Several microorganisms have been reported from Phytoseiulus persimilis. Some microorganisms, including bacteria (Rickettsiella, Wolbachia) and virus-like particles, have not been studied in detail. Microsporidia cause debilitating, sub-lethal effects and may contribute toward poor predator performance. The accumulation of birefringent crystals causes prominent disease-like symptoms; however, effects on fecundity are observed only when symptoms become severe.

Laboratory population life table parameters including net reproductive rate (R₀), finite rate of increase (λ), doubling time for population (dt), intrinsic rate of natural increase (r_m) and mean generation time (T) of Amphitetranychus viennensis (Zacher) were studied at five constant temperatures. The lowest λ (1.0584) and r_m (0.0568) were observed at 15°C and the population could double in 12.2 days. The highest λ (1.3065) and r_m (0.2673) were obtained at 35°C and the population could double in 2.6 days. The highest R₀ (124.6083) and the lowest T (18.0483) were observed at 35°C. The highest mean number of eggs (157.40 eggs/female), with the highest daily oviposition rate (6.49 eggs/female/day), was observed at 35°C. The lowest daily oviposition rate (1.80 eggs/female/day) was observed at 15°C with a total of 99.30 eggs/female. The longevity (32.3±1.1 days) was the lowest at 35°C, and the highest longevity was 105.6±73.4 days at 15°C. The greatest daily oviposition was 17 eggs/female/day at 35°C.

The development, longevity and reproduction of Oligonychus biharensis on four different cultivars of litchi were studied in the laboratory. The total mortality rates from egg to adult on Feizixiao, Baitangying, Ziniangxi and Sanyuehong were respectively 37.27%, 32.45%, 25.52% and 17.32%. The developmental periods from egg to adult varied from 16.97 days on Sanyuehong to 21.05 days on Feizixiao. The average longevity of adult females ranged from 19.72 days on Sanyuehong to 27.01 days on Baitangying, while the oviposition of O. biharensis varied from 68.80 eggs on Baitnagying to 34.00 eggs on Sanyuehong. The daily ovipositon rate of O. biharensis varied from 5.29 eggs on Baitnagying to 1.76 eggs on Feizixiao. The net reproductive rate of increase (R₀), intrinsic rates of natural increase (r_m) and finite rate of increase (λ) for O. bicharensis on Baitangying were the highest; the three life table parameters (R₀, r_m and λ) of Oligonychus biharensis on Feizixiao were the lowest. According to the parameters mentioned above, Baitangying litchi was the most suitable host plant and Feizixiao was the most unsuitable host plant for O. biharensis in this study.

From 2000 to 2005, we made several scientific expeditions to determine the ixodid tick fauna of the Brazilian state of Rondônia. Ticks were collected from vegetation, from wild and domestic animal hosts, and from humans. A total of 7,441 ixodid ticks were collected, representing 6 genera and the following 22 species: Ixodes fuscipes Koch, 1844, Ixodes luciae Sénevet, 1940, Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787), Amblyomma calcaratum Neumann, 1899, Amblyomma coelebs Neumann, 1899, Amblyomma humerale Koch, 1844, Amblyomma incisum Neumann, 1906, Amblyomma latepunctatum Tonelli-Rondelli, 1939, Amblyomma longirostre (Koch, 1844), Amblyomma naponense (Packard, 1869), Amblyomma nodosum Neumann, 1899, Amblyomma oblongoguttatum Koch, 1844, Amblyomma ovale Koch, 1844, Amblyomma pacae Aragão, 1911, Amblyomma rotundatum Koch, 1844, Amblyomma scalpturatum Neumann, 1906, Amblyomma tigrinum Koch, 1844, Amblyomma varium Koch, 1844, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi Cooley, 1946, Dermacentor nitens Neumann, 1897, Boophilus microplus (Canestrini, 1887), and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806). We report for the first time the following tick species from the state of Rondônia: I. fuscipes, I. luciae, A. calcaratum, A. nodosum, A. pacae, A. tigrinum, D. nitens, B. microplus, and R. sanguineus. Except for B. microplus, D. nitens, and R. sanguineus, all tick species found in the present study were from areas of typical Amazon forest, which is still very abundant in many parts of the state. A few Amblyomma spp. were also found in a savanna habitat in the southern part of the state. Human infestations were mostly due to adult A. ovale and A. oblongoguttatum and immature Amblyomma spp.

Twenty-four adult ticks were collected from South American alpacas, Lama pacos (Linnaeus, 1758), at Anexo Tambo Cañahuas (16º01′S, 71º26′W), distrito de Yanahuara, departamento Arequipa, Peru, altitude 4,300 m. Three male and 20 female ticks were identified as Amblyomma parvitarsum Neumann, 1901, a common parasite of camelids belonging to the genera Lama G. Cuvier, 1800, and Vicugna Lesson, 1842, in the Andean region of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru. The remaining tick was a female of Haemaphysalis juxtakochi Cooley, 1946. This is the first Peruvian record of H. juxtakochi, a species known from the Neotropical and southern Nearctic Zoogeographic Regions. Lama pacos is also a new host for this tick species.

Single nymphs of Ixodes sigelos Keirans, Clifford & Corwin, 1976 were collected in Region XI, Chile, on Akodon olivaceus (Waterhouse 1837) in Puerto Aysen (45º23´S 72º41´W), Oligoryzomys longicaudatus (Bennett 1832) in the vicinity of Lago General Carrera (46º26´S 72º00´W) and Akodon xanthorhinus (Waterhouse 1837) in Puerto Ibañez (46º17´S 71º56´W), as well as in Tucumán Province, Argentina, on Akodon spegazzinii Thomas, 1897, 3 km SW of Hualinchay (26º20´S 65º39´W). Akodon xanthorhinus and A. spegazzinii are new hosts for I. sigelos, and these are the first records of this tick from Argentina and southern Chile. The nymph of I. sigelos and nymphs of three other Neotropical Ixodes (I. neuquenensis Ringuelet, 1947, I. nuttalli Lahille, 1913, I. stilesi Neumann, 1911) bear anterior and posterior processes on palpal article I. However, I. sigelos is unique in possessing both a basis capituli that appears winged in dorsal aspect and a bifurcate posterior process on palpal article I. These collections greatly expand the known range of I. sigelos and underscore the importance of sigmodontine rodents as hosts of Neotropical ticks, especially immature stages.

A new endemic Australian genus Acroseius gen. nov. (Acari: Trachytidae) is described, with type species Polyaspinus tuberculatus Womersley, 1961. Acroseius womersleyi sp. nov. is described, and differential diagnoses for the new genus and the two species of Acroseius are presented.

Herein we describe a new species in the genus Gamasellodes from forest floor litter in the Tatra National Park in Poland. The new species is unusual in having the posterior ventral shielding in the adult female reduced to an anal shield bearing only the three circumanal setae, as in Gamasellodes ericae from rainforest canopy in Queensland, Australia. A key to differentiate the adult females of the known species of Gamasellodes is provided.

Psorergatoides nyctali sp. nov. is described from the wing membrane of a captive adult female Nyctalus noctula originating from Devon, England.

Aplonobia karadagi (Mitrofanov & Strunkova) is redscribed from Pinus sp., Sari, Mazandaran Province Iran. This is the first record of this species and genus from Iran. A key to the species of the world is given. The life cycle of this species is also described.

New Zealand Fungitarsonemus Cromroy (Acari: Tarsonemidae) comprises four species: F. kawakawa sp. nov. from Macropiper excelsum at Levin; F. tawa sp. nov. from Ripogonum scandens at Tawa, Wellington; F. kohia sp. nov. from Passiflora tetrandra at Levin, and F. kerikeri sp. nov. from Citrus limon leaves at Purerua, Kerikeri. Keys to world species of Fungitarsonemus are provided.

Chrysophtharta cloelia (Chapuis), C. variicollis (Chapuis) and Paropsis atomaria Olivier are pests of plantation eucalypts in eastern Australia. Each of these species were infested with podapolipid mites (Acari: Podapolipidae), a group of mainly sexually-transmitted parasites often found beneath the elytra of beetles. C. cloelia and C. variicollis were host to one species, Parobia captivus sp. nov., that closely resembles Parobia husbandi Seeman & Nahrung 2003. In contrast, Ps. atomaria was host to three species, Parobia alipilus sp. nov., Parobia gimlii sp. nov. and Parobia lawsoni sp. nov. We re-diagnose Parobia and make changes to the setal nomenclature presented for the type species P. husbandi.

New records of water mite (Acari: Hydrachnidia) species from Iran are presented. Seven species are recorded, of which six are new for the studied area. Nilotonia iranica is described as new to science. Trichotyas alborzensis Bader & Sepasgozarian, 1979, is synonimized with T. petrophila (Michael, 1895).

Abrolophus iraninejadi sp. nov. (Acari: Erythraeidae) is described from a larva collected in soil from Miandoab, Iran. It is the second species of this genus with brushlike seta on the palp.

Opiliotrombium akatarawa gen. & sp. nov. is described from larvae parasitic on male Megalopsalis inconstans (Opiliones) from New Zealand. This is the first record of the family Neothrombiidae in New Zealand.

Yemenitrombium nairae gen. et sp. nov. (Acari: Microtrombidiidae) is described and illustrated from an unknown insect larva collected with a light trap at Al Kadan, Yemen.