Hyalomma marginatum, a two-host tick, is found in North Africa and southern Europe. In July 2016, an ixodid tick female was found on a man's trousers in a garden of the city of Tübingen, (State of Baden-Württemberg, Germany). The tick was identified by morphologic and molecular methods to be H. marginatum. The 16S rRNA sequence of H. marginatum from Germany was identical to corresponding 16S rRNA sequences of H. marginatum from Romania and from the NCBI database. Real-time PCRs carried out to test for rickettsiae and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus were negative.

The predatory mite, Galendromus flumenis (Chant) (Acari: Phytoseiidae), has shown promising traits for biological control of Banks grass mite, the major pest of date palms in California. In the present study, reproduction and population growth parameters of G. flumenis on Banks grass mite eggs were studied at 34°C, 50±10% RH and a photoperiod of 16: 8 (L: D) hours. 100 percent of eggs hatched and 63.5 percent of the emerged larvae survived to adulthood. The total immature developmental time was 5.7 and 5.5 days for females and males, respectively. The sex ratio of G. flumenis was 0.70 (females/ females males). Mated females laid on average 1.6 eggs per day and 19.9 eggs during their mean ovipositional period of 12.5 days. The net reproductive rate (R₀) was 11.5 females/ female/ generation, the intrinsic rate of increase (r_m) was 0.200 females/ female/ day, the finite rate of increase (λ) was 1.222 population multiplication/ day, the mean generation time (T) was 12.2 days, and the doubling time (DT) was 3.5 days. The lower r_m value of G. flumenis than that of its prey (0.24–0.48) explains why Banks grass mite escapes control by G. flumenis in field. These results suggest that augmentative release of this predator would offset the lower r_m of the predator, thereby contributing to the control of Banks grass mite. Combined with the benefit of early releases determined in companion studies, future field studies with G. flumenis are being planned.

A new species of the genus Zetzellia Oudemans, Z. erzincanica sp. nov. (Stigmaeidae) collected from Erzincan, Turkey, is described. This is a species between the genera Zetzellia Oudemans and Agistemus Summers. The new species has characteristic features of Zetzellia, but some paratypes resemble Agistemus in that setae d₂ are partly or completely situated on the central hysterosomal shield. Some variations and abnormalities were observed in this species.

A new species Tycherobius izmirensis sp. nov., collected from soil and litter under Quercus sp. in Turkey is described and illustrated based on adult females. Additionally, T. farsiensis Khanjani, Yazyanpanah, Ostovan and Asali Fayaz 2012 is recorded for the first time in Turkey. A key to all known species of Tycherobius is provided.

Ornithodoros capensis sensu lato (s. l.) is a worldwide-distributed group of soft ticks that parasitize birds in insular and continental lands. It is currently composed of 11 morphologically closely related species. Several viral and bacterial pathogens, and particularly Coxiella-like endosymbiont organisms have been described coexisting with ticks of this group. Since it last report in 1983, the presence of O. capensis s. l. in Brazil has remained undocumented. By a morphological analysis of larvae and a molecular characterization of ticks and Coxiella genes we describe for the first time O. capensis sensu stricto in Brazil from specimens collected on Queimada Grande Island, in São Paulo state.

Two new Brazilian Parasitengona belonging to the genera Callidosoma Womersley, 1936 and Durenia Vercammen-Grandjean, 1955 are described from larvae associated with, respectively, Lepidoptera and Culicidae. Updated keys for larvae of both genera and Scanning Electron Microscopy pictures of Callidosoma selmae sp. nov. are presented.

Platytetranychus xuzhouensis Wang and Ma 1987 is redescribed and combined as Eotetranychus xuzhouensis (Wang and Ma) comb. nov. based on the protonymph, deutonymph, male and holotype female specimens from En-Pei Ma's collections. Eotetranychus xuzhouensis (Wang and Ma) comb. nov. can be distinguished from other members of Eotetranychus by the distinct shape of the aedeagus and tarsus I with one tactile seta proximal to duplex setae. The ontogenetic changes in leg chaetotaxy in Eotetranychus xuzhouensis (Wang and Ma) comb. nov. are given and discussed. Additional trends and reductive chaetotaxy of the leg segments suggest that Eotetranychus xuzhouensis (Wang and Ma) comb. nov. has its own basic larval-protonymphal pattern of setal additions.

This study deals with ameroid mites (Acari: Oribatida: Ameroidea) from East Azerbaijan province, northwest of Iran. Also, a new species Ctenobelba (C.) mikaeeli sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on adult specimens. A table with selected characters of all known species of the subgenus Ctenobelba (Ctenobelba) Balogh, 1943 is provided.

The tick Haemaphysalis tibetensis is endemic in Qinghai-Tibet plateau of China, and regarded as potential vector of spirochetes and orbivirus. However, knowledge on its life cycle and biological characteristics is meager. Therefore, this paper investigated the life cycle of H. tibetensis under laboratory conditions. Results indicated that, the tick H. tibetensis required a mean duration of 166.7 days to complete the whole cycle, and the average developmental periods of larvae and nymphs were 34.0 days and 41.6 days, respectively. The summation of the prefeeding, feeding and preovipositon periods of females was 23.9 days, and oviposition lasted for 19.4 days. Egg incubation required 47.8 days, which was the longest period in the whole life cycle. Linear regression analysis revealed a highly positive correlation between the weight of the engorged female and the number of the egg mass laid (r=0.91). The reproductive efficiency index and the reproductive fitness index were 5.2 and 4.5, respectively.

The genus Stigmaeopsis (family Tetranychidae) has 11 species including the serious bamboo pest, S. nanjingensis. All Stigmaeopsis species are difficult to identify by their morphology, and the diagnostic character (the length of dorsal setae) can be used only to identify fresh specimens. To identify these species at the molecular level, we sequenced the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene of mitochondrial DNA and two nuclear ribosomal RNA genes (18S and 28S) of 20 strains of seven species of Stigmaeopsis [S. celarius, S. longus, S. miscanthi (both low- and high-aggression phenotypes), S. nanjingensis, S. tenuinidus, S. saharai and S. takahashii]. In maximum likelihood (ML) phylogenetic trees of both COI and combined 18S-28S genes, all but one Stigmaeopsis species could be identified as a monophyletic clade with high bootstrap values. The present results strongly suggested that the exceptional species, S. miscanthi, consists of three biologically different entities based on two phylogenetic trees. Though the phylogenetic trees did not comprehensively solve the phylogeny of Stigmaeopsis, a phylogenetic tree based on the combined nuclear genes showed a sibling relationship between two sub-social Stigmaeopsis species, S. miscanthi and S. longus. In addition, diagnostic PCR detected Wolbachia or Cardinium, which frequently affect mitochondrial haplotypes, in S. longus and S. nanjingensis. In the COI tree, S. longus was separated into two groups which were more consistent with their bacterial infection status than with their geographical distribution.

The present study is based on oribatid mite material collected in 1937 from Colombia. A list of identified taxa, including 13 species from 11 genera and 10 families, is presented; of these, two species of the genus Galumna are new to science, 10 species, 10 genera and eight families are recorded in this country for the first time. Galumna (Galumna) colombiana sp. nov. differs from G. (Galumna) innexa Pérez-Íñigo & Baggio, 1986 by the sculpture of the prodorsum, ornamentation of the pteromorphs, morphology of the bothridial heads, length of the rostral and lamellar setae, and the localization of the notogastral lyrifissures im. Galumna (Galumna) naturalisi sp. nov. differs from G. (Galumna) reticulata Hammer, 1958 by the body size, sculpture of the prodorsum and the development of a lenticulus.

Two new species of myrmecophilous mites of the genus Scutacarus Gros, 1845 (Acari: Pygmephoroidea: Scutacaridae), S. camponoti sp. nov. and S. neotropicus sp. nov. are described from ants and their nests in Patagonia, Chile.

The oribatid mite genus Eurhynchoribates (Oribatida, Rhynchoribatidae) is recorded in the Philippines for the first time. Two new species are described from litter and soil of secondary forests. Eurhynchoribates samarensis sp. nov. differs from all species of the genus by the presence of 14 pairs of notogastral setae, and is designated as type species of the new subgenus Orinchobates subgen. nov. Eurhynchoribates (Eurhynchoribates) misamisensis sp. nov. is morphologically similar to E. (Eurhynchoribates) obtusus (Mahunka, 1985), but differs by the smaller body size, rostral setae clearly longer than lamellar setae, all barbed, and the presence of two transverse ridges between antero-lateral concavities on the prodorsum. The inclusion of Eurhynchoribates orientalis (Balogh, 1970) in the subgenus Orinchobates is proposed.

Supply of alternative food is generally thought to enhance the performance of generalist predatory mites. The effects of three different pollens (maize, date palm, and bee-collected pollen) as supplementary diets on the life table and predation capacity of Neoseiulus californicus McGregor (Acari: Phytoseiidae) on two-spotted spider mite (TSSM) were determined. Total fecundity on TSSM in the presence of the pollen was significantly higher than those on the pollen alone. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) on TSSM in the presence of the maize pollen (0.1409 day^-1) was significantly higher than those on TSSM (as control) and/or the other diets. In addition, N. californicus consumed fewer prey in the presence of the maize pollen than the other pollen types. However, lower prey consumption in the presence of this pollen was compensated by an increase in reproduction and survive. In conclusion, the effectiveness of N. californicus on TSSM in the presence of the maize pollen was superior to the other pollens. However, although the other pollen types had no obvious positive effect on the performance of N. californicus, they might increase long-term persistence of the predator-prey system.

Traditional estimating only by measuring the lethal effect of acaricides may underestimate the total effects of acaricides on the pest mites. In order to investigate the sublethal effect of bifenazate on life history and population parameters of the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, the newly emerged females were treated with two lethal concentrations of bifenazate: LC₁₀ (4.92 µg/mL) and LC₂₀ (8.77 µg/mL). Subsequently, the development and fecundity of the progeny generations were observed. Compared to the control, exposure to the 10% lethal concentrations (LC₁₀) and LC₂₀ of bifenazate severely affected the parental generation of T. urticae, including survival rate (reduced 9% and 13%), oviposition period (reduced 77.6% and 83.1%), fecundity per female (decreased 89.2% and 76.9%) and longevity (decreased 79.2% and 83.1%). Besides, the population parameters of the progeny generation from the treated females were also investigated. The results showed that the progeny generation had lower intrinsic rate of increase (r_m) and finite rate of increase (λ), longer mean generation time (T_c) compared to the control. The results suggested that the sublethal effects of bifenazate on population growth of T. urticae were significant, and the results of this study could be used as a guide for the rational use of bifenazate in the field for better managing pest mites.