Emphasis has been given in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso to the implementation of more sustainable production practices, including what has been termed agrosilvopastoral production system (ASPS), which involves the integration of different types of land use in a same area along time, seeking increased ecological stability. The Gamasina mite group (order Mesostigmata) is usually diverse and abundant in non-cultivated soils, where they can prey on arthropods and nematodes; some are commercialized for biological pest control. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diversity and abundance of edaphic Gamasina in plots of grain production managed under conventional (alternating cultivation) system and under ASPS, both with the adoption of no-tillage cultivation, in the municipality of Sinop, Mato Grosso state. In samples of soil and litter taken biweekly from August 2015 to May 2016, 762 Gamasina representing 32 species of 21 genera and nine families were collected. Considering both systems together, the dominant Gamasina were quite different from those of other parts of Brazil. Calculated ecological indexes showed no major differences between the two systems, possibly because of the relatively short time since the implementation of ASPS. In both systems, Rhodacaridae was one of the dominant families (37.5% of the Gamasina), followed by Macrochelidae (20.9%) and Laelapidae (18.8%). The most abundant species were Multidentirhodacarus squamosus Karg (Rhodacaridae), a new species of Holostaspella (Macrochelidae) and Cosmolaelaps barbatus Moreira, Klompen and Moraes (Laelapidae). Future studies are warranted, allowing more time for the adoption of ASPS to produce possible ecological changes.

Diplothrombium tunceliensissp. nov. and D. sansaensissp. nov. collected from wet moss by Berlese funnel (off host) in Erzincan and Tunceli Provinces, Turkey, are described and illustrated. In addition, D. longipalpe (Berlese, 1887), D. rackaeWohltmann et al. 2004 and D. zbigniewiHaitlinger, 2001 are reported for the first time from Turkey. Also, species of Diplothrombium known from their larvae are compared.

The present article represents the first part of a review of fossil heterostigmatic mites collected from late Eocene Rovno amber. Here, mites of the families Tarsocheylidae, Dolichocybidae, and Acarophenacidae are described, with Tarsocheylidae and Dolichocybidae recorded for the first time from amber. A new genus and four new species are described, namely, Hoplocheylus similissp. nov. (Tarsocheylidae), Dolichocybe elongatasp. nov. (Dolichocybidae), Proadactylidium fossibilisgen. and sp. nov. and Paradactylidium sineunguissp. nov. (Acarophenacidae). The extant species Acarophenax lacunatusCross and Krantz, 1964 and A. assanoviLivshitz and Mitrofanov, 1974 are transferred to the new genus Proadactylidium. A revised key to the genera of Acarophenacidae is presented. The homologies of prodorsal setae in Acarophenacidae are reconsidered and reviewed.

Plants in nature are constantly exposed to various stresses resulting from fluctuating environmental conditions which adversely affect their growth and development and may affect the performance of herbivores feeding on them. Drought and salinity are the most serious problems of agriculture due to climatic changes. According to global warming and drying of Urmia salty lake in Northwestern Iran which could result in salinization of agricultural lands nearby, the focus of this study was to examine the effect of two above mentioned stresses on a host plant and its pest population. Three levels of salinity (50 (low), 100 (intermediate) and 150 (high) mM NaCl) and water deficit (40–50% the amount of water given to control plants) were induced to common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) as stress factors and the following characteristics were measured: fresh and dry weight, leaf area, chlorophyll, carotenoid, proline and protein contents and CAT, APX and GPX enzyme activities. The life table parameters of two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, reared on stress-induced plants were measured and compared with control. The high saline condition caused plant defoliation and was deleted from results. The low saline condition caused an increase in fresh weight and decrease in chlorophyll and protein contents of plant. Intermediate saline condition caused an increase in APX and CAT enzyme activities and decrease of dry weight, chlorophyll, protein and proline contents. Drought condition caused an increase of APX and GPX enzyme activities and proline content and decrease of dry weight and chlorophyll content. Analysis of life table data of T. urticae showed a significant decrease of net reproductive rate (R₀), mean generation time (T) and gross reproductive rate (GRR) of mites reared on plants under both of stresses. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) and finite rate of increase (λ) decreased significantly only for mites reared on plants under intermediate saline condition.

Asthma is a common problem that affects about 20 million peoples in India and can be often under-diagnosed or misdiagnosed. It can be allergic or non-allergic though the former type is more common and prevalent. Allergic asthma can be triggered by many allergens and house dust mites (HDM) are one of the common indoor allergens. The present study emphasizes the significance of house dust mites in allergic asthmatic subjects which is based on 115 asthmatic subjects in Punjab, India. For the quantification and the estimation of total serum Immunoglobulin E and HDM specific IgE, a mixture of 14 allergens and a mixture of two mite allergens viz. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and D. farinae were used respectively. Total and specific IgE levels were detected on ImmunoCAP Phadia 100. A statistically significant correlation between total and HDM specific IgE levels of 115 asthmatic subjects was found as compared to control group of 30 non-allergic individuals. The specific IgE levels of 54.78% subjects against the allergen of two mite species were found to be positive. Dust samples were taken from various localities of the houses to identify the diversity of house dust mites which were responsible for allergic asthma. Five common house dust mite species viz. D. pteronyssinus Trouessart, D. farinae Hughes, D. microceras Griffiths and Cunnington, D. aureliani Fain and Euroglyphus maynei Cooreman were identified from the dust. The present study observed that total IgE levels were higher with higher specific IgE levels against the mixture of two mite allergens viz. D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae in the blood serum. D. pteronyssinus was the most abundant and prevalent mite species followed by D. farinae. Therefore, present study concluded that HDM specific IgE levels against the mite allergen of D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae in the serum of allergic asthmatic subjects were found to be higher because of the higher prevalence of these two mites (D. pteronyssinus i.e. 69.80% and D. farinae i.e. 20.72%) in the house of allergic asthmatic subjects as compared to other identified mites.

Unlike most terrestrial parasitengone mites (chiggers, erythraeids), known mostly from parasitic and easy-to-collect larvae, smaridid systematics are mainly based on the post larval instar. Larvae are rarely collected, and their biology and host associations are virtually unknown. Here we infer phylogenetic relationships of Smarididae based on 50 morphological characters using both larval and post larval instars, including data on the larval morphology of Trichosmaris obtained through rearing. The subfamily Smaridinae, as currently understood, was recovered paraphyletic: the genus Smaris was rendered as basal smaridid lineage, while the genus Fessonia (Smaridinae) was sister to Hirstiosomatinae, albeit with moderate support. Our analysis suggests that the genus SurasmarisSouthcott, 1995 is a junior synonym of TrichosmarisSouthcott, 1963 (syn. nov.), and two Sphaerotarsus species should be placed into Hirstiosoma: Hirstiosoma baenai (Mayoral & Barranco, 2017) comb. nov., Hirstiosoma quercus (Yazdanpanah, Saboori & Hakimitabar, 2016) comb. nov. Sphaerotarsus monticolusSouthcott, 1997 and S. leptopilus were recovered as independent lineages, and hence, a new genus Southcottiana gen. nov. is proposed to include Southcottiana monticola comb. nov (Southcott, 1997). We describe two new species, Trichosmaris paulensis sp. nov. (adults, larvae) and T. calcarensis sp. nov. (larva), and present the first description of larval T. dispar, the type species of Trichosmaris, previously known only from post larval instars. Based on the above results, we give a key to larval genera of Smarididae and a key to species of Trichosmaris (larval and postlarval instars).

Geogamasus lasaroi Barros, Azevedo & Castilho sp. nov. is described based on the morphology of adult females collected from soil-litter of a well preserved fragment of the natural vegetation of the Caatinga biome, in Alagoas state, northeastern Brazil. In addition, key information on the morphology of the world Geogamasus species is presented in a tabular format.

In this paper, a new species of Kuzinellus Wainstein, K. gabonensis sp. nov., is described based on specimens collected in Gabon. This new species is morphologically similar to K. querellus (Ueckermann & Loots), but it can be distinguished mainly by the knobbed tip of the dorsal setae Z4, spermatheca shape and by its possession of more than 15% divergence in the DNA barcode region of COI. Additionally, Kuzinellus querellus is reported for the first time from Kenya and accompanied by a redescription of morphological and DNA barcode data.

Two new feather mite species collected from the Huet's fulvetta, Alcippe hueti (Passeriformes, Leiothrichidae), in China are described: Proterothrix dinghushani sp. n. (Proctophyllodidae) and Trouessartia pauciseta sp. n. (Trouessartiidae). Males of P. dinghushani have a pair of lateral hysteronotal sclerites and a closed pentagonal sclerotized frame in the postero-median part of propodosoma. Females of this species have the sternum 1/4 of the total length of epimerites, and the terminal cleft exceeds half of the length of the lobar shield. Both sexes of T. pauciseta have a distinctive character, the absence of 3 pairs of hysteronotal setae (d1, d2, and e2), that clearly differs this species from all previously known species of the genus.

Gamasellodes unalpalmi Mesa, Abo-Shnaf & Rueda-Ramirez sp. nov. and Zerconopsis zumbambicae Mesa, Abo-Shnaf & Rueda-Ramirez sp. nov. are described based on the morphology of adults obtained from litter and soil samples collected at Valle del Cauca province, Colombia. A complement to a recently published key to the world species of Gamasellodes and a key for the separation of females of the 18 recognizable world species of Zerconopsis are provided.

Two new species of the genus Raphignathus, R. serajisp. nov. and R. rakhshandehisp. nov., are described and illustrated based on females collected from soil under Astragalus sp. bushes, along Gamasiab river, Nahavand, Hamedan province, Iran. An updated key to all known species of Raphignathus is given.

Investigation of diversity of free-living predatory mites of the family Cheyletidae in Western Siberia, Russia, undertaken for the first time, has recorded 10 species, of which eight species are new for this region. Description of a new species Eutogenes bicornissp. nov. includes all active stages; a male of Cheletomimus (Hemicheyletia) recki (Volgin, 1966) comb. nov. is redescribed and its remanining active stages are described for the first time; Cheyletus rashtiensisSalarzehi et al. 2018 is recorded from Russia for the first time, and its female is redescribed, and tritonymph is described for the first time; Chelacheles apanaskevichiBochkov and Abramov, 2016, Cheletacarus raptorVolgin, 1961, Paracheyletia pyriformis (Banks, 1904), Cunliffella whartoni (Baker, 1949), and Bothrocheyla pavlovskyi (Volgin, 1964) are recorded from Western Siberia for the first time. Nomenclature of some setal structures of legs is discussed.

The morphological ontogeny of Ctenobelba pilosella Jeleva, 1962 is described and illustrated. This species was investigated from its description mainly in ecological aspect. It was recorded from the forest and meadow soils, with rather low density, and small percent of juveniles.The adult is of medium size and has setiform bothridial seta, with 6–10 anterior spines. Notogaster is covered with asteriform granules and has 10 pairs of medium size, barbed setae. Seta d is absent from genua I–III and all tibia. Bothridial seta of juveniles is setiform and barbed, prodorsal and gastronotal setae are short, except of medium size ro and long, curved inwards lp. Nymphs are quadrideficient and eupheredermous i.e. they carry the exuvial scalps of previous instars. Anal valves of protonymph and deutonymph have two pairs of alveolar setae, which is rare in Brachypylina. The juveniles have seta d on all genua and tibiae.

Adamystis persiangulfensissp. nov. is described based on female, male, tritonymph, deutonymph and larva stages collected in the littoral zone of mangrove forests in Qeshm Island, in the eastern part of the Persian Gulf, southern Iran. This new species is distinguished by having two pairs of adoral setae; chelicera with one seta; palpal tarsus with 14 setae; idiosoma with one poorly defined (weakly sclerotized) shield; dorsum laterally at least with 19 pairs of lens-like structures and five pairs of aggenital setae (ag_1–5). Additionally, an identification key to known species of Adamystis is updated.

Two new species of the genus Eutegaeus (Oribatida, Eutegaeidae) are described based on specimens from moss in the Queulat National Park of Chile. Eutegaeus aysenensissp. nov. (description based on the adult, larva, deuto- and tritonymph) is morphologically similar to that of Eutegaeus lagrecai in having long, flagellate interlamellar and notogastral setae and rod-like bothridial seta; it differs from the latter by having smaller body size and comparatively long bothridial seta, the lamella having anteromedial process, and by the absence of striate ornamentation on notogaster. Eutegaeus queulatensissp. nov. (description based on the adult, proto- and tritonymph) is morphologically similar to that of Eutegaeus membraniger in having a triangular anteromedial lamellar process, long, rod-like bothridial seta, foveate lamella, and dorsal notogastral setae of medium length; it differs from the latter by having smaller body length, thickened notogastral setae, flagellate interlamellar setae, setiform lamellar setae, a tubercle on epimere III, and absence of an anterolateral tooth on the lamella. Based on new information, several characters in the generic diagnosis of Eutegaeus adults are modified or expanded, and a preliminary diagnosis for juveniles is presented. The larva of E. aysenensissp. nov. is the first to be described for the genus. Nymphs of four species of Eutegaeus are compared.

A total of 2809 ixodid ticks were collected by screening 4560 household cattle from six different agro-climatic zones of Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India. Among the ixodid ticks, Rhipicephalus microplus tick isolates were subjected to Adult Immersion Test (AIT) and Larval Packet Test (LPT) using deltamethrin. The mean % of ixodid tick infested cattle population was 63.2%±10.9. Positive correlation was found between the tick burden on household cattle and Resistance Factor (R=0.66). Further, 44% variance in the tick burden on cattle is explained by LPT based resistance factor suggesting deltamethrin resistance level is one of the contributing factors to the tick load on cattle. Analysis of DNA sequence of sodium channel gene domain II-S4-5 linker region of all deltamethrin resistant R. microplus tick isolates, confirmed the absence of point mutation at the 190^th nucleotide which suggests the possible mutation in other regions of sodium channel gene of R. microplus tick isolates of south India and/or alternate resistance mechanisms.

Seven spider mite species were recorded for the first time in Serbia: Bryobia macedonicaHatzinikolis & Panou, 1996 and Bryobia querciHatzinikolis & Panou, 1997 from Bryobiinae, and Eutetranychus orientalis Klein, 1936; Oligonychus bicolor Banks, 1894; Oligonychus platani McGregor, 1950 Tetranychus canadensis McGregor, 1950 and Tetranychus ludeni Zacher, 1913 from Tetranychinae. Together with previously reported data, these findings raise the number of known tetranychid species in Serbia to 44, the second highest number of spider mite species recorded in the Balkan countries. The records of O. bicolor and T. canadensis are also the first ones on the Balkan Peninsula. The most frequent species were T. ludeni and E. orientalis, found in 24 and 13 out of 57 sampling locations. Spider mites were recorded on host plants in four basic habitat types, but predominantly in cultivated habitats and woodlands. A total of 27 plant species from nine families were recorded as hosts for newly recorded spider mites, including 12 plant species as new hosts for four tetranychids, and three plant species as new hosts for the family Tetranychidae. Plant family Rosaceae had the highest number of new hosts (7) and harbored the highest number of spider mite species (5). Tetranychus ludeni had the highest number of host plants (11) with two plant species as its new hosts. Oligonychus bicolor was found on eight host plants including five new hosts for this species and one new host for the family Tetranychidae. The other two new hosts for the family Tetranychidae harbored O. platani and B. querci, respectively. Symptoms of heavy infestations by E. orientalis and T. ludeni were recorded on host plants in several locations.