Thyreophagus tauricus sp. n., a New Subcortical Mite Species (Acari: Acaridae), with a COX1 DNA Sequence Analysis of Several Economically Important Species of Thyreophagus.

As part of a survey of the subcortical astigmatic mites of Crimea, we discovered a new sexual acarid species, Thyreophagus tauricus sp. n. This species was cultured in the laboratory to correlate the adult and deutonymphal stages. Using specimens obtained by these rearing experiments, we provide a detailed description of Th. tauricus (light microscopy, SEM) based on females, males and heteromorphic deutonymphs. Furthermore, to facilitate molecular identification, the entire COX1 gene was also sequenced for this and three other Palearctic species reared in the lab as pure cultures. Adults of Th. tauricus sp. n. are distinct among all other species of the genus by the presence of flattened, button-shaped or minute spiniform setae s III and IV, which are well-developed spiniform in all other known species of Thyreophagus. Heteromorphic deutonymphs of Th. tauricus are distinct from all other species of Thyreophagus by the presence of well-developed setae cm on the dorsal part of the subcapitular remnant (absent all other species). Th. tauricus is morphologically very similar to Th. corticalis; however, COX1 K2P distances between these two species were large, 19.8%. COX1 K2P distances between Th. tauricus and other species (Th. entomophagus, Th. "entomophagus" NC 066986.1, Th. calusorum, Th. corticalis) ranged between 20.1 and 24.3%. We show that the GenBank sequence of Th. "entomophagus" from China (NC 066986.1) was probably misidentified.

New species and new records of Cosmolaelaps Berlese (Acari: Laelapidae) from Russia, with a review of the Russian species of the genus.

This paper reports on six species of the genus Cosmolaelaps (Laelapidae) in Russia: Cosmolaelaps lutegiensis (Shcherbak) collected from soil-litter, C. chianensis (Gu) and C. rectangularis Sheals, 1962 from Myrmica sp. (Formicidae), and Cosmolaelaps lasiophilus Joharchi sp. nov., Cosmolaelaps latisetis Joharchi sp. nov., and Cosmolaelaps sejongi Keum et al. from Lasius spp. (Formicidae). Two new species are described and illustrated from adult females and supplementary descriptions of three other species are presented to facilitate species delimitation. In addition, an identification key to all known Russian species of the genus is presented.

Morphological ontogeny and complementary description of Neoseiulus subsolidus (Beglyarov) (Acari: Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae).

The morphological ontogeny of Neoseiulus subsolidus (Beglyarov) (Acari: Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) was studied based on the specimens collected from Salix sp. (Salicaceae) leaves in Tyumen region and Altai Republic, Russia. All active life stages including larva, protonymph, deutonymph, adult female and male were described and illustrated. The taxonomic challenges in recognizing species in the canadensis species group are discussed.

Some free-living laelapid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) from Tristan da Cunha and Nightingale Islands, with description of a new species of Gaeolaelaps Evans amp; Till (Acari: Laelapidae) and the first afrotropical record of the genus Nidilaelaps Shaw.

This paper reports on four species of free-living mites of the family Laelapidae from Tristan da Cunha and Nightingale Islands: Cosmolaelaps claviger (Berlese), Gaeolaelaps aculeifer (Canestrini), G. furcatus sp. nov., and Nidilaelaps annectans (Womersley). The new species has the unique character states of the paradactyli on pretarsi IIIV being very elongated and the pulvillar lobe well developed in shape of a fork on ambulacra IIIV. The genus Nidilaelaps Shaw is here reported for the first time from Afrotropical realm.

Two new species and a new record of emGaeolaelaps/em Evans amp; Till (Acari: Laelapidae) from Altai Mountains, Russia.

This paper reports on three species of mites of the genus Gaeolaelaps from Altai Mountains, Russia. Gaeolaelaps altaiensis sp. nov., G. lenis Vatankhah Nemati were collected from nests of Lasius sp. and Formica sp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), respectively, and G. euparadactylifer sp. nov. from moss on the shore of the Teletskoye Lake. The new species have the unusual character state of short peritremes, ending near the middle of coxae II. In G. euparadactylifer sp. nov., the pretarsal paradactyli on legs II-IV are strongly elongated, apically pointed and with their tips projecting well beyond the claws. Both new species are described based on morphological characters of the adults. In addition, the male of Gaeolaelaps lenis is described for the first time.

A new species of emTyphlodromus/em (Anthoseius) De Leon and redescription of emT. (A.)/em emmontanus/em Chant amp; Yoshida-Shaul from Russia.

Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) tetraporus sp. nov., collected on grasses in Crimea, is proposed as a new species for science. The new species can be separated from all known species of Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) by the combination of following characters; peritreme extending almost to level of setae j1, four pairs of solenostomes on dorsal shield, two pairs of setae on sternal shield, a sclerotised v-shaped plate posterior to sternal shield, four pairs of pre-anal setae, a pair of small rounded pre-anal solenostomes, differentiated and larger atrium of spermatheca and eight setae on genu II. In addition, T. (A.) montanus Chant Yoshida-Shaul (Acari: Phytoseiidae), a species only known based on its original description from Canada is reported for the first time in Russia. The new record is redescribed and illustrated based on female specimens collected from Prunus padus L. (Rosaceae) where it was associated with eriophyid mites in Pereval Seminskiy, Altai Republic. This species may be an important predator as a potential biological control agent of eriophyid mites.

A new species of the genus Proctogastrolaelaps McGraw amp; Farrier (Acari: Melicharidae) from the Far East of Russia, and contributions to knowledge of this genus.

We describe a new mite species from the Far East of RussiaProctogastrolaelaps subsolanus Joharchi Marchenko sp. nov. (Acari: Melicharidae). The new species was collected from soil-litter on the shores of the Tunaycha Lake and Sea of Okhotsk in Sakhalin Island. The important morphological characteristics of the genus Proctogastrolaelaps are revised.

Review of some mites (Acari: Laelapidae) associated with ants and bumblebees in Western Siberia, Russia.

This paper reports on ten species of laelapid mites associated with ants and bumblebees in Western Siberia. Androlaelaps myrmecophilus (Evans Till), Cosmolaelaps dendrophilus (Davydova), C. neocuneifer (Evans Till), C. siberiensis Joharchi sp. nov., Gaeolaelaps praesternalis (Willmann), Holostaspis isotricha Kolenati, H. montana (Berlese) and H. oophilus (Wasmann) were collected from ants' nests, and Pneumolaelaps hyatti (Evans Till), P. marginepilosa (Sellnick) on bumblebees. The new species is described and illustrated based on morphological characters of the adult female.