Ticks (Ixodida: Argasidae, Ixodidae) are the main arthropod vectors of disease in Central Europe, including Germany. One species, Ixodes ricinus, dominates the tick fauna throughout this area and, as such, is justifiably the most common species studied. However, this concentration on a single species has led to the neglect of a variety of other species, also often common on their wild hosts, and also involved in the natural, zoonotic cycles of disease. In this contribution we provide a checklist of the species currently known to occur in Germany. The information summarized under the endemic species includes general distribution, hosts, and basic ecology, as well as each species' medical and veterinary significance. Our aim is to bring the diversity of species present to the attention of the research community in the hope that the more neglected species will also be integrated into epidemiological models of the tick-borne diseases present.

Euseius nicholsi (Ehara et Lee) is an important indigenous predator of many species of pest mites and insects in China. In this study, the genetic diversity of Euseius nicholsi among ten populations was investigated using coxI and ITS sequences from 145 individuals. This indicated the existence of 33 and 16 haplotypes, respectively. Most of the populations studied showed high levels of haplotype and nucleotide diversity. In the coxI region, haplotype and nucleotide diversity varied among populations from 0.385 to 0.809 and from 0.00342 to 0.01111, respectively. In the ITS region they varied from 0.000 to 0.803 and from 0.00000 to 0.00185, respectively. For both gene regions, the highest haplotype and nucleotide diversities were detected in Chengdu (CD) and Chongqing (CQ) from southwestern China. The results of population differentiation suggested that E. nicholsi indicated at least three geographically approximate populations, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (WH, CS, JJ, NP, and NJ), southwestern China (CQ and CD), and southern China (NN, GZ, and SG). High levels of genetic diversity were observed in most populations. This study serves as an introductory probe into the genetic differentiation of E. nicholsi, for which little molecular information is available. Other genetic markers and intensive sampling in the following studies would be useful and necessary for more detailed classifications of this taxon.

In the course of a one-month Russian-Ethiopian expedition in November 2010, we found seven species and six genera of ptyctimous mites in the southern vicinities of Ginchi City (southern Ethiopia). Three new species, Indotritia paraconsimilis sp. nov., Hoplophthiracarus parafrater sp. nov. and Arphthicarus cavernus sp. nov., are described. All three new species are from soil in Cholomu Forest. A few of morphological comments on Hoplophthiracarus ambiguus have been added.

The new species, Aceria neopaederiae infesting leaves of Paederia foetida L. (Family Rubiaceae) in Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore, is described herein. The mite produces small, round to irregular galls, often fused, on both leaf surfaces. The complete descriptions of both males and females, including line drawings and SEM photographs were provided.

A new mite species belonging to the Eriophyidae (Acari: Eriophyoidea) from Shihezi, Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region, northwestern China, is described and illustrated. The new species, Aceria haloxylonis sp. nov. causes galls on its host plants, Haloxylon ammodendron (C.A.Mey.) Bunge and Haloxylon persicum Bunge ex Boiss. et Buhse (Chenopodiaceae).

A new species of Stigmaeus Koch (Acari: Stigmaeidae), S. haddadi n. sp., is described and illustrated. This species was collected from soil in apple orchards at Miandoab, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. Stigmaeus pulchellus Kuznetzov is recorded for the first time in Iran, and is redescribed.

A new specie of Eustigmaeus, E. nahidae sp. nov. is described based on females and males collected from soil in apple orchards in Bonab, East Azerbajan province, Iran.

The status of the tenuipalpid mite Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes, 1939) (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) in New Zealand was previously uncertain. New collection records suggest that this mite is established, at least in the northern North Island.

Brevipalpus phoenicis is known to vector a number of plant diseases caused by Rhabdoviriidae (Mononegavirales), including some known to cause serious damage to food crops such as Citrus leprosis virus (CiLV), Passion fruit green spot virus (PFGSV) and Coffee ringspot virus (CoRSV). None of the diseases vectored by this mite are known to be present in New Zealand. Consequently B. phoenicis should still be considered of concern to New Zealand's biosecurity under some circumstances.

Schizotetranychus tegophallos sp.nov., from papyrus sedge (Cyperus involucratus Rottb., Cyperaceae) from Santiago, Chile, is described and figured. The genital stylets of the male, palpal tarsus tactile setae and chaetotaxy of leg IV trochanter in deutonymphs are discussed.