During the survey on eriophyoid mite fauna of Asteraceae plants in Bostanabad county, two new species were found and described: Aceria gundeliae Lotfollahi et Maghsoodi sp. nov. on Gundelia tournefortii L. in Alijan village and Aceria tikmedashiensis Lotfollahi et Maghsoodi sp. nov. on Chrysanthemum indicum L. in Tikmedash Research Center. Both species were vagrant on their host plants and are the first records of eriophyoid mites on their host plant genera.

This study aimed to assess the injuries caused by phytophagous mites at different population levels on apple tree leaves (Malus domestica: Rosaceae). The response to different infestation levels of Panonychus ulmi (Koch), Tetranychus urticae Koch and Tetranychus ludeni Zacher (Tetranychidae) on apple tree leaves was assessed through A, B, and total chlorophyll indices and membrane stability loss. Leaves infested with T. urticae showed higher chlorophyll loss, while leaves infested by P. ulmi and T. ludeni had decreased chlorophyll averages in densities of 25 mites/leaf and above. The evaluation of membrane stability loss identified T. ludeni as a potential cause of injuries in apple trees. The evaluations indicated that the higher number of mites on the leaf surface, the larger the membrane stability loss. This work warning to the apple production chain for monitoring infestations and preventing a potential threat to culture.

Three new Aceria species from Thailand are described and illustrated. Aceria krabianae sp. nov. was collected as a vagrant on Ceriscoides turgida (Roxb.) Tirveng (Rubiaceae) leaves, and no symptoms were observed on the host plant. Aceria insuavisae sp. nov. was collected on Senegalia insuavis (Lace) Pedley (Fabaceae), inducing galls on both surfaces of the leaves, and Aceria tratae sp. nov. was collected on Phyllanthus reticulatus Poir. (Phyllanthaceae), causing the formation of galls on the undersurface of the leaves.

Varroa mite threatens honey bees worldwide by affecting larvae and adults and causing viral diseases associated with colony collapse. This study investigates its prevalence and infestation level, and morphometric traits in Southern Sudanese (SS) and Northern Sudanese (NS) phytogeographical zones of Burkina Faso. We visited 238 hives from 48 apiaries in 9 provinces. Phoretic varroa mites were detected through a 70% alcohol wash on approximately 300 worker bees. Once in the laboratory, 7 morphometric characters were measured on 1 to 10 varroa mites per hive. According to these measurements, the mites were identified as Varroa destructor, Anderson & Trueman, 2000. Data analysis reveals that 91.6% of colonies of the whole sample are infested with varroa. In NS zone, the provinces of Bazega and Zoundweogo show high infestation level (5.93% and 7.18% respectively), while in the SS zone, Nahouri and Ziro exhibit the highest level (8.19% and 9.00%) respectively. In terms of body length and body width (BL and BW), varroa mites from SS zone display averages of 1176.04 ± 40.1 µm and 1765.14 ± 49.2 µm, while those from the NS zone have average values of 1167.44 ± 40.8 µm and 1755.36 ± 53.42 µm. These morphological differences are statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05), highlighting variability that may result from local adaptations or genetic variations. The morphological diversity of this parasite has implications for its biology, dispersion, and virulence towards bees. Future studies should explore genetic factors influencing parasitic dynamics and bee resistance for effective management strategies.

Two new species, Parapygmephorus indicus sp. nov., associated with Apis cerana indica (Apidae) and Parapygmephorus malabarensis sp. nov., associated with Gnathonomia sp. (Halictidae), are described from Kerala, India. This is the first record of the genus Parapygmephorus in India.

Predatory mites are important biocontrol agents in controlling small pests in the greenhouse. However, extreme high temperatures often occur during the daytime in greenhouses due to solar radiation in spring and summer. To explore the performances of predatory mites under high temperatures, we selected three popular commercial species Amblyseius orientalis, Neoseiulus californicus, and Neoseiulus barkeri to investigate the survival rate, development duration, and fecundity after their eggs and female adults were treated with high temperatures. The results showed that both eggs and adults of N. barkeri and N. californicus were more tolerant to heat stress than A. orientalis. Compared with 25 °C, the developmental periods and longevity of all three species of predator mites were shortened, and the fecundity was also reduced at 39°C. The total fecundity and longevity of N. californicus reduced by 27% and 29%, respectively. For N. barkeri, the total fecundity reduced by 30% and the longevity decreased by 23%. All A. orientalis died at 40 °C, which also cut half longevity of N. californicus and N. barkeri. Our study confirmed that the N. barkeri and N. californicus had stronger tolerances to high temperatures, while A. orientalis was more heat-sensitive during the egg stage and adult stage. In sum, understanding of the heat resistance of commercial predatory mites can improve the application of biocontrol agents when selecting predator species for pest control in the greenhouse.