A new genus and species of Laelapidae Canestrini from Sri Lanka (Acari: Mesostigmata)

We describe a new monotypic genus in the mite family Laelapidae, Hyposternus gen. nov., to accommodate a new species, H. ceylonicus sp. nov., on the basis of female, male and protonymph specimens collected from soil-litter in Sri Lanka. The female of the new genus differs from other genera of Laelapidae by having a strongly desclerotised sternal shield, essentially represented by a narrow anterior and lateral sclerotised ridges. Other distinctive features of the new species include the absence of dorsal shield seta z3, an epistome projecting anteriorly, movable digit of the chelicera tapered apically, an elongate anal shield, thorn-like opisthogastric setae, an anteriorly widened hypostomal groove, and long dorsal macrosetae ad1 on femora II–IV.

Review of the mite family Parholaspididae Evans, 1956 (Acari: Mesostigmata)

This paper is a review of the mite family Parholaspididae, including 163 species and 14 genera. We provide a diagnosis for the family and each genus, and a key to the genera. For each species we provide a synonymy and bibliography, information about the type locality, habitat, and institutional deposition of type specimens.

A new genus of Cepheidae and reassessment of the family (Acari: Oribatida)

The middle-derivative, brachypyline oribatid mite family Cepheidae is rather heterogeneous, but many species, even some genera in this family have been poorly diagnosed. Redefinition of hitherto known taxa is, essential for resolving species identity as well as supraspecific systematics. One of such inadequately described species is Cepheus pustulatus (Pearce, 1910), known from Hawaii, which we redescribe here, and a new genus Roycepheus is proposed, based on this species. Relationships of the genus Roycepheus are addressed using the principles of phylogenetic systematics. A table presents the key differences between genera of Cepheidae, and a diagnostic key to adults of these genera, is provided. We discuss the potential synonymies of Sphodrocepheus with Tritegeus, and Reticulocepheus as well as Oribatodes with Cepheus. However, to confirm these synonymies needs redefinition of these genera and examination of types species.

A new genus and two new species of melicharid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) associated with wood-decaying fungi and mycophagous erotylid beetles (Coleoptera: Erotylidae) in Europe

We describe a new genus in the mite family Melicharidae, Mycomelichares Mašán & Joharchi gen. nov., to accommodate two new species, Mycomelichares polypori Mašán & Joharchi sp. nov. and Mycomelichares reductus Mašán & Joharchi sp. nov. on the basis of specimens collected on wood-decaying fungi and/or mycophagous beetles of the genera Triplax Herbst and Tritoma Fabricius (Coleoptera: Erotylidae) in Slovakia and European part of Russia, respectively. Moreover, two previously described Proctolaelaps species—P. cyllodi Samšiňák, 1960 and P. slovacus Mašán, 1998 are transferred to the newly established genus. The new genus is characterized by specific characters in tritosternum (enlarged and brush-shaped, having their laciniae thickened, basaly fused and distally densely pilose), chelicerae (slightly dish-shaped digits with long, narrow and sharp denticles), ventral hypostome (setae h1 enlarged, thickened and distally flattened), setation (tendency towards placement of R series setae on soft integument, and reduction of some setae on idiosoma and legs), and unusual ecological specialisation on fungal substrates. Mycomelichares polypori sp. nov. is adapted to the life in sporophores of the basidiomycete bracket fungus, Polyporus squamosus (Polyporaceae). Mites of this species can be abundantly found on the lower fertile surface of the fungus, including large spore-bearing pores. Furthermore, keys to the melicharid genera reported from Palaearct, and the species of the genus are provided.

First fossil record of mite family Barbutiidae (Acari: Raphignathoidea) from late Eocene Rovno Amber, with a replacement name Hoplocheylus neosimilis nomen novum (Tarsocheylidae)

The first fossil representative of the family Barbutiidae is recorded from late Eocene Rovno amber. Barbutia theroni sp. nov. is described based on deutonymph female. An updated key to deutonymph females of Barbutia is provided. For recently described fossil species Hoplocheylus similis Khaustov, Vorontsov, Perkovsky & Lindquist, 2021 a replacement name H. neosimilis nom. nov. is proposed.

New records of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) of Grande Comore Island (Comoros Archipelago)

Grande Comore is the larger Island of the four main islands constituting Comoros Archipelago. It is the fourth Island starting from Madagascar after Mayotte, Anjouan and Mohéli and closer to the African coast (Mozambique and Tanzania). So far, only five species of the mite family Phytoseiidae had been reported from this island. We report in this paper the results of a survey conducted at the end of 2018 in Grande Comore Island, in which 29 species have been recorded.

A new water mite genus from Kazakhstan (Acari, Hydrachnidia, Hydryphantidae)

This paper describes a new genus of the water mite family Hydryphantidae. The material was collected by V. Stolbov in 2019 in running waters in Kazakhstan. The material was sampled with a common hand net with 250 µm mesh size. The water mites were fixed in 75% ethanol.

New records of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Madeira Island

Madeira is the largest of the four islands constituting Madeira Archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is located at 400 km from the Northern Canary Islands, at 500 km from Morocco and between 900 and 1000 km from South Portugal and Spain. So far, nineteen species of the mite family Phytoseiidae had been reported from this island. We report in this paper the results of a survey conducted in May 2019 in Madeira Island, in which 15 species have been found, six being new for the Island fauna.

Taxonomic notes on Malaconothridae (Acari, Oribatida) associated with water hyacinth in Egypt

Three Egyptian species of the oribatid mite family Malaconothridae, all found on roots of the floating aquatic plant Eichhornia crassipes in the River Nile, are analyzed. Trimalaconothrus crassipes Ramadan, Ismail & Mustafa, 2017 is recombined to Tyrphonothrus crassipes (Ramadan, Ismail & Mustafa, 2017) (comb. nov.). Malaconothrus ramadani Ramadan, Ismail & Mustafa, 2018 and M. transversus Ramadan, Ismail & Mustafa, 2018 are both considered to be tritonymphs of Ty. crassipes (=M. ramadani syn. nov.; =M. transversus syn. nov.).