The mite fauna of Syrian agroecosystems is poorly known. Only 34 species belonging to five families have been reported to date. The study presented here was conducted in two abandoned citrus orchards in Latakia Governorate. The aim was to identify the mite species present and to clarify their ecological roles. A total of 46 identified species belonging to 19 families were found. Of these, 29 species are recorded for the first time from Syria. At least 27 species are considered predators of phytophagous mites and other microarthropods, while the others are phytophagous, frugivorous or storage mite species. Morphological remarks on some species and a checklist of all mite taxa reported from Syria are presented.

Charletonia kosensis sp. nov. (Acari: Erythraeidae) is described from Evangelista, Kos, Greece. It is the sixth new species of Charletonia described from Greece. New and corrected data for C. austisensis are given. A key to larval Charletonia from Europe, Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia is presented.

A new species, Fuscozetes kamchatkicus sp. nov., including its morphological ontogeny, from Kamchatka Peninsula (Russia) is described and illustrated. The adult of this species is smaller and slimmer than congeners and has longer prodorsal seta le than in; in other species in is longer than le. In F. kamchatkicus the shape of the translamella varies (usually is present, but may be narrow as a line or absent), while in other species the translamella is present. The juveniles of F. kamchatkicus differ from congeners by several morphological characters that are unique in Fuscozetes Sellnick, 1928, e.g. they lack a humeral organ, which is present in other species. The larva lacks a humeral macrosclerite, whereas other species have it. In F. kamchatkicus the gastronotal setae are inserted on unsclerotized integument, whereas in other species they are inserted either on the gastronotal shield or microslerites. The nymphs of F. kamchatkicus have a humeral macrosclerite and a gastronotal shield, which is typical of Fuscozetes and Sphaerozetinae (Ceratozetidae), but the humeral macrosclerite bears seta c₁, while setae c₂ and c₃ are inserted on unsclerotized integument, whereas in other species the humeral macrosclerite is glabrous and setae c₂ and c₃ are inserted on microsclerites. In F. kamchatkicus setae p₂ and p₃ are inserted on unsclerotized integument, whereas in other species they are inserted on a macrosclerite. In the juveniles of F. kamchatkicus most gastronotal setae are barbed, except of the d-series in the nymphs, which are thinner than other gastronotal setae and smooth. The diagnosis of Fuscozetes is modified and enlarged with the morphological characters of juveniles.

A new species, Demodex vibrissae sp. nov. (Acari: Demodecidae), is described based on the morphology of adults and nymphs from the skin of the house mouse Mus musculus Linnaeus, 1758 in Poland. It is a demodecid mite of medium size (adult stages on average 179 µm in length), and its body is slender and strongly elongated. Individuals were found in the skin of the vibrissal area. D. vibrissae sp. nov. was noted in 10.3% of mice, with mean intensity of 8.3 parasites per host.

In this study we describe and illustrate the morphological ontogeny of a new ceratozetid oribatid mite, Sphaerozetes olympicussp. nov. from moss on the rocky soil in a pine forest on the slope of Olympus Mtn. (Greece). The adult of S. olympicus is similar to that of Sphaerozetes orbicularis (C.L. Koch, 1835), but has a rostrum with two shallow incisions, a short lamellar cusp, most notogastral setae vestigial (alveolar) and seta p₁ longer than others of the p-series; in S. orbicularis the rostrum has two deep incisions, the lamellar cusp is of medium size, most notogastral setae are distinguishable (though minute) and p₁ is as short as other setae of the p-series. The juveniles of both species have most gastronotal setae short, but S. olympicus has seta h₁ distinctly longer and thicker than other gastronotal setae, whereas in S. orbicularis this seta is short. Moreover, in S. olympicus the prodorsal seta le is thicker than in and blunt, whereas in S. orbicularis le is as thin as in and acuminate. The juveniles of S. olympicus also have legs and claws I and II thicker than those of S. orbicularis. The larva of S. olympicus lacks a humeral organ and a humeral macrosclerite, which is unique among Sphaerozetes. The nymphs of this species have a humeral macrosclerite, but it is small and glabrous; moreover, seta c₁ is inserted on a microsclerite, which is also unique in Sphaerozetes. Nymphs of S. orbicularis have a humeral macrosclerite distinctly larger than in S. olympicus, and it bears seta c₁. We compare the morphological ontogeny of S. olympicus with that of S. orbicularis, discuss the morphology of Sphaerozetes adults, with a focus on the shape of the rostrum and pattern of notogastral setae, which are important diagnostic characters of Sphaerozetes, and modify the diagnosis of this genus.

Nine species from six genera of the family Carabodidae are recorded in the Philippines. The species Diplobodes kanekoi, Gibbicepheus latohumeralis and Yoshiobodes (Y.) irmayi are recorded for the first time in the Philippine fauna, and Austrocarabodes bituberculatus, Gibbicepheus micheli and G. rugosus are recorded for the first time in the Oriental region. One new species of the genus Cavaecarabodes is described, C. polilloensis sp. nov., which is similar to C. orientalis (Mahunka, 1987) and C. hauseri (Mahunka, 1989), but differs from both by the larger notogastral concavity and remoteness of notogastral setae c from the anterior margin of the notogaster. It differs further by the absence of notogastral tubercles on the hump-structure (present in C. orientalis) and the presence of well-developed interlamellar processes (indistinct in C. hauseri). A supplementary description of Bathocepheus manguiati (Corpuz-Raros, 1979) is presented. Identification keys to known species of Cavaecarabodes and Bathocepheus are provided.

Two new species of Spatiodamaeus Bulanova-Zachvatkina, 1957, S. gladius sp. nov. and S. conjungenus sp. nov. are described from soil and leaf litter samples in Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces, Southwestern China. Adults of the new species S. gladius sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from other Spatiodamaeus species by the combination of the rather short, lanceolate and smooth interlamellar setae and the gladiate-shaped spinae adnatae. Adults of the other new species, S. conjungenus sp. nov., can be easily distinguished from other known species by the following characters: conjoint ridges connecting the insertions of all notogastral setae, c- and l-series are thick and slightly barbed, while h-series is smooth, attenuate, narrowly lanceolate, with a middle vein and radially directed and the additional pair of tubercles between Vp and Sp on the ventral plate.

Oulenziella bakeri (Acari: Winterschmidtiidae) is a fungus feeder, commonly found in tropical regions and frequently intercepted on bananas imported from Ecuador and the Philippines at the New Zealand border. To assess its potential to establish in New Zealand, this study tested the effects of short-term exposure to low temperatures (3, 0, -3, -5, and -18.5°C) on the survival, development, and reproduction of O. bakeri. With the exception of very low survival rates of eggs at -5°C, no stages of O. bakeri survived after 24 hr exposure at -5°C and -18.5°C. Cold exposure at 0°C for 24 hours not only increased egg mortality, but the negative effects also transmitted to the larvae and nymphs developed from these eggs, e.g. only 40% of the eggs treated for 24 hr at 0°C survived but only <1/3 of these developed to adults. Increasing the duration of cold exposure further reduced survival rates, e.g. about 40% of the eggs survived after 24 hr exposure at 0°C, but <10% of them survived after 48 hr treatment at 0°C. At 17°C, O. bakeri completed egg-adult development in 23.52 ± 0.34 days and its females had a life span of about a month, producing 18.77 ± 0.60 eggs. Our study provides the first report on the detailed life history parameters of any species in the Winterschmidtiidae. It is suggested that O. bakeri poses low risks to New Zealand due to its non-pest nature and also its low chance of establishment in New Zealand.

The occurrence of ticks in four species of armadillos (Priodontes maximus, Euphractus sexcinctus, Cabassous unicinctus and Dasypus novemcinctus) in Pantanal wetland, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil is described. During the period from May 2011 to September 2015, 542 ticks of 28 wild armadillos were collected. Ticks species were identified as Amblyomma auricularium (Conil 1878), Amblyomma parvum Aragão, 1908 and Amblyomma sculptum Berlese, 1888. This study describes for the first time the identification of A. parvum parasitizing P. maximus, as well as A. sculptum for C. unicinctus in Brazil. The high diversity of ticks found in wild armadillos in the relatively pristine Pantanal biome, highlights the need for more studies on ticks and their interaction with wild, domestic and human species, specially their role for disease transmission and the potential risk for endangered species such as P. maximus.

Water mites of the Brachypodopsis baumi species complex are confined to SE Asia, and up to now have been considered to belong to one species only. In the present study we used morphological data and DNA barcoding (556 bp of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, COI) to resolve taxonomic issues within the species complex from Borneo. The use of an integrative-taxonomy approach confirmed the identification of two “cryptic” species., i.e., Brachypodopsis crockerensis sp. nov. and B. kinabaluensis sp. nov. and one “pseudocryptic” species B. selampandei sp. nov. Based on phylogenetic analyses, Paraxanopsis truncata was transferred to the subgenus Brachypodopsis (s. s.). Brachypodopsis. gibberipalpis (Viets, 1935), a taxon previously synonymized with B. baumi, which is reinstated as a valid species.

We report new records for ixodid ticks in birds in an Atlantic Forest fragment, in the southeastern of the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeast Brazil. We collected 222 ticks: three females of Ixodes paranaensis and 40 larvae and 179 nymphs belonging to the genus Amblyomma, on 82 birds. The new records are: three semi-engorged females of Ixodes paranaensis collected on Cypseloides fumigatus, Apodidae; five nymphs of Amblyomma nodosum collected on Leucopternis lacernulatus, Geotrygon montana, Piaya cayana, Trogon viridis and Dysithamnus stictothorax; four nymphs of Amblyomma longirostre collected on Veniliornis maculifrons, Lepidocolaptes angustirostris, Machetornis rixosa and Tangara peruviana; two nymphs of Amblyomma calcaratum collected on Terenura maculata and Mimus saturninus; and five nymphs of Amblyomma tigrinum collected on Ramphocelus bresilius. Additionally, we also add tick records that have previously been reported from other fragments of the Atlantic Forest.

Three new species of oribatid mites of the superfamily Oripodoidea (Acari, Oribatida) are described from the soil of alpine herbaceous snowbanks in the South Island of New Zealand. Scheloribates (Topobates) quindecim sp. nov. differs from all S. (Topobates) species by the presence of 15 pairs of notogastral setae (vs. 12–14 pairs). Paraphauloppia reducta sp. nov. differs from all Paraphauloppia species by the presence of one pair of genital setae (vs. 3–4 pairs). Reductobates perangustus sp. nov. differs from all Reductobates species by the elongate, narrow body. An identification key to known species of Reductobates is given.

Vegetables of the family Solanaceae are particularly at risk from pest infestations. Among these pests, mites stand out, species Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks) (Prostigmata: Tarsonemidae). Attacks by this pest reduce agricultural yield and require the use of control measures. Predatory mites of the family Phytoseiidae have been identified and used in several countries as biological control agents of mites, whiteflies and thrips. The objective of the present study was to identify the occurrence of predatory mites associated with P. latus on solanaceous plants. Samples were collected from bell pepper (Capsicum annum L.), chili (C. frutescens L.) and eggplant (Solanum melongena L.). Sampling was carried out in the municipalities of Arapiraca, Feira Grande, Limoeiro de Anadia, and São Sebastião, all in the state of Alagoas, northeastern Brazil. Samples were collected every two weeks, from June to September 2014. A total of 9,316 mite specimens was found, comprising 579 specimens of Mesostigmata and 8,737 phytophagous mites identified as P. latus. Among the Mesostigmata, 565 belonged to the family Phytoseiidae and ten to the family Ascidae. The phytoseiids were classified into 15 species of seven genera; 14 of the genera belonged to Amblyseiinae and only one to Phytoseiinae. The ascids were represented by two morphospecies of two genera. Fifty-two percent of the Mesostigmata were found on eggplants. Polyphagotarsonemus latus was found in large numbers on all crops.

We describe a new species of mite Hoploseius oblongus sp. nov. (Acari: Blattisociidae), from adults collected on sporophores of the red-belted bracket fungus, Fomitopsis pinicola (Polyporaceae), in Slovakia. Mites were found on the lower fertile surface of the fungus, including inside spore-bearing pores. The new species has an unusually elongated body, which appears to be an adaptation for a living inside the fungal pores. An updated key to the world species of the genus Hoploseius is provided.