Distribution of chigger mites (Acari: Trombiculidae) over hosts, parasitopes, collection localities, and seasons in northern Iran.

We studied the distribution of chigger mite species over mammal hosts, attachment sites on the host body, habitats, and seasons in Iran. The study was based on 2155 specimens of 36 chigger species collected from 10 species of Muridae, Cricetidae, and Soricidae across six provinces of northern Iran. A high level of mixed infestation by chiggers was recorded-76% of hosts parasitized by chiggers were infested by more than one (2-8) species. Statistically significant differences in the preference for anterior and posterior parts of the host body were found. Three species-Neotrombicula lubrica, N. delijani, and Cheladonta firdousii-preferred the posterior part of the host body; 12 species were characterized by the occurrence in the anterior part and differed from one another by the frequency of presence in the posterior part. One species, Hirsutiella alpina, was found only in the anterior part of the host body (inside the ears of rodents). The most diverse chigger fauna was on the fringe of Golestan National Park (species richness = 21, Shannon-Wiener index = 2.823). The chigger fauna of the high-mountain localities on the Alborz Range was the least diverse (species richness = 16, Shannon-Wiener index = 2.439). The seasonal aspect of activity was evident for Neotrombicula elegans, which exposed the autumn-winter period of the occurrence on hosts, and N. vernalis, with the winter-spring peak of abundance.

A checklist of Acari type specimens deposited in the Jalal Afshar Zoological Museum, Karaj, Iran.

A checklist of the Acari type specimens deposited in the Jalal Afshar Zoological Museum (JAZM), Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran is given. From a total of 451 type specimens (which comprises 166 valid species names) cited in the list, 164 are available and two are lost. Based on the comparison of these type specimens, the following taxonomic change is proposed in this paper: Erythraeus (Zaracarus) ueckermanni is considered as a valid species and is not a junior synonym of Erythraeus (Zaracarus) budapestensis.

New records of water mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) from Iran with the description of one new species based on morphology and DNA barcodes.

In this study, based on morphology and DNA barcodes, new records of water mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) collected in August 2017 in North Iran are presented. Hydrodroma golestanica n. sp. (Hydrodromidae) is described as new for science. We also resurrect three previously synonymized species: Sperchon amuzgari Bader Sepasgosarian, 1979 (Sperchontidae), Monatractides persicus Pei Saboori, 2004 and Torrenticola baueri Bader Sepasgozarian, 1987 (Torrenticolidae).

Contributions to the fauna of chigger mites (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) of Iran.

Chigger mites of northern Iran were studied on the basis of field collections from rodent hosts. Thirty-five species were recorded. Two new species, Cheladonta afshari Stekolnikov and Shamsi sp. nov., collected on Apodemus sp. in Guilan and Mazandaran Provinces, and Neotrombicula tehranensis Stekolnikov and Shamsi sp. nov., collected on Cricetulus migratorius and Chionomys sp. in Tehran Province, are described. One new synonym is established: Neotrombicula vernalis (Willmann, 1942) (= Neotrombicula kermani Kudryashova, 1977 syn. nov.). Seventeen species were recorded in Iran for the first time; thus, the number of known Iranian chiggers constitutes 104. The record of Neotrombicula autumnalis (Shaw, 1790) in Iran is important from the veterinarian and medical points of view, as this species attacks humans and domestic animals.

The second species of Biskratrombium (Trombidiformes: Microtrombidiidae) ectoparasitic on phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) from Iran.

A new species of Biskratrombium (Trombidiformes: Microtrombidiidae), B. persicumn. sp. is described and illustrated, from Fars province, southern Iran. Biskratrombium persicum larvae are ectoparasites of the adults of Phlebotomus (Paraphlebotomus) alexandri (Sinton, 1928), P. (Phlebotomus) papatasi (Scopoli, 1786) and Sergentomyia (Sergentomyia) mervynae (Pringle, 1953) (Diptera: Psychodidae). Fars province is considered as a significant focus of leishmaniasis, a disease which is mostly associated with rural areas; these areas offer favorable habitats to the phlebotomine sandflies due to limited sanitation. This study was performed to identify the natural enemies of sandflies (as leishmania disease vectors) in this region. In this research, B. persicum larvae were removed from their sandfly hosts collected from foci of leishmaniasis (e.g., sheep and goat keeping locations) using sticky traps. Also, the abundance of sandflies infested with the parasitic mite was calculated. Some morphological abnormalities in the species are noted and world parasitengone mites parasitizing phlebotomine sandflies are reviewed.

A new species of Adamystis (Acari: Trombidiformes: Adamystidae) from Iran.

A new species, Adamystis ekaterinae Ghasemi-Moghadam Saboori sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on adult females collected from soil in the Chitgar Forest Park, Iran. This new species is distinguished by having dimpled vacuoles between sci and sce on lateral propodosoma; one pair of eyes associated with postocular bodies; smooth dorsal idiosomal shield; setae h1, h2, ps1 and ps2 on smooth platelets and lacking lens like structures.

Inter- and intraspecific variability of morphological and molecular characters in Allothrombium species, with special reference to Allothrombium fuliginosum.

Morphology-based identification of Allothrombium spp., in view of the limited knowledge of intraspecific variation, hinders the recognition of species borders and affects the views on the actual distribution of species. Therefore, identification will benefit from reference to molecular methods. The separate species identity of specimens putatively representing Allothrombium fuliginosum and A. pulvinum, both reported as widely distributed in the Palaearctic region and considered as potential biological control agents, was checked using morphological and molecular analyses. The representatives of various Allothrombium spp. collected in the Palaearctic were included in the analysis in order to ascertain the distance between species. The results of the morphological examination, supported by statistical inference, along with the comparison of COI and/or ITS2 sequences, weaken the hypothesis of synoccurrence of both species in the Palaearctic region. Hence, we hypothesize that A. fuliginosum is widely distributed in the Palaearctic, whereas A. pulvinum should be regarded a Nearctic species.

Chigger mites (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) of Iran.

Chigger mites of Iran have been revised based on examination of type materials in the collection of Zoological Museum of Moscow University and reference data. Hitherto, 85 species of trombiculids were recorded in Iran; synonymy, diagnoses, data on depositories of type specimens, lists of hosts and collection localities are given for each species. Original measurements of holotypes or paratypes are provided for 46 species. Four new combinations are proposed: Ornithogastia merops (Vercammen-Grandjean, Rohde and Mesghali, 1970) comb. nov., transferred from Guntherana; O. oenanthe (Vercammen-Grandjean, Rohde and Mesghali, 1970) comb. nov., transferred from Guntherana; Microtrombicula galerida (Vercammen-Grandjean, Rohde and Mesghali, 1970), comb. nov., transferred from Eltonella; and M. meriones (Vercammen-Grandjean, Rohde and Mesghali, 1970), comb. nov., transferred from Eltonella. Comparison of our measurements of holotypes with those given in the original species descriptions published by Kudryashova was carried out using statistical methods to establish probable systematic bias between metric data obtained by different researchers. A key to species of Iranian trombiculid larvae is compiled. With the use of public geoinformation online resources, actual names and coordinates were established for all 48 sites of Iran where chigger mites were collected.

Genetic variability and pyrethroid susceptibility of the parasitic honey bee mite Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) in Iran.

The ectoparasitic honey bee mite Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman (Acari: Varroidae) is one of the major concerns for worldwide beekeeping. The use of synthetic pyrethroids for controlling the mite was among the most popular treatments until resistance evolved in the mid 1990's. In Iran, beekeepers are dealing with the parasite and they also used pyrethroids for controlling the mite for a long time. After the evolution of resistance to pyrethroids, they based mite control mostly on treatments with amitraz, organic acids and several management practices. Here we conducted a comprehensive characterization of V. destructor populations parasitizing Apis mellifera in Iran. We determined the genetic variability of mites collected from 28 localities distributed throughout the country. The haplotype of V. destructor was determined by PCR-RFLP, analyzing a fragment of the mitochondrial cox1 gene. It was found that only the Korean haplotype was present in samples from all localities. DNA fragments from cox1, atp6, cox3 and cytb mitochondrial genes were sequenced and the results showed that all samples were identical to the K1-1 or the K1-2 V. destructor haplotypes. Moreover, as it has been reported that resistance to pyrethroids in V. destructor is associated with mutations at position 925 of the voltage-gated sodium channel, a TaqMan®-based allelic discrimination assay was conducted to genotype the mites collected. The results showed that all the mites tested were homozygous for the wild-type allele and, therefore, susceptible to treatment with pyrethroids.

A faunistic review of the Iranian species of Sphingonotus (Orthoptera, Oedipodinae) with an online key to species.

Sphingonotus is a species-rich genus of band-winged grasshoppers (Oedipodinae), comprising more than 170 species, with its diversity hotspots in the Mediterranean, and in Central and Eastern Asia. Iran represents one of the countries with the highest species diversity for the genus with a total of 31 recorded species. However, no study so far has provided a faunistic overview and no identification keys are available. Here, we present an annotated list of all Sphingonotus species found in Iran derived from records from field observations, museum collections and literature data. Based on morphological and distribution data we synonymize Sphingonotus intutus Saussure, 1888 syn. nov. under Sphingonotus nebulosus persa Saussure, 1884 and Sphingonotus obscuratus transcaspicus Uvarov, 1925 syn. nov. under Sphingonotus obscuratus brunneri Saussure, 1884. We present images of representative specimens (mostly types) of all species, as well as distribution maps and ecological data. Finally, we provide an online key to all known species of Sphingonotus from Iran, which will continuously be updated.

The spider genus Pterotricha in Iran, with the description of a new genus (Araneae, Gnaphosidae).

The spider genus Pterotricha Kulczynski, 1903 (Gnaphosidae) is surveyed in Iran. To date, three species of this genus were known in the country: P.loeffleri (Roewer, 1955), P.lentiginosa (C. L. Koch, 1837) and P.pseudoparasyriaca Nuruyeva & Huseynov, 2016. Here two new species are described, P.kovblyuki Zamani & Marusik, sp. n. (♂, western Iran) and P.montana Zamani & Marusik, sp. n. (♀, central and southwestern Iran), and P.cf.dalmasi Fage, 1929 (from Algeria to Jordan) is reported in Iran for the first time. Pterotrichatikaderi Gajbe, 1983 syn. n. (India) and P.loeffleri (Roewer, 1955), syn. n. are synonymized with P.strandi Spassky, 1936 (hitherto known from Turkmenistan only). The record of P.lentiginosa from Iran is apparently based on misidentification. A distribution map of the genus in Iran with new provincial records is provided. In addition, Iranotricha Zamani & Marusik, gen. n., a new genus closely related to Pterotricha, is described from southeastern Iran with the type species I.lutensis Zamani & Marusik, sp. n.

Redescription of two species of Oplitis Berlese (Acari, Mesostigmata, Oplitidae) from Iran.

Two new species records of Oplitidae, Oplitis exopodi Hunter & Farrier, 1975 and Oplitis sarcinulus Hunter & Farrier, 1976 are redescribed based on Iranian specimens from leaf-litter forest in Mazandaran province, northern Iran. A key to the Iranian species of Oplitis is presented.

The genus Pachyseius Berlese, 1910 in Iran (Acari: Pachylaelapidae).

A new pachylaelapid mite Pachyseius persicus Babaeian & Masán sp. nov. is described and illustrated, based on adult females collected from litter and soil detritus of forest habitat in Northern Iran (Mazandaran Province). The new species can be easily distinguished from the other congeners by the following female character states: (1) presternal shields absent; (2) sternal shield coarsely punctate-reticulate over entire surface; (3) ventrianal shield with four pairs of pre-anal setae; (4) post-stigmatic section of peritrematal shields terminally rounded, reaching slightly beyond the coxae IV; (5) exopodal shields II-III free, exopodal shields III-IV fused to posterior section of peritrematal shields; (6) idiosoma with 11 pairs of setae in soft integument; (7) trochanter I with five setae, tarsus II with three spur-like setae, tarsus IV with 17 setae. Two species of Pachyseius previously reported from Iran, namely Pachyseius angustus Hyatt, 1956 and Pachyseius humeralis Berlese, 1910, are reviewed and discussed, respectively, and both records are considered to be based on misidentifications.

Revision of the genus Pollux (Acari: Erythraeidae) and redescription of P. kovalamicus.

Pollux kovalamicus Haitlinger, 2002 is redescribed based on the holotype and three additional specimens (larvae) collected from Iran (Sistan and Baluchistan Province) and Pakistan. It is the first report of the genus from Iran. The following character states from the original description are corrected: scutum and scutalae AL and PL present, ML absent, 4n setae on BFe I (3 in original description), microseta on Ge I and II and Ti I present (absent in original description); companion seta (z) and famulus on Ta I and II present (absent in original description). Pollux walii Kamran et al., 2010 is herein considered to be a junior synonym of P. kovalamicus. A key to the world species of Pollux is given.

Drastic underestimation of amphipod biodiversity in the endangered Irano-Anatolian and Caucasus biodiversity hotspots.

Biodiversity hotspots are centers of biological diversity and particularly threatened by anthropogenic activities. Their true magnitude of species diversity and endemism, however, is still largely unknown as species diversity is traditionally assessed using morphological descriptions only, thereby ignoring cryptic species. This directly limits evidence-based monitoring and management strategies. Here we used molecular species delimitation methods to quantify cryptic diversity of the montane amphipods in the Irano-Anatolian and Caucasus biodiversity hotspots. Amphipods are ecosystem engineers in rivers and lakes. Species diversity was assessed by analysing two genetic markers (mitochondrial COI and nuclear 28S rDNA), compared with morphological assignments. Our results unambiguously demonstrate that species diversity and endemism is dramatically underestimated, with 42 genetically identified freshwater species in only five reported morphospecies. Over 90% of the newly recovered species cluster inside Gammarus komareki and G. lacustris; 69% of the recovered species comprise narrow range endemics. Amphipod biodiversity is drastically underestimated for the studied regions. Thus, the risk of biodiversity loss is significantly greater than currently inferred as most endangered species remain unrecognized and/or are only found locally. Integrative application of genetic assessments in monitoring programs will help to understand the true magnitude of biodiversity and accurately evaluate its threat status.

Two new Bdellidae (Trombidiformes: Bdelloidea) from Iran and the status of Neobiscirus Gomelauri, 1963.

Two new Bdellidae, Biscirus iranensis Paktinat-Saeej & Bagheri sp. nov. and Bdella farabii Paktinat-Saeej & Bagheri sp. nov., are described from northern Iran. The monotypic genus Neobiscirus considered a junior synonym of Biscirus, and its only species therefore considered Biscirus kobachidzei (Gomelauri, 1963) comb. nov.

A new species of Geholaspis Berlese (Acari: Mesostigmata: Macrochelidae) from Northern Iran.

Geholaspis (Geholaspis) pennulatus sp. nov. is described from females and males collected from forest leaf litter in Northern Iran. The new species can be easily recognised by its barbed setae j2 and z1, dorsal shield seta j5 located posterior to j6 and z6, a very wide ventri-anal shield, and the shape of the epistome. Geholaspis (G.) comelicensis Lombardini, 1962 is considered as a junior synonym of G. (G.) pauperior (Berlese, 1918). A new key for the separation of females of known species of Geholaspis (Geholaspis) is presented.

Two new species and one new record of larvae of the family Johnstonianidae (Acari: Prostigmata) from Iran with a key to species of the genus Diplothrombium.

Diplothrombium sahragardi sp. nov. and Diplothrombium ostovani sp. nov. (Acari: Johnstonianidae) collected from soil samples (off host) in a forest near Asalem city (Iran) are described. Another species of this family Johnstoniana parva Wendt, Wohltmann, Eggers and Otto, 1994 is reported for the first time from Iran. A larva-based key to Diplothrombium is provided.

Olfactory response of Phytoseiulus persimilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) to untreated and Beauveria bassiana-treated Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae).

Determination of attraction and avoidance behavior of predators is important in concomitant use of multiple natural enemies to control a pest. The olfactory response of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis was studied to odors related to Tetranychus urticae adults infected by Beauveria bassiana DEBI008 in 0, 24, 48 and 72 h intervals, both in absence and in presence of plants. In plant-present experiments, P. persimilis attraction was neither towards adults of T. urticae infected by 0.02 % Tween 80 (as control), nor to the ones infected by B. bassiana for 0 or 24 h, whereas significant attraction towards the control was observed when tested against T. urticae infected by B. bassiana for 48 or 72 h. In absence of plants, P. persimilis displayed significant avoidance of T. urticae infected by B. bassiana for 48 or 72 h, when their alternative option was 0.02 % Tween 80-infected T. urticae adults. These results indicate that P. persimilis can recognize the presence of B. bassiana and that the predator avoids the fungus. This suggests that the two natural enemy species can be used together in biological control programmes.

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.