases, such as scrub typhus and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, present an increasing global public health concern. Most of the mite-borne diseases are caused by the blood-sucking mites. To present a comprehensive understanding of the distributions and diversity of blood-sucking mites in China, we derived information from peer-reviewed journal articles, thesis publications and books related to mites in both Chinese and English between 1978 and 2020. Geographic information of blood-sucking mites' occurrence and mite species were extracted and georeferenced at the county level. Standard operating procedures were applied to remove duplicates and ensure accuracy of the data. This dataset contains 6,443 records of mite species occurrences at the county level in China. This geographical dataset provides an overview of the species diversity and wide distributions of blood-sucking mites, and can potentially be used in distribution prediction of mite species and risk assessment of mite-borne diseases in China.

Global distribution and host range of the endoparasitic mite genus Locustacarus (Acari: Podapolipidae) with description of a new species from Iran parasitizing grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae).

Mites (Acari) represent important parasites for a diverse range of hosts. Within the Acari, the Prostigmata represent a diverse suborder of the order Trombidiformes with about 20 000 species, including parasitic forms on both vertebrates and invertebrates. Within the Prostigmata, the genus Locustacarus (Heterostigmata: Podapolipidae) is particularly known as an intratracheal parasite of bumblebees and grasshoppers. In a survey on prostigmatic mites (Acari: Trombidiformes: Prostigmata) associated with insects in the eastern parts of Iran, one new species of the endoparasitic Locustacarus was collected associated to the grasshopper Aiolopus thalassinus (Fabricius) (Orthoptera: Acrididae). This new species, Locustacarus aiolopi Rahmatzaei & Hajiqanbar n. sp., is described here and compared morphologically with other species of the genus. This new species represents the first record of a grasshopper-associated Locustacarus species in the Palearctic. We further provide a comprehensive review of the global distribution of this genus as well as its host range.

A checklist of bat-associated macronyssid mites (Acari: Gamasina: Macronyssidae) of Russia, with new host and geographical records.

The family Macronyssidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) comprises mostly obligate blood-sucking ectoparasites of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) and some other animals, such as small mammals, reptiles and birds. Here, we document and curate previously known data, and, based on our extensive survey, provide this article of bat-associated macronyssid mites of the Russian Federation. We record a total of 24 mite species belonging to 4 genera (Ichoronyssus, Macronyssus, Steatonyssus, and Cryptonyssus). Twenty-seven new host-parasite associations are reported. In addition, were provide data on five major Russian regions, for which bat-associated mite records were lacking.

A new species of Neoparaphytoseius (Acari: Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) from Brazil, with a review of the genus.

Neoparaphytoseius Chant McMurtry is a genus in the family Phytoseiidae, subfamily Amblyseiinae. The genus includes only two known species from Brazil and Peru, and the third is described here. Neoparaphytoseius caatinga n. sp. is described from the Caatinga biome of Alagoas State, where it was found on Croton blanchetianus Baill (Euphorbiaceae). The new species is compared with the closely related species, Neoparaphytoseius charapa Jiménez, McMurtry Moraes, and N. sooretamus (El-Banhawy). An identification key for the species of this genus is provided, based on the examination of the type specimens.

Description of a new water mite species of the genus Thyopsis (Protz, 1899) (Acari, Hydrachnidia: Hydryphantidae) from Kazakhstan.

The world fauna of the genus Thyopsis Piersig, 1899 currently includes the following species: Th. amarginata Habeeb, 1963, Th. cancellata (Protz, 1896), Th. cancellatomima Bader, 1983, Th. majorella Habeeb, 1975, Th. oezkani Bader, 1983 and Th. rothae Oezkan, 1982 (Bader 1983). However, the taxonomic status of Th. cancellatomima remains not clear, Gerecke Schwoerbel (1992) regarded this species as a junior synonym of Th. cancellata.

Systematics, distribution and morphology of the newt parasitic water mites of the subgenus Lurchibates Goldschmidt amp; Fu, 2011 (Acari, Hydrachnidia, Hygrobatidae, Hygrobates Koch, 1837), including the description of four new species and a key to all so far known species.

Four new water mite species of the genus Hygrobates, subgenus Lurchibates (Acari, Hydrachnidia, Hygrobatidae) are described. Hygrobates (Lurchibates) macrochela sp. nov. Goldschmidt, Nishikawa Shimano is described in male and female; Hygrobates (Lurchibates) malosimilis sp. nov. Goldschmidt, Nishikawa Shimano is described in male, both new water mite species were collected from newts of the species Pachytriton inexpectatus Nishikawa, Jiang, Matsui Mo, 2011; Hygrobates (Lurchibates) incognitus sp. nov. Goldschmidt, Nishikawa Shimano is described in female collected from newts of the species Paramesotriton guangxiensis (Huang, Tang and Tang, 1983); Hygrobates (Lurchibates) fragmentarius sp. nov. Goldschmidt, Nishikawa Shimano is described in a single severely fragmented specimen (sex could not be determined) collected from a newt of the species Paramesotriton yunwuensis Wu, Jiang, and Hanken, 2010. Principal differences between the subgenus Lurchibates and the nominal subgenus Hygrobates s. str. are illustrated and discussed as well as the sexual dimorphism of Lurchibates. Morphometric analyses confirmed the morphological differences of ten out of the eleven so far described species (H. (L.) fragmentarius could not be included in the analysis); two morphological groups became evident mainly based upon the shape of the anterior coxae. These analyses as well provide an idea of possible phylogenetic relationships among the species. A key to all currently known species of the subgenus Lurchibates is given. So far the subgenus is restricted to SE-Asia, a map showing the distribution of all species is presented.

Malgacheliodes martensi spec. nov. (Acari, Oribatida, Licnodamaeidae) from South Africa.

The genus Malgacheliodes is recorded in South Africa for the first time. Malgacheliodes martensi spec. nov. is described from soil of Hogsback State Forest, Eastern Cape Province. Adults of the new species differ from those of Malgacheliodes guillaumeti by the presence of ribs and furrows in the aggenital region, bacilliform leg tracheae, rounded ventral keel on leg I femur and four pairs of notogastral setae (h1 absent); while its tritonymph differs from that of M. guillaumeti by the presence of five pairs of gastronotic setae (c1 absent). The generic diagnosis of Malgacheliodes is updated. The differences in morphology of the tritonymphal instar in Malgacheliodes and other genera of Licnodamaeidae are presented.

Two new species of Gaeolaelaps Evans amp; Till (Acari: Laelapidae) from the Andes Mountains, Peru.

Two new species of mites in the genus Gaeolaelaps (Laelapidae) are described from specimens collected from soil-litter in the Peruvian Andes G. acanthopedus sp. nov. and G. andensis sp. nov.. Both species are consistent with the current concept of the genus Gaeolaelaps Evans Till. The genus Gaeolaelaps is reported for the first time from Peru.

A new water mite species of the Hygrobates fluviatilis-complex from Russia (Acari, Hydrachnidia, Hygrobatidae).

The Hygrobates fluviatilis-complex includes the following ten species:H. fluviatilis (Ström, 1768), H.arenarius Smit Pesic, 2017, H.corsicus Pesic Smit, 2017, H. marezaensis Pesic Dabert, 2017,H. turcicus Pesic, Esen Dabert, 2017, H. persicus Pesic Asadi, 2017, H. grabowskii Pesic, Saboori, Zawal Dabert, 2019,H. ulii Pesic, Saboori, Zawal Dabert, 2019, H. balcanicus Pesic, 2020 and H. mediterraneus Pesic, 2020 (Pesic et al. 2017, 2019, 2020, respectively).This paper gives the description of one further new species of the genus, based on material collected by the author in running waters of the European part of Russia. The material was sampled with a hand net with 250 µm mesh side. Specimens were not fixed in Koenike liquid, but slides were made from fresh material. Idiosomal setae are named according to Tuzovskij (1987). The following abbreviations are used: H-height, L-length; ml-medial length, n-number of specimens measured; P-1-5, pedipalp segments (trochanter, femur, genu, tibia and tarsus); W-width; I-IV-Leg-16, first leg, segments 16 (trochanter, basifemur, telofemur, genu, tibia and tarsus) i.e. III-Leg-3 = genu of third leg.All measurements are given in micrometers(µm), length of appendage segments is given as dorsal length. The type material is deposited in the collection of the Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters (Borok, Russia).

Contrasting species diversification of Eutarsopolipus (Acariformes: Podapolipidae) on Castelnaudia and Notonomus (Coleoptera: Carabidae).

Eutarsopolipus (Acari: Podapolipidae) is a large genus of mites parasitic in the subelytral space of carabid beetles. Herein, I explore the species radiations of Eutarsopolipus on the pterostichine genera Castelnaudia and Notonomus found in the rainforests of eastern Australia. Castelnaudia has an extraordinary radiation of podapolipid mite species, with most beetle species carrying multiple species of mites unique to each host. In contrast, each Notonomus species had just one species of Eutarsopolipus (with the exception of a single male mite of another species), and in four of the five host species examined, the single mite species could not be distinguished from each other. The host beetles and their new mite species are: Castelnaudia cordata with E. hebronae sp. nov., E. osculum sp. nov. and E. umbonatus sp. nov.; Castelnaudia eungella with E. savatus sp. nov.; Castelnaudia marginifera with E. labiatus sp. nov.; Castelnaudia mixta with E. mixtus sp. nov.; Castelnaudia porphyriaca with E. basiatus sp. nov., E. despoticus sp. nov. and E. teuceri sp. nov.; Castelnaudia septemcostata with E. nahmani sp. nov. and E. raveni sp. nov.; Castelnaudia setosiceps with E. hadros sp. nov.; Notonomus aurifer, N. dimorphicus, N. flos and N. spurgeoni with E. janus sp. nov.; and Notonomus transitus with E. biuncatus sp. nov. All the described species from Castelnaudia were from the ochoai species group, and the species on Notonomus were from the leytei species group. Ten additional undescribed species were also found on these hosts, all in numbers insufficient for description: nine from Castelnaudia (ochoai and pterostichi species groups) and one from Notonomus (undetermined species group). Synhospitality was common on Castelnaudia, with four species of Eutarsopolipus on C. cordata, C. eungella, C. porphyriaca and three on C. septemcostata. Co-infestation was also common, with one-third of infested beetles hosting two or more species of Eutarsopolipus. I speculate that the greater longevity and slower speciation rates of Castelnaudia have permitted more successful host-switching and speciation of its parasites.

The first record of the water mite genus Ljania Thor, 1898 (Acari, Hydrachnidiae, Aturidae) from China, with description of two new species.

This is the first record of the genus Ljania Thor, 1898 (Axonopsinae, Aturidae, Hydrachnidiae, Acari) from China. Two new species, Ljania jini sp. nov. and Ljania guangxiensis sp. nov., are described from Guangxi Province, P. R. China. The new detections bring the total number of Chinese aturid mites to eleven species, representing seven genera.

Two new water mite species of the Sperchon tridentatus-group from Asia (Acari, Hydrachnidia, Sperchontidae).

In the present study a description of two new species of the Sperchon tridentatus-group from Asia is presented. An identification key is given for the known species of the group.

A new genus and two new species of melicharid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) associated with wood-decaying fungi and mycophagous erotylid beetles (Coleoptera: Erotylidae) in Europe.

We describe a new genus in the mite family Melicharidae, Mycomelichares Masán Joharchi gen. nov., to accommodate two new species, Mycomelichares polypori Masán Joharchi sp. nov. and Mycomelichares reductus Masán Joharchi sp. nov. on the basis of specimens collected on wood-decaying fungi and/or mycophagous beetles of the genera Triplax Herbst and Tritoma Fabricius (Coleoptera: Erotylidae) in Slovakia and European part of Russia, respectively. Moreover, two previously described Proctolaelaps species-P. cyllodi Samsinák, 1960 and P. slovacus Masán, 1998 are transferred to the newly established genus. The new genus is characterized by specific characters in tritosternum (enlarged and brush-shaped, having their laciniae thickened, basaly fused and distally densely pilose), chelicerae (slightly dish-shaped digits with long, narrow and sharp denticles), ventral hypostome (setae h1 enlarged, thickened and distally flattened), setation (tendency towards placement of R series setae on soft integument, and reduction of some setae on idiosoma and legs), and unusual ecological specialisation on fungal substrates. Mycomelichares polypori sp. nov. is adapted to the life in sporophores of the basidiomycete bracket fungus, Polyporus squamosus (Polyporaceae). Mites of this species can be abundantly found on the lower fertile surface of the fungus, including large spore-bearing pores. Furthermore, keys to the melicharid genera reported from Palaearct, and the species of the genus are provided.