Fauna of Cheyletidae (Acari: Trombidiformes) mites in different habitats of central part of Guilan Province and determination of dominant species

Fauna of cheyletid mites (Cheyletidae) in central part of Guilan Province, northern Iran, was studied during 2016-2017. The abundance and dominant indices of collected species were also evaluated in five habitats including stored rice products, decayed plant material, plant leaf, soil and livestock and poultry manure. In this research, totally 19 species belong to 8 genera and 5 tribes were collected and identified. An identification key to genera and species of cheyletid mites in Guilan Province is provided. Stored rice products with 73.02% has the highest abundance of mites among habitats, subsequently, decayed plant material (12.82%), livestock and poultry manure (6.1%), and leaf (4.41%) were in second to fourth ranks. The lowest relative abundance was observed in soil (3.64%). In comparison the frequency of species in different habitats, the highest percentage of abundance in livestock and poultry manure was due to Cheyletus malaccensis Oudemans (59.7%). Cheyletus malaccensis, Cheyletus carnifex Zachvatkin and Cheyletus eruditus (Schrank) with 41.77%, 23.59% and 19.72%, abundance respectively, have the most relative abundance among the total collected species. Based on the Simpson dominance index, the highest species dominance was due to soil (lowest diversity) and the lowest dominance was in livestock and poultry manure (the most diversity). In the Burger-Parker dominance method based on species abundance, Cheyletus malaccensis had the highest dominance in livestock and poultry manure and the lowest dominance in the soil.