Persian Journal of Acarology
Volume:7 Issue: 4, Autumn 2018

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.

Animal droppings constitute an ephemeral habitat where specialized invertebrate communities including significant abundance of mites live together. In order to study the Mesostigmata mites associated with manure, samples were taken from different manure types of domestic animals and poultry in Ahvaz and its vicinity in Khuzestan Province, southwestern of Iran, over a period of two years (2015-2017). Here we report 20 species belonging to eight families of Mesostigmata, among which 14 species are new records for the fauna of Khuzestan Province. The genus and species Leitneria pugio (Karg, 1961) is newly recorded from Iran. The genus and species were previously only recorded in Europe. Also, Uroobovella varians Hirschmann & Zirngiebl-Nicol, 1962 is recorded for the first time from Iran based on deutonymph stage. We further provide collection data for each species along with a key for known Iranian species of the genus Uroobovella.

Lassenia hemsinensis Noei, Saboori & Çobanoğlu sp. nov. (Acari: Trombidiformes: Tanaupodidae) collected from Hemşin, Rize, Turkey, on Rumex sp. (Polygonaceae) (off host) is described. A key to the species of Lassenia (larva) of the world is also provided.

This paper presents the re-description of Bdella muscorum Ewing, 1909, collected from soil and litter under apricot trees, Prunus armeniaca L. (Rosaceae), Hamedan region, Iran. Also, a key to Iranian Bdella species is provided.

The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, is one of the most economically important pests on a wide range of crops around the world. Consumption rate and functional responses of all larval stages, male and female of Stethorus gilvifrons (Mulsant) and Orius albidipennis (Rueter) to the varying densities of eggs, protonymphs and females of T. urticae were evaluated under laboratory conditions (27 ± 1 °C, 65 ± 5% RH and 16L/8D h photoperiod). Functional response type was determined by a logistic regression model. The Rogers model was used to estimate attack rate (a) and handling time (Th). The results indicated that the functional responses of different stages of two predators were type III on T. urticae eggs and type II on T. urticae protonymphs and females. The shortest handling time (Th) of both predators were observed on eggs followed by protonymphs and females of T. urticae. The highest and the lowest attack rate (a) were observed by the male and first instar larva in S. gilvifrons and female and first instar nymph in O. albidipennis respectively. The maximum daily attack rates (T/Th) were 153.5, 114.4 and 76.07 for S. gilvifrons, and 134.1, 91 and 55.3 for O. albidipennis by feeding on egg, protonymph and female T. urticae respectively. The handling time (Th) of S. gilvifrons adults were shorter than that of O. albidipennis. The results suggested that both predators exhibited suitable efficacy on all stages of T. urticae, however S. gilvifrons acted more effectively than the other predator in laboratory conditions considering higher consumption rate, shorter handling time and higher attack rate.

In the present study, occurrence of Hyalomma asiaticum on wild rodents was explored. Rodents were trapped using Sherman traps. The tick specimens were collected by forceps from the rodents. Overall, one larva and 59 nymphs of immature ticks were collected on 23 Meriones persicus from three different locations in western Iran. A 408 bp length fragment of nuclear 5.8S/internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) genes was amplified in 60 examined tick specimens using PCR, of which one sample was sequenced, successfully. The BLAST results showed 99% similarity between a new haplotype from this study and two sequences of H. asiaticum from GenBank and. Therefore, we conclude that immature stages of H. asiaticum live on M. persicus and/ or their burrows. This finding helps us to better understand tick's ecology and control tick borne diseases.