Raoiella indica Hirst (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) is a pest species that has expanded not only in geographical distribution but also in the number of host plants. Control measures are still being evaluated in recently invaded countries. In some countries and for some crops, spraying with botanical extracts has been used to reduce R. indica populations. Laboratory and field studies point to the predatory mite Amblyseius largoensis (Muma) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) as promising for combating R. indica. However, this predator has not yet been commercially available. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the potential of another predatory mite Neoseiulus barkeri Hughes, a commercially available generalist predator as a biological control agent of R. indica. The consumption and oviposition rate of N. barkeri were determined across the developmental stages of R. indica. The predation and oviposition capacity of N. barkeri and A. largoensis when fed R. indica eggs in the laboratory were compared. In the field, releases of the predator N. barkeri at densities of 900, 600 and 300 predators per plant were compared to spraying with botanical extracts such as cottonseed oil and azadirachtin to control R. indica. Our results suggested that N. barkeri is an effective predator to control R. indica. The consumption of N. barkeri was inversely related to the life stage of R. indica, and all developmental stages of R. indica enabled the reproduction of N. barkeri. The predation and oviposition of N. barkeri were higher than those of A. largoensis, and the releases of N. barkeri at densities of 900 and 600 predators/plant resulted in significant reductions in R. indica populations.

Leptus (L.) cameroonicussp. nov. is described based on larvae ectoparasitic on Eyprepocinemis plorans ibandana (Orthoptera: Acrididae). Charletonia braunsi (Oudemans, 1910) is reported for the first time from Cameroon. E. plorans ibandana is new host for Leptus species, C. braunsi, C. cameroonensis Haitlinger & Kekeonou, 2014 and C. justynae Haitlinger, 1987. New metric and meristic data for the descriptions of L. (L.) aggoratus Haitlinger, 1990, L. (L.) bertoldiHaitlinger, 1993, L. (L.) benzaliensisFain & Elsen, 1972, L. (L.) maranaensis Haitlinger, 1987, L. (L.) maringensisFain & Elsen, 1972, L. (L.) mogadoranus Haitlinger, 1990, L. (L.) ogazulacus Haitlinger, 1990, L. (L.) pasopaicus Haitlinger, 1990 and Charletonia cameroonensis, based on examination of type material and additional specimens, are provided. Status of Momorangia gabiniHaitlinger, 2004 is discussed. M. gabini is correct name, not Charletonia gabini. Keys to African Leptus and Charletonia are provided.

Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) collected from wild birds in Panama were tested for the presence of tick-borne pathogens as Rickettsia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Bartonella, Borrelia, Hepatozoon sp., and Babesia. Overall 124 ticks were found in 57 birds belonging to 28 species: Amblyomma longirostre (32 larvae, 1 nymph), Amblyomma nodosum (30 nymphs), Amblyomma geayi (15 larvae, 1 nymph), Amblyomma varium (5 larvae, 2 nymphs), Amblyomma naponense (2 larvae), Amblyomma ovale (2 larvae), and Amblyomma calcaratum (1 larva). DNA of Rickettsia amblyommatis was detected in 65% of A. longirostre, 69% of A. geayi and 14% of A. varium. Moreover, results from two larvae of A. longirostre showed DNA of unidentified Rickettsia sp. No DNA of Borrelia, Bartonella, Anaplasmataceae neither Babesia nor Hepatozoon was detected. These results expand knowledge about the host for immature Amblyomma ticks in Panama and show the first data of Rickettsia in ticks collected from birds in this country.

Two new species of Trachygamasus Berlese, T. minutus sp. nov. Yao & Jin and T. similis sp. nov. Yao & Jin based on adult males and females, and the male of T. multisetus Yao, Jin & Zhang, 2019 are described from China. A key to the Trachygamasus species of China is presented.

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is one of the most damaging noctuid pests of maize and is reported in China at the beginning of 2019. It poses a serious threat to the food security of China. In order to find an attractive alternative to reduce the application of chemical insecticides, we screened different initial mite densities of Pyemotes zhonghuajia on the mortality rate of different stages of FAW and also recorded the number of P. zhonghuajia on FAW at the different times (24, 48, and 72 h). The results showed that initial mite densities had a significant effect on the mortality rates of all stages of FAW and the number of P. zhonghuajia found on the surface of FAW. One P. zhonghuajia female was able to significantly induce the mortality of FAW in the 1st to 3rd instar larvae, and the mite density of 40 could achieve 100% FAW mortality when added 1st to 5th instar larvae and prepupae. There was an increasing number of P. zhonghuajia on FAW from the 2nd to 4th instar larvae stages at all three days. These results provide the basic information for considering P. zhonghuajia as a suitable bio-control agent against FAW in China.

Two new species of steganacarid mites (Oribatida: Phthiracaroidea) from Yunnan Province, Southwest China, Plonaphacarus chuxiongensissp. nov. and Hoplophthiracarus jianchuanensissp. nov., are described and illustrated. Keys to all known species of Plonaphacarus and Hoplophthiracarus from China are proposed to facilitate further studies of these groups.

Eutrombidium carajassp. nov. (Acari: Microtrombidiidae: Eutrombidiinae) is described and illustrated from larvae ectoparasitic on Phalangopsis sp. (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Phalangopsidae) from Brazil. Eutrombidium carajassp. nov. belongs to the species group with large and deeply incised lateral coxala I, and coxalae II and III. A key to world larval species of Eutrombidium Verdun is provided.

The morphological ontogeny of Fuscozetes coulsonisp. nov. from the High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard (Norway) is described and illustrated. The adult of this species has medium sized translamella, similar to F. kamchatkicusSeniczak et al. 2016a and F. piniDalenius, 1963, but in F. coulsoni, the lamellar cusp is clearly wider than in other species. The larva of F. coulsoni has a pygidial sclerite, which is unique to FuscozetesSellnick, 1928, in other species from this genus the gastronotal shield is uniform, divided in parts, or absent. The juveniles of F. coulsoni and F. kamchatkicus have several similar morphological characters which are rare in Fuscozetes (clavate bothridial seta, dark pigmented sclerite around opisthonotal gland opening, absence of microsclerites at some hysterosomal setae and humeral organ and humeral sclerite in larva), but which are common in TrichoribatesBerlese, 1910, except for a humeral sclerite with seta c₁ in nymphs, which is present in Fuscozetes and absent in Trichoribates.

Two new species of oribatid mites of the family Oppiidae collected from leaf litter in Madagascar are described. Ramuselloppia indistinctasp. nov. differs from Ramuselloppia anomala by larger body size, the presence of epimeral tubercles and comparatively long lamellar, interlamellar and notogastral setae and the absence of costulae and heads of bothridial setae. An identification key to known species of Ramuselloppia is provided. Lanceoppia (Baioppia) rugosasp. nov. differs from all species of the subgenus by heavily rugose posterior part of the notogaster. The genus Ramuselloppia and subgenus Lanceoppia (Baioppia) are recorded in the Ethiopian region for the first time; the species Multioppia (Hammeroppia) wilsoni is recorded in Madagascar for the first time.

Five new species of Pavania Lombardini (Acari: Heterostigmata: Dolichocybidae) associated with scarabaeine beetles are described: P. brevicaudatasp. nov., on Canthon vulcanoae in French Guiana; P. semireductasp. nov., on Canthon quadriguttatus in French Guiana; P. pusillasp. nov., on Canthon bicolor in French Guiana; P. hansreiaphilasp. nov., on Hansreia affinis in French Guiana; and P. copridissp. nov., on Copris agnus in Borneo, Malaysia. A key to world species of Pavania is provided. The family Dolichocybidae is reported from French Guiana and Malaysia for the first time.

Based on morphological and molecular characters, a Neoseiulus species collected from southern China was identified as Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor), which was not recorded in China before 2012. However, the Chinese population of N. californicus has some unique biological features and its morphology is also somewhat different from those populations from outside China. In order to clarify if there was reproductive isolation or reduction in the reproductive rates between Chinese population and the commercial population of N. californicus (originated from California, USA), reproductive compatibility between the specimens of two different populations was evaluated under laboratory conditions to ascertain their conspecificity. Inter-population crosses showed there was no reproductive isolation between the Chinese population and the commercial population. The results confirmed that these two belong to the same species, in agreement with the results based on morphological and molecular identifications of the Chinese N. californicus.

The family Trombidiidae (Trombidiformes: Prostigmata) is reported for the first time from Saudi Arabia (SA) with Allothrombium monosolenidion sp. nov. and A. meridionale Berlese. The new species is described from larva. Also, three genera Microtrombicula Ewing (Trombiculidae), Eutrombidium Verdun and Trichotrombidium Kobulej (Microtrombidiidae) are reported as new to the fauna of SA.

Caeculus veracruzensis sp. nov. is described based on exemplars collected in soil samples from La Mancha, Veracruz, México. An updated key is presented for the species of the genus Caeculus based on putatively more stable characters.

It is widely accepted in literature that members of Diptilomiopidae possess a “long-form” oral stylet which is usually nearly as long as the cheliceral stylets. However, it is not only the length of the oral stylet itself that is the character to discriminate diptilomiopids, but also its shape and the orientation of the pharynx. We reinvestigated the gnathosoma of Rhyncaphytoptus longipalpis Xue et Hong, 2005, a “diptilomiopid” species from China, and demonstrated that this mite has an angled short-form oral stylet and an almost horizontally oriented pharynx, which is not typical for Diptilomiopidae. We reassign “longipalpis” to a new genus Bambusacarusn. gen. in a different family-group (Eriophyidae, Phyllocoptinae, Anthocoptini) and provide a supplementary description of this species based on the material from Hungary where it was found on six introduced bamboo species of the genus Phyllostachys (Poaceae). Similar to members of endoparasitic genus Novophytoptus (Phytoptidae), B. longipalpisn. comb. has elongate, forceps-shaped gnathosomal structures and it lacks setae d and v on palps. We conclude that in some “non-diptlilomiopid” lineages of Eriophyoidea (1) the elongation of palps and changing of the length and curvature of the gnathosomal stylets may not be correlated with transformation of the shape of the oral stylet and reorientation of pharynx, and (2) when this happens, the mite homoplastically acquires the well-recognized “diptilomiopid-like” phenotype as seen in B. longipalpisn. comb. In future, careful reinvestigation of the shape of the oral stylet in Diptilomiopidae may reveal new examples of similar phenotypic convergency in Eriophyoidea.