The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, is very polyphagous and considered a serious pest worldwide. The use of relatively resistant crop cultivars may limit the negative effects of this pest; we therefore compared population growth parameters of T. urticae reared on five commonly grown bean cultivars in Iran (Derakhshan, G14, Sayyad, D81, and Talash). The life table parameters were estimated at 25±1°C, 60±10% RH, and a photoperiod of 18:6 h (L:D). Egg hatchability, development time and survival to adult stage were similar among cultivars, but we detected significant variation in fecundity and longevity, resulting in large differences for population growth parameters like the intrinsic rate of natural increase (r_m), net reproductive rate (R₀), finite rate of increase (λ) and doubling time (DT). Sayyad was the most favourable host for two-spotted spider mites with r_m = 0.295 (offspring/female/day), followed by G14 (0.261), D81 (0.244) and Derakhshan (0.238). The slowest population growth was observed on the Talash variety with r_m = 0.214. These findings indicate that the choice of bean variety will affect how fast spider mite populations reach damaging levels in a culture.

The onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman, is an important polyphagous pest of vegetables and ornamentals in greenhouses. Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) is a biological control agent of spider mites that also preys on thrips. Little is known about the biology and life table of N. californicus fed on Thrips tabaci. We evaluated the development, survivorship and life-history parameters of the Boku strain of N. californicus feeding on first instar larvae of T. tabaci. Total prey consumption by protonymphs and deutonymphs were 3.85 and 3.50, respectively. Total prey consumption during the adult period in the Boku strain was 65.1 first instar larvae of T. tabaci. Ninety percent of N. californicus eggs hatched but just over 16% of newly hatched larvae attained maturity at 25°C. Developmental time was 9.00 days with T. tabaci as prey. Oviposition rate was 2.42 eggs/ female/ day. The average pre-oviposition, oviposition and post-oviposition periods were 3.54, 22 and 3.91 days, respectively. The low estimated intrinsic rate of natural increase (r_m) of N. californicus (0.041 per day with T. tabaci) was due to high juvenile mortalities.

The Neotropical tick fauna includes approximately 200 species belonging to the families Argasidae and Ixodidae. Of the 32 species reported from Cuba, 23 are argasids and nine belong to four ixodid genera (Ixodes, Amblyomma, Dermacentor, and Rhipicephalus). Ixodes capromydis, a Cuban endemic species, is the only prostriate tick, whereas Metastriata are represented by five Amblyomma (A. albopictum, A. cajennense, A. dissimile, A. quadricavum, and A. torrei), one Dermacentor (D. nitens), and two Rhipicephalus species (R. sanguineus and R. (Boophilus) microplus). Herein, we illustrate diagnostic characters and provide a taxonomic key for the Cuban adult Ixodidae based on optical and scanning electron microscopy. For each species, we provide information about the material we examined, geographical distribution, and host association.

During 2008, small mammals were captured and examined for ticks at Chipori (Gangwon Province) and Nightmare (Gyeonggi Province) Ranges near the Demilitarized Zone, Republic of Korea (ROK). Ixodes nipponensis Kitaoka and Saito (75 nymphs, 835 larvae) was collected from Apodemus agrarius (Pallas), Micromys minutus (Pallas), and Crocidura lasiura Dobson, while Ixodes pomeranzevi Serdyukova (2 females, 4 nymphs) was collected only from A. agrarius. Separately, I. pomeranzevi (15 females, 5 nymphs, 24 larvae) was collected from Tamias sibiricus (Laxmann) near Bidulginang Falls (Gyeonggi Province). This is the first record of I. pomeranzevi from Apodemus agrarius in the ROK.

Amblyseius ampullosus Wu & Lan was found in Iran for the first time in barley-covered soil taken from a farm in East Azarbaijan Province. The adult female of A. ampullosus is redescribed and illustrated. A key to the Iranian species of Amblyseius is given.

Leptus (L.) maxorata sp. n., L. (L.) tenerificus sp. n., L. (L.) edwini sp. n. and L. (L.) canaricus sp. n. are described from weevils collected in the Canary Islands. Furthermore, new hosts for L. (L.) millipedius are recorded from Madeira: the weevils Laparocerus noctivagans (Wollaston) and L. lamellipes (Wollaston), indicating this species could use several arthropods as hosts.

New records of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from Iran are reported. The first descriptions are given of the male of Nilotonia persica Pesic & Saboori, 2006 and Atractides mirkopesici Pesic, 2004; first records from Iran are given of Sperchon rostratus Lundblad, 1969 and Unionicola hankoi Szalay, 1927. Moreover, the female of Atractides nahavandii Schwoerbel & Sepasgozarian, 1976 is redescribed.

The genus Sonotetranychus Tuttle, Baker & Abbatiello, 1976 (Acari: Tetranychidae), previously known from the Americas, Africa and Asia, is for the first time recorded from Australasia. Sonotetranychus tawhairauriki sp. nov. collected on Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortiodes (Nothofagaceae) is described from Ngatimoti, New Zealand. This mite genus is for the first time recorded from plant hosts of the family Nothofagaceae.

A new species of oribatid mite of the family Oppiidae Sellnick, 1937, Serratoppia iranica sp. nov., is described from Iran. Also an identification key to all Serratoppia species is given.