Two new species, Prolixus nicholasi sp. nov. and Prolixus setifolius sp. nov., are described and illustrated from leaves of Gahnia setifolia (Cyperaceae) in Auckland, New Zealand. In this paper, we present the ontogenetic additions in idiosomal and the leg chaetotaxy from larva to adult. The adult male and female of P. setifolius have different leg setae, allowing all active life stages to be sexed. A key to world species of Prolixus is also proposed.

The present study is based on oribatid mite material (Acari, Oribatida) collected from moss (Sphagnum sp.) on the seepage area below a permanent spring in South Africa. A list of identified taxa, including 17 species from 15 genera and 11 families, is presented; of these, six species (Haplochthonius simplex, Trhypochthoniellus longisetus, Tyrphonothrus maior, Neoamerioppia polygonata, Trachyoribates ovulum, Trichogalumna nipponica) and three genera (Haplochthonius, Trhypochthoniellus, Trachyoribates) are recorded in the fauna of this country for the first time, and three species (Malaconothrus hexasetosus, Mucronothrus braziliensis, Limnozetes ciliatus,), three genera (Mucronothrus, Limnozetes, Nesozetes) and one family (Nesozetidae) are recorded in the Ethiopian region for the first time. Two new species belonging to the genera Trhypochthoniellus and Hydrozetes are described. Trhypochthoniellus malaconothroiformis sp. nov. differs from the morphologically most similar species, Trhypochthoniellus ramosus Hammer, 1982 by the absence of strongly branched notogastral and leg setae, and the presence of seven pairs of genital setae. Hydrozetes sphagnicolus sp. nov. differs from all known species of Hydrozetes by the much longer notogastral setae with attenuate tips.

Phytoseiids have been surveyed in China since 1958, and about 300 species have been recorded thus far. A new species Neoseiulus badalingensis sp. nov. and a newly recorded species from China, Amblyseius ishizuchiensis Ehara, 1972 were founded by examining the former collection in Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources. The new species is described and illustrated based on now available specimens. The first description of the male of A. ishizuchiensis is also provided.

The fauna of phytoseiid mites (Phytoseiidae) is still scarcely known in the Azores archipelago. A survey was conducted in the islands of Pico, Faial and Flores where phytoseiid mites were collected from native, cultivated and invasive plants. Twenty-two species were collected, nine of which represent new records for the Azores. Five new species, Neoseiulus petraeus Ferragut sp. nov., Phytoseius azorensis Ferragut sp. nov., Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) atlanticus Ferragut sp. nov., T. (T.) floresiensis Ferragut sp. nov. and Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) septemporosus Ferragut sp. nov., are described and illustrated. We provide complementary morphological information for four known species, additional features for the separation of Typhlodromina tropica (Chant) and T. subtropica (Muma & Denmark) and the redescription of Amblyseius elongatus (Garman). A key to separate the phytoseiid species of the Azores is also included.

The present study is based on oribatid mite materials (Acari, Oribatida) collected from Luzon, Cebu and Siargao Islands of the Philippines in 2016. A list of identified taxa, including 137 species from 88 genera and 43 families, is presented; of these, eight species (Malaconothrus macrofoveolatus, Hermanniella granulata, Eremobelba breviseta, Pulchroppia granulata, Striatoppia opuntiseta, Suctobelbella (Flagrosuctobelba) multiplumosa, Perxylobates brevisetus, Allogalumna (Globogalumna) biporosa), and one family (Licnodamaeidae) are recorded in the fauna of this country for the first time; three species (Hexachaetoniella japonica, Austrocarabodes lepidus, Porogalumnella quadriporosa) and one genus (Hexachaetoniella) are recorded in the Oriental region for the first time. A new species belonging to the genus Malaconothrus (Malaconothridae) is described from litter on top of fallen log of Luzon Island; M. pseudoadilatatus Ermilov & Corpuz-Raros sp. nov. differs from M. adilatatus Ermilov, Anichkin & Tolstikov, 2014 by the thicker and longer notogastral setae c₁–c₃, cp, d₁, d₂, e₁, f₂, h₁, thick lamellar setae pressed to the prodorsal surface, adanal setae ad₂, ad₃ dilated mediobasally with attenuate tips and phylliform epimeral setae 3b, 3c.

Phytoseiid mites have been intensively surveyed in Taiwan during the past decades because of their potential as biological control agent. Despite the fact, many regions of Taiwan remain under-explored especially in mountain areas and neighboring islands. Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) crossostephium sp. nov. was collected from Crossostephium chinense (L.) Makino (Asteraceae) on rocky shore habitat during a survey on Lanyu Island. In this paper, presence of a phytoseiid mite on rocky shores is reported for the first time. A detailed morphological description of the new species and a key to the Taiwanese species of subgenus Anthoseius are provided.

A survey was conducted from January 2015 to December 2015 in 12 provinces in Iraq to identify and classify the seasonal distributions of the major hard ticks species (Ixodidae) found on cattle in the north, middle and south of Iraq. A total of 17,156 adult hard ticks were collected from 3,812 indigenous cattle. Sampling was repeated from the same provinces every month to determine the seasonal diversity. Five species belonging to two genera (Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus) were identified; the most abundant ticks were Hyalomma anatolicum 41.72%, Rhipicephalus turanicus 24.60%, Hyalomma turanicum 16.65%, Hyalomma scupense 13.26% and Rhipicephalus annulatus 3.67%. There were differences between each province related to the environment as well with the previous studies.

The morphological ontogeny of Eobrachychthonius oudemansi van der Hammen, 1952 is investigated. This species has a dichoid body shape and several primitive characters, such as 16 pairs of notogastral setae, two transverse scissures on the notogaster and a preanal segment in the tritonymph and adult. It also has one pair of exobothridial setae, three pairs of adanal setae and two pairs of anal setae. The adults have light spots on the prodorsum and notogaster, and two pleural and six suprapleural plates, which are absent in the juveniles. In all instars of E. oudemansi, two transverse scissures are present on the notogaster, dividing it into three plates: NA, NM and PY. The larva has 14 pairs of notogastral setae, protonymph has 17 pairs, and other nymphs 16 pairs; most are of medium size, curved and smooth. In all instars, the gastronotal plate NA has six pairs of setae (c-and d-series), plate NM has two pairs (e-series), whereas the number of setae on the pygidium (PY) increases during ontogeny, from four pairs in the larva (f-series, h₁, h₂) to eight pairs (f₁–f₂, h₁–h₃, p₁–p₃) in the nymphs and adult. The morphology of E. oudemansi is compared with congeners.

A new species, Dolichocybe sibiriensis sp. nov. (Acari: Dolichocybidae), collected in alcohol sediments containing bark beetle Ips typographus Linnaeus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), collected in pheromone traps in Western Siberia, Russia, is described. A key to species of Dolichocybe Krantz, 1957 is provided.

The first description of the larva of Hydryphantes ramosus Daday, 1905 is given. Morphological studies of both larva and female are presented, based on slide-mounted specimens and SEM.

To better understand the effect of individual- and group-rearing conditions on predator performance, we studied the life table and predation rate of the predatory mite, Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot, after the mites had been individually- or group-reared on two-spotted spider mites, Tetranychus urticae, eggs at 25±1°C, 65±5% RH and a photoperiod of 16: 8 (L:D) h. The net reproductive rate (R₀), intrinsic rate of increase (r), net predation rate (C₀), finite predation rate (ω) in the individually-reared predators were 40.61 offspring, 0.2594 d^{- 1}, 437.3 T. urticae eggs, and 4.8668 preys/d, respectively. Similar values were obtained when the predators were reared in groups (R₀ = 43.10 offspring, r = 0.2837 d^-1, C₀ = 420.9 T. urticae eggs, and ω = 5.9054 preys/d). Mean adult longevities were 28.42 and 25.29 d for group-reared male and female predators, respectively; these values were significantly shorter than those of individual-reared mites (49.87 d for male and 36 d for female). Our results showed that P. persimilis mites could be group-reared in biological control programs without negative effect on their growth and predation potential.

The present study is based on oribatid mite material (Acari, Oribatida) collected from nests of the termite Trinervitermes trinervoides (Sjöstedt) of the Franklin Game Reserve on Naval Hill in Bloemfontein (South Africa). A list of identified taxa, including 38 species from 32 genera and 25 families, is presented. Of these, four species (Sellnickochthonius foliatifer, Sphaerochthonius splendidus, Phyllozetes alatus, Pheroliodes africanus), two genera (Sphaerochthonius, Phyllozetes) and one family (Sphaerochthoniidae) are recorded for the fauna of this country for the first time; four species (Liochthonius simplex, Transoribates agricola, Lepidozetes singularis, Anellozetes translamellatus) and four genera (Liochthonius, Ceratobates, Transoribates, Lepidozetes) are recorded in the Ethiopian region for the first time. A new species of the genus Ceratobates is described, namely C. monosacculatus sp. nov., which is distinguished from all species of the genus by the tridactylous legs (versus monodactylous). Some data on oribatid mites inhabiting nests of termites are summarized.

The first description of the juvenile stages and redescription of adults of the mesostigmatic mite Cercoleipus kuznetsovi Khaustov, 1997 (Acari: Cercomegistidae) from Crimea and Western Siberia are provided. This species is recorded in the North Asia for the first time. The association of Cercoleipus kuznetsovi with Ips typographus Linnaeus is recorded for the first time. The keys to the genera of the family Cercomegistidae and to the species of genus Cercoleipus are presented.

Laboratory bioassays were conducted to evaluate the toxicity of the microbial pesticide spinosad to different life stages of the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, as well as its sublethal effects on reproduction and population growth of this important mite pest. The biopesticide was applied to bean primary leaves or leaf discs carrying spider mites using a Potter spray tower (2.7 mg/cm² aqueous deposit). The following LC₅₀ and LC₉₀ (mg/L) estimates for motile stages were obtained in acute toxicity bioassays: 27.52 and 116.72 (larvae), 36.55 and 136.20 (protonymphs), 82.76 and 721.28 (female deutonymphs), and 61.47 and 457.21 (adult females). Spinosad showed no significant ovicidal action: toxic effect observed after spraying eggs (LC₅₀ = 105.78 mg/L, LC₉₀ = 596.95 mg/L) was the result of its residual action on larvae that hatched from the treated eggs. The effects of spinosad on life history traits and population growth of adult female survivors from treatments with 240, 120 and 60 mg/L were evaluated in two successive 7-day bioassays on untreated leaf discs. In the first bioassay, females that survived treatments as 24 h old eggs and completed their juvenile development on treated leaves had significantly lower gross fecundity, net fecundity and instantaneous rate of increase (r_i) but the reduction was merely 4–6%, 9–11%, and 2–3%, respectively. Female longevity was significantly reduced (approximately by half a day) only after treatment with 240 mg/L. In the second bioassay, in which females were treated during their pre-ovipositional period, the treatments with 240 and 120 mg/L significantly reduced their gross fecundity (16–17%), net fecundity (28–31%), r_i values (8–9%) and female longevity (approximately by one day). Spinosad effects on the intrinsic rate of increase (r_m) and other demographic parameters were evaluated in two successive bioassays in which life tables were constructed for females that survived treatment with 120 mg/L at the egg stage (first demographic bioassay) or pre-ovipositional period (second demographic bioassay). In the first bioassay, the intrinsic rate of increase was significantly higher in treated (r_m = 0.278) than control mites (r_m = 0.267) as a result of higher net fertility at the beginning of reproduction of treated females. In the second bioassay, treated females had significantly lower r_m than control females (0.254 and 0.283, respectively). The results obtained in this study indicate that spinosad, applied against insect pests (at field relevant rates of 60–240 mg/L), could eliminate a part of T. urticae population as well, but survivors would retain a significant potential for population recovery.

Ceratozetes behani sp. nov. from Mongolia and its morphological ontogeny is described and illustrated. It is a cryptic species as adult, similar to C. helenae (Pavlichenko, 1993), but differs distinctly from it by the morphology of juveniles. The adult of C. behani has a similar pattern of the lamellar complex and notogastral setae, and shape of porose areas as C. helenae, but differs from it mainly by having longer setae bv″ and v″ on femur II and slimmer femora III and IV. In contrast, the juveniles of C. behani have most prodorsal and gastronotal setae with long spines, whereas in C. helenae these setae are plumose. Moreover, the larva C. behani has a pygidial shield, whereas that of C. helenae has not. The nymphs of both species have the gastronotal shield, but in C. behani it is uniform, with setal pairs dm, dp and h₁, whereas in C. helenae it is divided in two parts, with one pair (da) and five pairs of setae (dm, dp, and h-series), respectively.

Cecropia pachystachya Trec. (Urticaceae) is a common pioneer plant from South America, which is found on both degraded and preserved environments. Pioneer plants are able to disperse into agricultural environments and to introduce species of mites different from those present amongst the cultivated plants. This study evaluated the mite fauna present on plants of C. pachystachya associated with 18 forest fragment sites in the Northwest region of the state of São Paulo, a region where only 3% of the native vegetation is preserved. High species richness (82 species) and abundance (3,631 specimens) of mites were recorded on the plants, with high variation in species composition among the sites sampled. Regardless the species composition, most of the sites showed predominance of species considered predators, indicating that C. pachystachya provides some type of food for these mites. The data obtained in the study suggest that this plant can be an important reservoir of predatory mites and could facilitate their dissemination from preserved environments to degraded areas or crops.