abdolazim mortazavi

A survey was carried out to investigate heterostigmatic mites associated with insects in Borujerd, Lorestan province, western Iran, in 2016. Insects were captured using light traps in the areas. Two species of the family Neopygmephoridae including Allopygmephorus spinisetus Khaustov & Sazhnev, 2016 and A. punctatus Khaustov & Sazhnev, 2016 were identified associated with beetles Drasterius bimaculatus (Rossi, 1790) (Coleoptera: Elateridae) and Augyles sp. (Col.: Heteroceridae). Both species are new records for mite fauna of Iran with the former being also new for Asia. Moreover, the association between mites of Allopygmephorus and elaterid beetles is new. A list of Iranian neopygmephorid mites is also provided.

During a faunistic survey on heterostigmatic mites (Acari: Heterostigmatina: Caraboacaridae, Podapolipidae, Microdispidae, Neopygmephoridae), associated with insects in northwestern Iran, eight species were identified. The species Eutarsopolipus harpali Khaustov & Husband, 2004 (Podapolipidae) and Petalomium pseudomyrmecophilus Mahunka, 1970 (Neopygmephoridae) are here recorded for the first time from Iran and Asia. The six remaining species are as follows: Caraboacarus stammeri Krczal, 1959 (Caraboacaridae), Coccipolipus macfarlanei Husband, 1972 (Podapolipidae), Premicrodispus rackae Khaustov, 2006 (Microdispidae), Parapygmephorus magnisetosus Khaustov & Zalozhnaya, 2011, Acinogaster microchaetosus (Sevastianov, 1967) and Petalomium gottrauxi Mahunka, 1977 (Neopygmephoridae). We have also provided a new host record along with the world distribution of the mites.

The mite species Erythraeus (Zaracarus) coleopterus sp. nov. (Acari: Parasitengona: Erythraeidae) associated with a scarabaeid beetle is described from Iran. This is the first record of association between mites of the genus Erythraeus and beetles.