Genus-level revision of the Heterozerconoidea (Parasitiformes: Mesostigmata).

The genera of Heterozerconoidea are revised based on a species-level analysis of relationships in the group. The family Discozerconidae in its current state may be paraphyletic. Diagnoses for the genera are updated, and a catalog of all described species is provided. As part of this re-analysis two new genera, Amyzozercon and Ecuazercon, and four new species are described, and a key to the genera is provided. Possible evolutionary implications of the proposed set of relationships in terms of biogeography and the evolution of podospermy are discussed.

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.

A new genus and two new species of Tarsonemidae (Acari: Heterostigmata) associated with bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) from Peru.

A new genus and species, Unguitarsonemus paradoxus n. gen., n. sp. and a new species, Pseudotarsonemoides peruviensis n. sp. (Acari: Trombidiformes: Tarsonemidae), are described based on phoretic females collected on bark beetles Phloeotribus pilula and Ph. biguttatus, respectively, from Peru. A key to species of the genus Pseudotarsonemoides is provided.

Taxonomic review of the subfamily Lohmannellinae (Acari: Trombidiformes: Halacaridae) with morphological comparisons among genera.

Taxonomic review of the halacarid subfamily Lohmannellinae is carried out with regard to morphology, biology, habitat, geographical distribution, and bibliography. The subfamily is one of 16 subfamilies in the family Halacaridae and consists of five genera, Lohmannella, Porolohmannella, Scaptognathides, Scaptognathus, and Xenohalacarus, which include 38, 1, 11, 31, and 1 known species, respectively. The genera Scaptognathides, Scaptognathus, and Xenohalacarus are marine, Porolohmannella is a freshwater inhabitant, and Lohmannella lives in marine and freshwater. The species in this subfamily are mostly arenicolous and probably carnivorous or omnivorous in feeding habits. As for the geographic distribution, Lohmannella shows almost cosmopolitan distribution; Scaptognathus is also widely distributed except for polar regions. The genus Scaptognathides is distributed more in southern oceans than in the northern circle, and Xenohalacarus is restricted to the Coral Sea. The freshwater genus Porolohmannella has wide inland distribution except for the African, South American, Australian, and Antarctic continents. Based on morphological comparisons among five genera, Scaptognathus is regarded as the most unique taxon and Lohmannella and Porolohmannella as rather conservative taxa in the subfamily.

Discovering and documenting Acari: the first twenty years in Zootaxa.

Acari represent the most diverse group within the arachnids with some 60,000 described species. It is generally believed that most species of mites are waiting to be discovered and described. Zootaxa was the most important journal for mite taxonomy during the last twenty years (2001 to 2020). It published 1305 papers by 1057 authors during these two decades, with descriptions of 3271 new taxa/names, which account for 24.4% of the total indexed in Zoological Record. The numbers of new synonyms of Acari in Zootaxa (334) also accounted for nearly a quarter (24.9%) of the total published during this period. These data indicate that Zootaxa has been an important and leading journal for acarologists to document the diversity of mites and ticks in the world.

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 checklist of Acari type specimens deposited in the Jalal Afshar Zoological Museum, Karaj, Iran.

A checklist of the Acari type specimens deposited in the Jalal Afshar Zoological Museum (JAZM), Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran is given. From a total of 451 type specimens (which comprises 166 valid species names) cited in the list, 164 are available and two are lost. Based on the comparison of these type specimens, the following taxonomic change is proposed in this paper: Erythraeus (Zaracarus) ueckermanni is considered as a valid species and is not a junior synonym of Erythraeus (Zaracarus) budapestensis.

Testing for phylogenetic signal in claws suggests great influence of ecology on Caribbean intertidal arthropods (Acari, Oribatida).

Claws are common biological attachment devices that can be found in a wide variety of animal groups. Their curvature and size are supposed to be parameters related to ecological aspects. Mites, known as very small arthropods, occupy a wide range of ecological niches and are a perfect model system to investigate correlations of claw morphology with ecology. There is only one study regarding this question in littoral mites but the phylogenetic impact, which plays an important role in the evolution of morphological traits, was not tested. We investigated claw shapes of different Caribbean populations of five species showing different substrate/habitat preferences. We used geometric morphometrics to quantify claw shape and tested for phylogenetic signal within this morphological trait. Even in closely related populations, we found clear claw shapes for hard versus soft substrate, confirming previous findings. Surprisingly, we found no phylogenetic signal within the trait, which demonstrates that ecology (different surfaces and substrates) has acted as one of the primary selective forces in the diversification of claw shapes. Considering that the basic claw design may be the same in the majority of arthropods, our results have important implications for further investigations of claw morphology and its ecological relevance within this phylum.

[Parasitellus fucorum in the debris of Apis mellifera - a risk of confusion with Tropilaelaps spp.] / Parasitellus fucorum im Gemüll von Apis mellifera ­ Gefahr der Verwechslung mit Tropilaelaps spp.

Infestation with Tropilaelaps mites is a disease that damages the bee brood and is subject to compulsory notification for Apis mellifera. Despite the high risk of introduction of this disease, it is not yet present in Europe. In order to prevent introduction and spreading, mites of Tropilaelaps size must be identified immediately when found in debris or in covered bee brood. In the present case, Parasitellus fucorum was identified as an additional mite species in the debris of Apis mellifera possessing a potential for misperception as Tropilaelaps spp.

A systematic revision of the genus Neopterygosoma Fajfer, 2019 (Acariformes: Pterygosomatidae) with the description of a new species.

A systematic revision of the scale mites of the genus Neopterygosoma Fajfer, 2019 (Acariformes: Pterygosomatidae) formerly placed in the genus Pterygosoma Peters, 1849, is presented. Two new natural species groups are established: the chilensis group for species found on Chilean liolaemid lizards (Sauria: Liolaemidae) and the patagonica group for N. patagonica (Dittmar de la Cruz, Morando & Avila, 2004) found on several Liolaemus spp. from Argentina. A neotype of N. patagonica is designated. A leg chaetotaxy model for tarsi-coxae I-IV is proposed for the genus. A key to all species of Neopterygosoma is provided and a full list of Neopterygosoma spp. with their updated host associations and distribution data is compiled. Additionally, a new species, N. schroederi n. sp. found on Liolaemus schroederi Müller & Hellmich, is described, including for the first time, description and illustrations of the immature stages of a species of Neopterygosoma.

Molecular phylogeny of Eupodidae reveals that the family Cocceupodidae (Actinotrichida; Eupodoidea) and its genus Filieupodes are valid taxa.

The family Eupodidae is one of eight families belonging to the superfamily Eupodoidea. Although the Eupodidae are very common mites, they are still poorly investigated and the systematic parameters of the family are vague with unclear intrafamilial relationships between its genera. According to the hypothesis of Jesionowska (Genus 21(4):637-658, 2010), the eupodid genera Cocceupodes, Linopodes and her new genus Filieupodes should be transferred from the Eupodidae to a separate family named Cocceupodidae. The opposite hypothesis of Khaustov (ZooKeys 422:11-22, 2014) considers the family Cocceupodidae an artificial taxon and the genus Filieupodes a junior synonym of Cocceupodes and assignes the family Eupodidae its primary definition. Here, we present the first molecular reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships within the Eupodidae. We test the taxonomic status of the Eupodidae and refer to the previous hypotheses based on morphological data. According to the reconstructed phylogram based on nuclear (18S + 28S rDNA) and mitochondrial (COI) sequences as well as morphological characters tracing this analysis, we have concluded that: (1) the genera Linopodes, Filieupodes and Cocceupodes are a separate monophyletic lineage of familial rank and the sister group of Eupodidae s.s., and (2) the genus Filieupodes should be considered a separate genus being a sister group of the Linopodes-Cocceupodes clade.

Genomic insights into mite phylogeny, fitness, development, and reproduction.

BACKGROUND: Predatory mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) are the most important beneficial arthropods used in augmentative biological pest control of protected crops around the world. However, the genomes of mites are far less well understood than those of insects and the evolutionary relationships among mite and other chelicerate orders are contested, with the enigmatic origin of mites at one of the centres in discussion of the evolution of Arachnida. RESULTS: We here report the 173 Mb nuclear genome (from 51.75 Gb pairs of Illumina reads) of the predatory mite, Neoseiulus cucumeris, a biocontrol agent against pests such as mites and thrips worldwide. We identified nearly 20.6 Mb (~ 11.93% of this genome) of repetitive sequences and annotated 18,735 protein-coding genes (a typical gene 2888 bp in size); the total length of protein-coding genes was about 50.55 Mb (29.2% of this assembly). About 37% (6981) of the genes are unique to N. cucumeris based on comparison with other arachnid genomes. Our phylogenomic analysis supported the monophyly of Acari, therefore rejecting the biphyletic origin of mites advocated by other studies based on limited gene fragments or few taxa in recent years. Our transcriptomic analyses of different life stages of N. cucumeris provide new insights into genes involved in its development. Putative genes involved in vitellogenesis, regulation of oviposition, sex determination, development of legs, signal perception, detoxification and stress-resistance, and innate immune systems are identified. CONCLUSIONS: Our genomics and developmental transcriptomics analyses of N. cucumeris provide invaluable resources for further research on the development, reproduction, and fitness of this economically important mite in particular and Arachnida in general.

Molecular characterization and genetic diversity of Ornithonyssus sylviarum in chickens (Gallus gallus) from Hainan Island, China.

BACKGROUND: The northern fowl mite (NFM), Ornithonyssus sylviarum, is an obligatory hematophagous ectoparasite of birds and one of the most important pests in the poultry industry on several continents. Although NFM poses a serious problem, it remains a neglected pest of poultry in China and other Asian countries. Therefore, a molecular analysis was conducted to provide baseline information on the occurrence, genetic diversity and emergence of NFM in poultry farms from China. METHODS: This study focused on morphological description and identification of adults based on electron microscopy, molecular sequencing of the mitochondrial cox1 gene and phylogenetic analysis. We have also used the DNA sequences of the cox1 gene to study the genetic diversity, population structure and demographic history. The neutrality tests were used to analyze signatures of historical demographic events. RESULTS: The mites collected were identified as the northern fowl mite Ornithonyssus sylviarum based on external morphological characterization using electron microscopy. Molecular analysis using a 756-bp long partial fragment of the cox1 gene revealed 99-100% sequence identity with NFM and phylogenetic inferences showed a bootstrap value of 99% indicating a well-supported monophyletic relationship. Molecular diversity indices showed high levels of haplotype diversity dominated by private haplotypes, but low nucleotide divergence between haplotypes. The Tajima's D test and Fu's Fs test showed negative value, indicating deviations from neutrality and both suggested recent population expansion of mite populations supported by a star-like topology of the isolates in the network analysis. Our genetic data are consistent with a single introduction of NFM infestations and the spread of NFM infestation in Hainan poultry farms and a private haplotype dominance, which suggest that infestations are recycled within the farms and transmission routes are limited between farms. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first time a molecular report of NFM in chicken from China including other Asian countries using DNA barcoding. The findings have potential implications with respect to understanding the transmission patterns, emergence and populations trends of parasitic infestations of poultry farms that will help for setting the parameters for integrated pest management (IPM) tactics against mite infestations.

Description of four new species of Haemaphysalis Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) from the H. (Rhipistoma) spinulosa subgroup, parasites of carnivores and rodents in Africa.

Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) bochkovi n. sp., H. (R.) burkinae n. sp., H. (R.) horaki n. sp. and H. (R.) walkerae n. sp. (Acari: Ixodidae), are described based on males and females. Adults of H. bochkovi n. sp. were collected from the marsh mongoose, Atilax paludinosus (Cuvier) (Carnivora: Herpestidae) and the spotted-necked otter, Hydrictis maculicollis (Lichtenstein) (Carnivora: Mustelidae) in Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia; adults of H. burkinae n. sp. were collected from the rusty-spotted genet, Genetta maculata (Gray), the Haussa genet, Genetta thierryi Matschie (Carnivora: Viverridae) and the Cape hare, Lepus capensis Linnaeus (Lagomorpha: Leporidae) in Burkina Faso; adults of H. horaki n. sp. were collected from the Cape dune mole-rat, Bathyergus suillus (Schreber) (Rodentia: Bathyergidae) in South Africa; adults of H. walkerae n. sp. were collected from the striped polecat, Ictonyx striatus (Perry) (Carnivora: Mustelidae), the bat-eared fox, Otocyon megalotis (Desmarest) (Carnivora: Canidae), the aardwolf, Proteles cristata (Sparrman) (Carnivora: Hyaenidae) and the East African spring hare, Pedetes surdaster (Thomas) (Rodentia: Pedetidae) in Kenya. Males and females of these new species can be differentiated from each other and other H. spinulosa-like ticks by their size, pattern of punctations on conscutum/scutum, length of setae, shape and size of genital structures, spiracular plates, basis capituli, dorsal cornua, posterosdorsal and posteroventral spurs of palpal segment II and spur on coxae.

Advancing mite phylogenomics: Designing ultraconserved elements for Acari phylogeny.

Mites (Acari) are one of the most diverse groups of life on Earth; yet, their evolutionary relationships are poorly understood. Also, the resolution of broader arachnid phylogeny has been hindered by an underrepresentation of mite diversity in phylogenomic analyses. To further our understanding of Acari evolution, we design targeted ultraconserved genomic elements (UCEs) probes, intended for resolving the complex relationships between mite lineages and closely related arachnids. We then test our Acari UCE baits in-silico by constructing a phylogeny using 13 existing Acari genomes, as well as 6 additional taxa from a variety of genomic sources. Our Acari-specific probe kit improves the recovery of loci within mites over an existing general arachnid UCE probe set. Our initial phylogeny recovers the major mite lineages, yet finds mites to be non-monophyletic overall, with Opiliones (harvestmen) and Ricinuleidae (hooded tickspiders) rendering Parasitiformes paraphyletic.

A Red List of mites from the suborder Uropodina (Acari: Parasitiformes) in Poland.

This article presents a Red List of mite species from the suborder Uropodina (Acari: Parasitiformes) occurring in Poland. Evaluation of the conservation status of the analyzed species was compiled on the basis of new criteria, which may also be applied to other groups of soil fauna. The authors employ the names of categories proposed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). One of our aims was to review the IUCN criteria to ascertain whether they are applicable in an attempt to assess the danger of extinction of soil invertebrates, and to see whether the criteria can be adapted to make such an assessment. The analyzed material contained 93 mite species obtained from 16,921 soil samples, which were collected between 1961 and 2017 in the whole area of Poland. The categories were assigned to species on the basis of the frequency of the species, but also other factors were taken into account, such as microhabitat specificity, vulnerability to detrimental conditions, and shrinking of local populations. One of the analyzed species can now be regarded as extinct, over 25% of the species (26 spp.) were labeled as critically endangered, and most of them (33 spp.) were categorized as vulnerable-the other species were assigned to the categories endangered (13 spp.), near threatened (10 spp.), and least concern (10 spp.).

Description of the Males of Androlaelaps misionalis and Androlaelaps ulysespardinasi (Acari: Parasitiformes: Laelapidae) Parasitic of Sigmondontine Rodents From Northeastern Argentina.

Laelapinae mites are common ectoparasites of small mammals, mainly sigmodontine rodents, but males are not frequent in natural populations. In this study, the morphology of the unknown males of Androlaelaps misionalis Lareschi, 2010 and Androlaelaps ulysespardinasi Lareschi, 2011 are described. The males of these species differ from the male of Androlaelaps rotundus (da Fonseca, 1936), a close species, because of the size and shape of their dorsal shield and the length of paranal and sternal st1 and st2 setae. The males of A. misionalis and A. ulysespardinasi differ in their size, in the distance of j6 setae in the dorsal shield, length of hypostomal seta hyp3, number of accessory setae in holoventral shield, length of postanal and sternal st3 setae, number of opisthogastric setae in unarmed integument lateral to level of coxae IV, and shape of tip of movable digit in the chelicera.

Two New Species of Xenotarsonemus (Acari: Tarsonemidae) from the Atlantic Forest, Brazil.

Two new species, Xenotarsonemus quiriri n. sp. and Xenotarsonemus scorpius n. sp., are described and illustrated in this paper based on specimens collected on Myrtaceae plants in Atlantic Forest areas of the states of Bahia and Santa Catarina, Brazil. A key to identification of Xenotarsonemus species reported from Brazil is provided.

Composition and diversity of acaroids mites (Acari: Astigmata) community in the stored rhizomatic traditional Chinese medicinal materials.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the species and breeding density of ac a roid mites in the stored rhizomatic traditional Chinese medicinal materials in Anhui province, China, in order to supply evidences for control and prevention of such species. METHODS: The stored traditional Chinese medicinal materials of root-stock origins were collected in 30 herb stores and warehouses in 17 cities across Anhui province. Mites were collected by using Tullgren funnel and directicopy, and identified under microscopy. RESULTS: Twenty-two species of acaroid mites, belonging to 15 genera under 5 families, were identified from the total 47 stored samples, in which Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Acarus farinae, Carpoglyphus lactis, and Cologlyplus berlesei were predominant. CONCLUSION: Breeding density of acaroid mites was high in the stored rhizomatic traditional Chinese medicinal materials in Anhui province. This indicates that the traditional Chinese medicinal herbs of root-stock origins in storage are seriously contaminated by the acaroid mites, and such infestation should be positively controlled to reduce the potential harm to public health.

Ocular symptoms reported by patients infested with Demodex mites.

The purpose of this study was to determine subjective ocular symptoms occurring in patients infested with Demodex. The number of Demodex mites in the obtained material that correlated with the appearance of ocular symptoms was estimated. The study material were eyelashes collected from 1499 patients. The material were observed under a light microscope. T-test, the logistic regression method, and Pearson correlation coefficient were used for the analysis. Demodex mites were detected in 47% patients. The mean ages of infected women and men were 64 and 59 years, respectively. 64% infected patients complained of one or more ophthalmological symptoms. The most commonly reported symptoms included itching (28%), redness of eyelids (21%), and watery eyes (15%). Positive correlation was found between itching, redness, pain, purulence or eyelash loss and the presence of Demodex. The mentioned symptoms increase the probability of Demodex infestation in a statistically significant manner (p<0.005). A correlation between the age and gender and the number of Demodex was revealed by the study. The threshold average number of seven Demodex mites per eight collected eyelashes with which the risk of the occurrence of an ocular symptom increases significantly was defined. In patients with a low number of Demodex mites, symptoms may be absent. The risk of the occurrence of ocular symptom in patients with demodicosis increases with the increase in the average number of Demodex mites.