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A new species, Ficotarsonemus bancroftisp. nov., is described from female and male mites from within the syconium of the sandpaper fig Ficus coronata Spin collected from southeast Queensland, Australia. We summarize records of fig mites (Tarsonemidae: Tarsonemellini) to date and provide a key to genera and species. Paper LSID: Species LSID: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined a dataset of body sizes comprising 3209 species of Mesostigmata to test two hypotheses regarding body size patterns: that species living in symbiotic relationships differ in size compared with those that are free-living, and that mite species show geographic body size gradients. We found that Mesostigmata in symbiotic relationships are considerably larger than those that are free-living, but the type of symbiosis (commensal versus parasitic) had little influence on body size. We also found that free-living mite species fit a Bergmann size cline (larger species in cool climates), but mite species in commensal relationships show a converse Bergmann size cline (larger species in warm climates) while no pattern was found for parasitic species. These results fit a resource-based explanation for both patterns. We hypothesize that animals that use more easily obtainable resources grow larger, through resource pulses in temperate zones for free-living mites and use of concentrated resources for commensal and parasitic species. Available microhabitats could also promote smaller sizes in free-living Mesostigmata: i.e. soil and plants offer more and smaller microhabitats to exploit and are hence occupied by smaller species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a new species ofParacarophenaxCross based on females found attached to the larvae of threeMycetophagussp. (Coleoptera: Mycetophagidae) collected from the fungusPleurotus ostreatus(Agaricales: Pleurotaceae) in Alberta, Canada. These mites exhibit a novel means of attachment: instead of grasping one of the host’s setae, adhesive pads are deposited on the host’s cuticle and gripped by the mite’s opposed tarsus I claw and uncinate setauʺ. We hypothesize that the glue-like material is exuded from the mite’s mouth. The mite’s association with the larval beetle represents pre-parasitic (these mites are parasitoids of beetle eggs) and pre-phoretic (mites disperse on adult beetles) attendance of the host and is a rare record of phoretic (as opposed to feeding) attachment to a pre-adult stage in the Heterostigmatina. This mite is also the first record of the Acarophenacidae from the Mycetophagidae. We provide updated keys to the genera of Acarophenacidae and to species ofParacarophenaxand moveParacarophenax dermestidarumtoAethiophenax, i.e.Aethiophenax dermestidarum(Rack 1959)comb. nov. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:507550D8-1E3C-48F2-B277-A9D471E21468 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Megisthanus leviathanicussp. nov. is described from the passalid beetleMastachilus australasicusfrom Australia. The adult male is the largest of all known Mesostigmata with one specimen measuring 5.05 mm in length. The sexes are dimorphic: female mites are smaller, have numerous elongate setae, and a lyriform dorsal shield, while the major males have minute dorsal setae and a subovate dorsal shield. Some minor males (n = 4/48) resemble the female in having numerous elongate dorsal setae. Usually only one major male was found on a beetle, but rarely a minor male also occurred, suggesting that a major male defends a beetle and that minor males share access to females. Both sexes had considerable variation in the secondary sclerotization around their dorsal shields. This variation requires some adjustments to the current taxonomy. HereinMegisthanus caudatusis considered a senior synonym ofM. brachyurussyn. nov.andM. testudosyn. nov., asM. brachyurusis based on a female without secondary sclerotization andM. testudoon the male ofM. caudatus. The Australian speciesMegisthanus thorelli, and the North American speciesMegisthanus floridanus, are diagnosed. The diagnostic character states for megisthanid species are explored, especially the female’s internal genitalia. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FB6B6509-64A6-4454-8B58-F412FA2833C1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flat miteDolichotetranychus australianus(Womersley, 1943) – a significant pest ofCynodonturfgrasses in Australia and Africa – is redescribed on the basis of new Australian material collected fromC. dactylon(bermudagrass, green couchgrass) and its hybridC. dactylon×transvaalensis. All active life stages are described, leg chaetotaxy is provided, anomalous features are noted and the specimens compared with type material. The species is widespread in Queensland and is probably present anywhere thatC. dactylonis grown in Australia, as indicated from its presence in other states. Photographs of its colonies and damage to turfgrass are presented, and damage symptoms are compared with similar damage caused byAceria cynodoniensis(Trombidiformes: Eriophyidae).Dolichotetranychus summersPritchard and Baker, 1952 known fromC. dactylonin California, is redescribed from type material and confirmed as a species distinct fromD. australianus, with both sexes ofD. summersilacking genital setaeg2, coxal seta2band the subcapitular setam. MaleD. summersialso have two solenidia on tarsi I–II and have an aedeagus approximately one-third the length (65 μm) that ofD. australianus(ca. 200 μm). The speciesDolichotetranychus riyadhensisAlatawi and Kamran, 2015 is considered a junior synonym ofD. australianus, and ontogenetic leg chaetotaxy ofDolichotetranychus zoysiaeEhara, 2004 is provided and corrected. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A new species of the genus Tenuipalpus Donnadieu, 1875 (Acari: Trombidiformes: Tenuipalpidae), namely Tenuipalpus etemadiisp. nov. from Aerva sp. (Amaranthaceae) and Phragmites australis (Poaceae), is described from Iran (Kerman Province). This species belongs to the caudatus species group, bakeri subgroup. This subgroup is briefly reviewed, and a strong biogeographic pattern noted: those species that are also considered part of Tenuipalpus sensu stricto or are close to it, are almost entirely Nearctic (15/16 species), while the remaining 21 species are generally Palaearctic, with just one species from the Nearctic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of flat mite (Acari: Tenuipalpidae),Ultratenuipalpus jubatusOtley, Beard and Seemansp. nov., is described from the green stems of forest oakAllocasuarina torulosa(Aiton) L.A.S. Johnson (Casuarinaceae) in Australia. We reinstateExtenuipalpusas a genus, withE. quadrisetosus(Lawrence, 1940) as the type species, and moveTenuipalpus niekerkaeMeyer, 1979 andTenuipalpus saggitusMeyer, 1993a toExtenuipalpus. We treatUrigersonusas a junior subjective synonym ofUltratenuipalpus, thus returningUrigersonus bunyai(Smiley and Gerson, 1995) toUltratenuipalpus. The generaUltratenuipalpusandExtenuipalpusare diagnosed and a key is provided for each genus.Ultratenuipalpusis shown to comprise two groups that generally conform to a biogeographic pattern: those species without setaf2show a Gondwanan distribution, post-separation from Africa, while those with setaf2are found in Africa, North America and East Asia. We also show that the pair of pseudanal setae that are modified into genital stylets in the male are setaeps3, notps1as previously thought, and therefore setaeps3are always present in flat mites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new species of the genusFavognathusLuxton, 1973 are described from Iran, namelyFavognathus esfahaniensissp. nov., collected from soil under lichen at Najaf Abad, Esfahan Province;Favognathus alvandiisp. nov., from soil under plum, hawthorn and quince trees at Hamedan, Hamedan Province; andFavognathus guilanicussp. nov., from soil under an unknown plant at Rasht, Guilan Province. The female and male of the type speciesCryptognathus lagenaKramer, 1879 are re-described.Cryptognathus sternalisKrantz, 1958 is removed from synonymy withC. lagenaafter examination of the ornamentation and leg setation of type specimens, because trochanter I has 1 seta and tarsi I–IV 15(1ω)–12(1 ω)–9(1ω)–9(1ω) inC. lagenainstead of trochanter I nude and tarsi I–IV 15(2ω)–12(2 ω)–10(1 ω)–10(1ω) inC. sternalis. http://zoobank.org/urn:LSID:zoobank.org:pub:D801D0D7-2B02-4D0C-91E7-0ED50C8B89D8 [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]