Spatulaphorus geotruporum (Acari: Pygmephoridae) a new record for mites fauna of Asia, with some notes on the genus

During a comprehensive survey of the heterostigmatic mites associated with dung beetles in the hyrcanian forests, northern Iran, several colonies of the pygmephoroid mites including four species of the genus Spatulaphorus Rack, 1993, S. copridis Khaustov, 2007, S. gorganica Rahiminejad & Hajiqanbar, 2011, S. vladimiri Khaustov, 2005 and S. geotruporum Khaustov, 2005 phoretic on Geotrupes spiniger (Marsham, 1802) were found. This is the first record of S. geotruporum from Asia. Furthermore, this is the first record of phoresy of S. geotruporum on G. spiniger.