The morphological ontogeny of Hydrozetes paulista Pérez-Íñigo & Baggio, 1989 is described and illustrated. This species is monodactylous as adult, with short, setiform bothridial seta and belongs to the “lacustris species group”. It has 13 pairs of notogastral setae, including c₂, but seta c₃ is retained by some individuals. Most gastronotal setae of larva are of medium size and barbed, except for longer setae lm, lp and h₂, and short and smooth c₁ and h₃. In the nymphs setae of l-series, h₁ and h₂ are very long, smooth and dark pigmented, setae h₃ and p₁ are of medium size, thick, pointed and barbed, and other setae are short and usually smooth; seta lm is located anterior to the gland opening. Hydrozetes paulista is bisexual, but in this study only females were present.

Six species have been described in the genus Sphaerotarsus, five from Australia and one from Iran. Only three of them have been described from larvae. The knowledge of this small group is very limited, and here we describe and illustrate the larvae of Sphaerotarsus baenai sp. nov. collected from soil in two provinces of Andalusia, Spain. This is the fourth larval species described in the genus, and the first report of Sphaerotarsus for the European fauna. A key to the species of Sphaerotarsus larvae is provided.

Life style of phytoseiid species (Acari: Mesostigmata) is an important feature in evaluating their potential as biological control agents. Previous studies suggested that some morphometrics of gnathosoma are related to the feeding habits of phytoseiids. In this study, we showed it is appropriate to estimate feeding habits and/or life styles of phytoseiids based on variations in gnathosoma morphology. Scanning electron microscope pictures of 10 phytoseiid species belonging to four major life styles were taken. For each species, 23 morphometrics of gnathosoma and the length of dorsal shield were measured. Principle Component Analysis (PCA) showed that the 10 species can be divided into three groups based on the first two principle components of these parameters. The 1^st group includes one specialized predators of Tetranychus species (Phytoseiulus persimilis) and two selective predators of tetranychid mites (Neoseiulus pseudolongispinosus, Neoseiulus californicus), the 2^nd group includes six generalist predators (Amblyseius orientalis, Amblyseius swirskii, Amblyseius tsugawai, Neoseiulus barkeri, Neoseiulus bicaudus, Neoseiulus cucumeris), and the 3^rd group includes one specialized pollen feeder (Euseius utilis). This grouping is consistent with the life style division of McMurtry & Croft (1997), except that Type I and II were not separated. However, there is a trend that both Type II species were closer to each other. Overall, species in Group II have larger chelicerae and hypostome than those of Group I and III, while species in Group III have larger lobes and angle of fixed digit than those of the other two groups.

A new species of the genus Eurostocepheus (Oribatida, Otocepheidae) is described from soil and litter of Tam Dao National Park in Northern Vietnam. Eurostocepheus (Eurostocepheus) wojciechniedbalai sp. nov. is morphologically most similar to E. (E.) mahunkai Mondal & Kundu, 1999 from India in the presence of four pairs of genital setae and medial prodorsal condyles, but differs by the quadrangular, anteromedially excavated lateral notogastral condyles, short interlamellar setae, short notogastral setae c, minute epimeral setae 1a, 2a, 3a, two pairs of epimeral setae on epimere IV, and by the transverse position of the anal setae. Revised generic and subgeneric diagnoses, an identification key to the known taxa, and data on the distribution and ecology of Eurostocepheus are presented.

The genus Epidamaeus (Acari: Oribatida: Damaeidae) was represented in China by 10 species prior to this work. In this paper, three new species of Epidamaeus from soil and leaf litter are described from China: E. acicularis sp. nov. from Tibet Autonomous Region, E. huanglongensis sp. nov. from Sichuan Province and E. pianmaensis sp. nov. from Yunnan Province. Comparisons of the new species to other similar species of Epidamaeus are also presented in this paper.

The genus Lohmannia (Oribatida, Lohmanniidae) is recorded for the first time in South Africa. A new species of Lohmannia is described from the nest of termites of the Franklin Game Reserve on Naval Hill, Bloemfontein, based on the adult and tritonymphal instar. Lohmannia (Lohmannia) lerallana sp. nov. differs from L. (Lohmannia) turcmenica Bulanova-Zachvatkina, 1960 by the presence of distinct macrofoveolate ornamentation on the body, setiform subcapitular setae m₁ and long lateral and posterior notogastral setae. A supplementary description of Papillacarus angulatus Wallwork, 1962 is presented based on the South African specimens. Information on distribution and ecology of known lohmanniids in South Africa is provided.

The electromagnetic field (EMF) is present in the environment throughout the world and encompasses both natural and human-made sources of electromagnetic fields. It has been shown that EMF influences a variety of biological systems, including the behavioural responses of both vertebrates and invertebrates. As such, determining the effects of the EMF on the ecosystem in detail may be important for understanding the ecology and biology of organisms, particularly those, such as ticks, that are important in disease transmission. Our main goal was to determine if the tick, Dermacentor reticulatus, interacts with the EMF. An experimental behavioural test of tick sensitivity to radio frequency power radiation was performed under laboratory conditions. Tests were performed in an electromagnetic compatibility laboratory in a radio frequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) anechoic chamber. Ticks were irradiated using a Double-Ridged Waveguide Horn Antenna with 900 MHz RF-EMF. The applied radio-frequency power was tuned below the proposed limit for public exposure to mobile phone base stations. We found that exposure induces an immediate tick locomotor response manifested either in a previously unreported jerking movement of the whole body or in jerking of the first pair of legs. Overall, ticks exhibited significantly greater movement in the presence of the RF-EMF. Significant sex differences relative to RF-EMF exposure were observed in both response variables. In the presence of RF-EMF, body jerking by females was greater than in males and vice versa for leg jerks. This study represents the first experimental evidence of a behavioural response of D. reticulatus ticks to exposure to RF-EMF.

The family Iolinidae is recorded from Brazil for the first time. Two new species: Pausia litchiae n. sp. and Pseudopronematulus nadirae n. sp. collected from leaves of Litchi chinensis Sonn. (Sapindaceae) at Viçosa County, Minas Gerais State are described and illustrated.

A new species of parasitic mite, Cydnipolipus patpsalmondsae sp. nov. (Podapolipidae), is described from Lobostoma giganteum from Honduras and Onalips bisinuatus (Hemiptera: Cydnidae) from Brazil. The new species is compared with the single other species of the genus Cydnipolipus, Cydnipolipus miyamotoi Kurosa and Husband 1994, from Japan. A new distribution record of C. miyamotoi from Aethus indicus from Okinawa, Japan is reported.

Using the most suitable alternative diets that are easily available and less expensive than the natural diets may give rise to reduce the rearing costs of natural enemies. Alternative or additional food used for this purpose should be in accordance with the food spectrum of the respective mite species. To our knowledge no information is accessible on the comparison between natural diets and factitious prey for Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritional value of three natural diets including almond pollen, maize pollen and Tetranychus urticae Koch, as well as four factitious prey comprising eggs of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller, Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank), decapsulated and encapsulated cysts of Artemia franciscana Leach for A. swirskii. The data would seem to suggest that developmental time of individuals fed on pollens was shorter than that of those fed on factitious prey. The gross and net reproductive rate, intrinsic and finite rate of increase of the individuals consumed factitious prey were lower than those of mites fed on natural food diets, for the simple reason of shorter developmental time and higher oviposition rate of this predator on the latter. In conclusion, our results showed that natural foods were more favorable than factitious prey and among them almond pollen and maize pollen were the most suitable for A. swirskii, and thus it should be taken into account for application in its mass production, and supporting its population in greenhouse or field conditions when used in an augmentative approach.

One new genus, three new species and two records of previously described phyllocoptines are reported from American and South African relict conifers. A new monotypic genus Costolobus n. gen. (Epitrimerus-like phyllocoptines with large ridged frontal lobe and bv I missing) is erected for the new species, Costolobus widdringtonis n. gen., n. sp., from South African endemic Widdringtonia wallichii Endl. ex Carrière (Cupressaceae). Two new species, Epitrimerus papillatus n. sp. and Glossilus calocedris n. sp., are described from Araucaria araucana (Araucariaceae) from Chile and Calocedrus decurrens (Cupressaceae) from USA. Two other phyllocoptine species, Calepitrimerus convergens (Keifer 1966) and Phyllocoptes libocedri (Keifer 1939), are recorded from relict North American cupressacean hosts Calocedrus decurrens and Sequoiadendron giganteum collected in California. The genus Glossilus Navia & Flechtmann 2000 is recorded from North America for the first time; a rediagnosis of this genus is provided. Morphological similarity of the Epitrimeruslike phyllocoptines from gymnosperms is briefly discussed. Contemporary distribution of morphologically similar phyllocoptines on relic conifers in geographically remote regions can be explained by 1) their possible common ancestry followed by transcontinental dispersal and coevolution with hosts or by 2) multiple host-shifts from dicots in different continents and convergent morphological evolution. Comparative studies of the whole complex of eriophyoids inhabiting conifers are necessary to reveal phylogenetic structure of this ecological group of mites. Considering that numerous independent host-shifts from dicots to conifers happened in the past in different clades of Eriophyidae s.l., the mites from conifers might be used as “islands” around which their relatives from angiosperms could be grouped using various phylogenetic tools. Such an approach may be useful for future phylogenetic studies of Eriophyoidea.

The effect of different diet on Oppia denticulata was studied during a 4-month laboratory experiment, based on daily observations. This species is known as microphytophagous (i.e. feeding on bacteria and/or fungal hyphae and/or algae), like other species of Oppiidae, but our observations show its wider diet. We tested 11 types of food, including homogenous diet [green algae, lichens, fungi (dry yeasts, Trichoderma viride, Penicillium chrysogenum), nematodes], and combined diet [green algae and nematodes, lichens and nematodes, dry yeasts and nematodes, T. viride and nematodes, P. chrysogenum and nematodes]. The basic population parameters (fertility, mortality, sex ratio), time of development, population growth in four months and body length were compared between all groups. Observations on biology of O. denticulata were also made. The most favourable diet for O. denticulata was a combination of T. viride and nematodes, which allowed the highest population growth (about 50 times higher than the least favourable food, a combination of P. chrysogenum and nematodes), due to highest fertility and shortest development. Good population parameters and largest size were obtained on yeasts (served alone or with nematodes). This species did not do well on P. chrysogenum, probably because it produces penicillin.