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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]

Diplogyniopsis fluctuosumsp. nov. associated with passalid beetles is described based on females from China on undermined passalid beetles, as well as on females and males from Thailand on Aceraius helferi (Coleoptera: Passalidae). The species represents the second known species of Diplogyniopsis Trägårdh, prompting us to redefine the genus diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of tarsonemid mite from the tribe Coreitarsonemini, Coreitarsonemus eratosp. nov., is described from female, male and larval specimens collected from the odoriferous glands of the Australian gum-tree bug Amorbus rhombifer (Westwood, 1842). We summarise the hosts and distributions of each species, provide updated keys, and speculate that species of Coreitarsonemini are largely restricted to the tropics and host species that persist as adults year-round. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of tarsonemid mite, Steneotarsonemus hippodromus sp. nov., is described from kikuyu grass Pennisetum clandestinum (Poaceae). The new species is the fifth species of the subgenus Steneotarsonemoides. Keys to the subgenera of Steneotarsonemus and species of Steneotarsonemoides are provided, as is a list of species in each subgenus of Steneotarsonemus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new species of Eutarsopolipus Berlese, 1913 (Acari: Podapolipidae) are described from adult females, larviform adult males and larval females collected from under the elytra of pterostichine carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in southeast Queensland: Eutarsopolipus earnshawi sp. nov. from Cratoferonia phylarchus (Sloane, 1900), Eutarsopolipus lambkinae sp. nov. from Notonomus angustibasis Sloane, 1902 and Eutarsopolipus rutherfordae sp. nov. from Trichosternus subvirens (Chaudoir, 1865) . All the new species belong to the ochoai species group and a key to species of this group is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research which examined the mites of the genus Fedrizzia from passalid beetles of the genus Mastachilus from Australia, published in 2013. A description of two new species, Fedrizzia classeni species nova and Fedrizzia humei species nova, is presented. The materials and methods used to conduct the study are also discussed.

A new tribe, Obuloidini tr. nov. Beard, Ueckermann & Seeman, is proposed to include the genera Krugeria Meyer, Obuloides Baker & Tuttle and two new genera, Bauchania gen. nov. Beard & Seeman and Krobuloides gen. nov. Ueckermann. The genus Krugeria is revised, with the redescription of the type species Kru. ramosa Meyer (based on type material) and the addition of four new species, Kru. neseri sp. nov. Beard & Seeman, Kru. tshipise sp. nov. Beard & Seeman, and Kru. esseleeae Ueckermann from South Africa, and Kru. ueckermanni Beard & Seeman from Australia (new generic record). A new genus from South Africa, Krobuloides gen. nov. Ueckermann, is described based on three new species, Kro. aydeni sp. nov. Ueckermann, Kro. eduani sp. nov. Ueckermann and Kro. waldoi sp. nov. Ueckermann. The genus Obuloides is revised with redescriptions of the following species, all based on type material: the type species O. rajamohani Baker & Tuttle from India; O. rimando Corpuz-Raros from The Philippines; and O. crinitus Maake & Ueckermann, O. flavae Ueckermann, Theron & Tiedt, O. inquilinus Ueckermann et al., O. namibiensis Ueckermann et al., O. occidentalis Ueckermann et al., and O. ruginosus Ueckermann et al. from South Africa. A new genus, Bauchania gen. nov. Beard & Seeman, is described from Australia, based on two new species, B. dampiera sp. nov. Beard & Seeman and B. goodenia sp. nov. Beard & Seeman. A discussion of the character states shared by these four genera is presented, with a key to separate them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterostigmatic mites (Heterostigmata) are highly diverse, have symbiotic associations with various insects and occur worldwide. Despite Australia's rich insect biodiversity, little is known about its heterostigmatic mites. In this study, we conducted a preliminary study on heterostigmatic mites associated with beetles in eastern Australia and found four species, of which three were new: Caraboacarus stammeri Krczal, 1959 (Caraboacaridae) and Eutarsopolipus orpheus Katlav & Seeman, sp. nov., (Podapolipidae) associated with Australian‐endemic Gnathaphanus melbournensis (Castelnau, 1867) (Carabidae); Hoplocheylus australiensis Katlav & Seeman, sp. nov., (Tarsocheylidae) phoretic on Australian‐endemic Mastachilus quaestionis (Kuwert, 1891) (Passalidae); and Pavania gazellatris Katlav & Seeman, sp. nov., (Dolichocybidae) phoretic on introduced Digitonthophagus gazella (Fabricius, 1787) (Scarabaeidae). The species of Caraboacaridae, Dolichocybidae and Tarsocheylidae are the first species records of these families in Australia. It is likely that two of the three new species are Australian endemics, while P. gazellatris may be a more recent arrival on introduced dung beetles, possibly arriving with imports of exotic adult dung beetles. Furthermore, we provide an overview of the heterostigmatic mite fauna of Australia that consists of less than 90 species belonging to 13 families, with representatives of all known seven superfamilies. These mites have so far been mostly reported on beetles but also on other insect orders (Blattodea, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Orthoptera, Thysanoptera). Our findings of three new species and one new record based on the analysis of a relatively small number of specimens and beetle species suggest that more comprehensive studies of host insect taxa will reveal a substantially larger Australian diversity of heterostigmatic mites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Chrysomelobia matsuzawai sp. nov. and Chrysomelobia nipponica sp. nov. (Acari: Podapolipidae) are described from Gonioctena rubripennis Baly (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) collected in Japan. This is the first record of the genus Chrysomelobia Regenfuss, 1968 in Asia. Adult females of the type species for Chrysomelobia, Chrysomelobia mahunkai Regenfuss, 1968, were recollected from female specimens infesting a Gonioctena sp. in Germany. An updated key to all species of Chrysomelobia is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ixodes barkeri, a tick with a distinctive ventrolateral horn-like projection on palpal segment 1, was described in 2019 from two male ticks from the Wet Tropics of Far North Queensland, Australia. However, females lie at the core of the taxonomy and subgenus classification of Ixodes; hence, we sought specimens of female ticks, successfully recovering females, plus nymphs and larvae. Mitochondrial genomes are also desirable additions to the descriptions of species of ticks particularly regarding subgenus systematics. So, we sequenced the mt genomes of I. barkeri Barker, 2019, and the possible relatives of I. barkeri that were available to us (I. australiensis Neumann, 1904, I. fecialis Warburton & Nuttall, 1909, and I. woyliei Ash et al. 2017) with a view to discovering which if any of the subgenera of Ixodes would be most suitable for I. barkeri Barker, 2019. Results: The female, nymph, larva and mitochondrial genome of Ixodes barkeri Barker, 2019, are described for the first time and the male of I. barkeri is redescribed in greater detail than previously. So far, I. barkeri is known only from a monotreme, the short-beaked echidna, Tachyglossus aculeatus (Shaw, 1792), from the highland rainforests of the Wet Tropics of Far North Queensland, Australia. Conclusions: Our phylogeny from entire mitochondrial genomes indicated that I. barkeri and indeed I. woyliei Ash et al., 2017, another tick that was described recently, are best placed in the subgenus Endopalpiger Schulze, 1935. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new tetranychine spider mites are described from Astragalus in Iran: Tetranychus neosalsolaesp. nov. and Augeriflechtmannia astragalussp. nov. The possible close relationship between the new species prompted us to review the genus AugeriflechtmanniaKoçak & Kemal, 2008—formerly DiplonychusAuger & Flechtmann, 2003. We refine the genus diagnosis and move Tetranychus armeniacaBagdasarian, 1951 and Tetranychus iraniensis Mahdavi & Ueckermann, 2013 to Augeriflechtmannia and discuss the possible synonymy of these species. The genus now comprises five species from Armenia, Iran and Tunisia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The setae of mites are not regarded as secretory structures, yet in the flat mite genus Raoiella , each developmental stage presents droplets of fluid associated with the tips of their dorsal setae. To understand the origin of this fluid, the ultrastructure of the dorsal setae is investigated in females of Raoiella bauchani Beard & Ochoa and the invasive pest species Raoiella indica Hirst using scanning and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The dorsal setae are barbed along their entire length and have either a broadened plumose or a flat spatulate tip. Ultrastructurally, they present the typical features of mechanoreceptors, but have a "hollow" axis represented by a protoplasmatic core containing dendritic branches. This combination of ultrastructural characters indicates that the setae might be multimodal receptors: acting as both mechanoreceptors and contact chemoreceptors. The epidermal cells that underlie the setal sockets are columnar and have an ultrastructure that suggests they have a glandular function. Moreover, these cells present regular microvilli apically and form extracellular cuticular canals, containing epicuticular filaments, that are connected with the microvilli proximally and which open via pores onto the surface of the setal base distally. This arrangement indicates that the secretion from the microvilli passes into the canals and is then conducted to pores at the base of the seta, where it then accumulates and moves up the setal shaft, along the longitudinal grooves of the barbs. Based on similar arrangements in some insect taxa, the organization of the structures here observed in Raoiella suggests the passage of a non-polar, water insoluble, lipoid fluid through the cuticle, the function of which is still obscure. • Dorsal setae in the genus Raoiella could act as both mechanoreceptor and contact chemoreceptors. • Structure of epidermal cells underlying the dorsal setae suggests an active secretory role. • These secretory cells are connected to extracellular tubule cuticular structures. • Tubule structures open via pores on the side walls of the setal sockets. • Presence of epicuticular filaments suggests an involvement in the transport mechanisms of waterproofing lipoid materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]