Tick-borne disease surveillance was conducted monthly at different sites in four southwestern provinces of the Republic of Korea (ROK) from April—October 2013. Three general habitats were surveyed: grasses (grasses and herbaceous and crawling vegetation), forests (pine, larch, deciduous, and mixed), and forests grasses. A total of 27,029 ticks (1,534 adults; 11,755 nymphs; 13,740 larvae) belonging to three genera and five species were collected. Haemaphysalis longicornis (64.76%; 17,504) was the most commonly collected tick, followed by Haemaphysalis flava (29.22%; 7,899), Ixodes nipponensis (5.83%; 1,575), Amblyomma testudinarium (0.17%; 46), and Haemaphysalis phasiana (0.02%; 5). Overall, adult ticks accounted for only 5.68% of all ticks collected, while nymphs and larvae accounted for 43.49% and 50.83%, respectively. Haemaphysalis longicornis nymphs were commonly collected from April—June, followed by increased numbers of adults from June—August, and large numbers of larvae from August—September, while low numbers of all stages were collected during October. Haemaphysalis flava adults and nymphs were commonly collected from April—June and September—October, while large numbers of larvae were collected from July—August. Although fewer I. nipponensis were collected, seasonal developmental stage patterns followed those of H. flava. Similar proportions of males (47.96%) and females (52.04%) of H. flava were collected. However, the proportion of H. longicornis females (85.83%) collected was significantly higher than for males (14.17%), while the proportion of I. nipponensis males (57.62%) was significantly higher than for females (42.38%). Overall, the mean number of ticks collected/hour of collection was highest for forests grasses (108.54), followed by grasses (97.28) and forests (66.64).

From 2012 to 2014, tick collections for tick and tick-borne pathogen surveillance were carried out in two areas of Nakai District, Khammouane Province, Laos: the Watershed Management and Protection Authority (WMPA) area and Phou Hin Poun National Protected Area (PHP NPA). Throughout Laos, ticks and tick-associated pathogens are poorly known. Fifteen thousand and seventy-three ticks representing larval (60.72%), nymphal (37.86%) and adult (1.42%) life stages were collected. Five genera comprising at least 11 species, including three suspected species that could not be readily determined, were identified from 215 adult specimens: Amblyomma testudinarium Koch (10; 4.65%), Dermacentor auratus Supino (17; 7.91%), D. steini (Schulze) (7; 3.26%), Haemaphysalis colasbelcouri (Santos Dias) (1; 0.47%), H. hystricis Supino (59; 27.44%), H. sp. near aborensis Warburton (91; 42.33%), H. sp. near darjeeling Hoogstraal and Dhanda (5; 2.33%), H. sp. near lagrangei Larrousse (3; 1.4%), H. spp. (16; 7.45%), Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides (Supino) (5; 2.33%), and R. (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini) (1; 0.47%). These collections, together with the literature to date, provide evidence for the occurrence of at least 22 ixodid tick species, representing six genera, in Laos. Here we present new records for at least four tick species from WMPA area, Nakai District, Khammouane Province, where tick-borne pathogens may circulate. These preliminary results should serve as a framework for further molecular investigations of putative tick vectors and their pathogens in Laos.

This paper provides a detailed description of Phyllocoptes adalius, eriophyoid species with a complex life cycle. P. adalius has recently become one of the most important mite pests in greenhouse rose production. We present morphometric data and illustrations that help to distinguish protogyne and deutogyne female forms. Both forms are differentiated by qualitative morphological traits such as ornamentation of the prodorsal shield and shape of microtubercles on the dorsal annuli.

The present work deals with the Iranian palaeosomatid oribatid mites. One new species of the family Ctenacaridae, Beklemishevia iranica sp. nov., is described from Fars province, southern Iran. In addition, a supplementary description for Gilarovella demetrii Lange, 1974 on the basis of Iranian materials is given. An identification key to the known species of Iranian palaeosomatid mites is presented.

A new species of oribatid mite of the genus Pseudotocepheus (Oribatida, Otocepheidae) is described from Sphagnum-mosses on swamps in the vicinity of Punta Arenas of Chile. Pseudotocepheus puntaarenasensis sp. nov. is morphologically most similar to P. sexdentatus (Trägårdh, 1931), however, it differs from the latter by the smaller body size, parallel costulae basally, interlamellar setae distanced from costulae and similar length of rostral and lamellar setae. The taxonomic status of the genus Constrictocepheus Grobler, 1998 is discussed; it is considered as a junior synonym of Pseudotocepheus. The initial systematic placement of eight species of Pseudotocepheus, which has been combined with Constrictocepheus, is supported. An identification key to all known species of Pseudotocepheus from the Neotropical region is given.

The strawberry spider mite Tetranychus turkestani Ugarov & Nikolskii (Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) is an important pest on greenhouse cucumber. Therefore, understanding the effect of sublethal concentration of acaricides using demographic toxicological analysis is important for successful management of this pest. Laboratory studies were conducted to assess sublethal (LC₂₅) effects of Biomite^®, a natural based miticide, on the population growth and life-table parameters of T. turkestani. Three commonly greenhouse cucumber cultivars including Milad, Khasib and Puia were used in the study. Developmental times of T. turkestani immature stages were decreased on treated cultivars, while total life spans were significantly increased on treated cultivars when compared with the control groups. For Milad cultivar, adult pre-oviposition period (APOP) was significantly decreased when females were treated with LC₂₅ of Biomite^®. However, the total pre-oviposition period (TPOP) increased in the treated females. The intrinsic rates of increases (r) were higher in all the treated cultivars in comparison with control. The r values were 0.20, 0.21 and 0.18 day^-1 in the control group of Milad, Khasib and Puia cultivars which increased to 0.36, 0.38 and 0.37 day^-1 in the treated females, respectively. The age-stage survival rates of the female adults increased in the Biomite^® treated cultivars. The life expectancies of one-day-old female adults of T. turkestani were estimated to be 5.73, 6.54 and 6.14 days on the control group of Milad, Khasib and Puia and 8.96, 10.46 and 10.19 days on the Biomite^® treated cultivars, respectively. It could be concluded that sublethal concentrations of Biomite^® stimulated fecundity of females and as a result increased population development. However, further studies in greenhouses and in the field are required to confirm the results.

Three new species of the genus Ramusella from South Africa are described namely Ramusella (Ramusella) tobiasi sp. nov., Ramusella (Insculptoppia) florisbadensis sp. nov. and Ramusella (Insculptoppia) seniczakae sp. nov. A redescription for R. (R.) filamentosa (Mahunka, 1985) and an additional description for R. (R.) filigera (Mahunka, 1985) are provided. The known distribution of Ramusella in South Africa is presented.

The diagnosis of the genus Nagoricanella Haitlinger, 2009 is modified and a redescription of N. bella (Zhang, 1996) comb. nov. collected from larvae ectoparasitic on an unknown species of dipteran fly (Diptera: Heleomyzidae) from Manshad and Madavar villages, Mehriz city, Yazd Province, Iran is presented. A key to the world larval species of Nagoricanella is given.

The first representatives of tarsocheylid mites (Acari, Heterostigmata) from Thailand, Hoplocheylus longisetosus sp. nov. and Hoplocheylus nudis sp. nov., collected from sandy soil of the coastal grassland area, are described and illustrated. Hoplocheylus longisetosus sp. nov. differs from its congeners in having long dorsal opisthosomal setae, and the capitate solenidion ϕ1 on tibia I. Hoplocheylus nudis sp. nov. is an unusual tarsocheylid species in having a peritreme-like structure on the anterior prodorsum, and lacking most opisthosomal tergites typical for Heterostigmata.