The ixodid tick Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann, a broadly western Pacific species, is the only economically important tick that has successfully invaded New Zealand. Species sympatric with it could also pose a risk to New Zealand as potential invaders because they share bioclimatic and host preferences with H. longicornis. At least 15 of the 45 species of Ixodidae and one Argasidae discussed here as sympatric with H. longicornis, and which most closely match its bioecological characteristics, pose the highest risk. These include: Amblyomma breviscutatum, Dermacentor reticulatus, D. silvarum, Haemaphysalis hystricis, H. papuana, Ixodes acutitarsus, I. cornuatus, I. holocyclus, I. nipponensis, I. ovatus, I. persulcatus, I. ricinus, I. tasmani,Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides and R. sanguineus. The principal countries of origin of these species are Japan, China and Australia, and in each case humans could be an unwitting vehicle of entry. Sympatry and shared biological preferences are not necessarily indicative of potential invasiveness, but serve as indicators of the need for heightened surveillance.

The molecular detection of Rickettsia parkeri in a Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum, collected in Delaware represents the first evidence of the human pathogen R. parkeri associated with A. maculatum in the state. A total of five adult (2 male and 3 female) Gulf Coast ticks were collected from tick drags conducted during a two-day sampling event (21–22 May 2012) at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, near Smyrna, Delaware. All specimens were tested for the presence of Rickettsia with a genus-specific quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay; one of the female specimens tested positive. This specimen was then assessed for the presence of Rickettsia parkeri and Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae by two species-specific qPCR assays. The presence of R. parkeri DNA was detected, whereas Candidatus R. andeanae DNA was not.

A new species of Eustigmaeus, E. ueckermanni sp. nov. is described based on females collected from soil and humus under oak trees (Quercus brantii Lindl., 1840) in the south of Kamfiruz region, Fars province, Iran. A key to known species in Iran is provided.

A new species of Aegyptobia (Acari: Trombidiformes: Tenuipalpidae), namely A. khanjanii sp. nov. from Astragalus sp. (Fabaceae), is described from Kerman province, Iran. This species belongs to the A. tragardhi species group.

Four eriophyid mites, including two new species, from Iran are described and illustrated. They are Aceria heteropappi sp. nov. on Heteropappus altaicus (Willd.) Novopokr. (Asteraceae), Tetra heliotropii sp. nov. on Heliotropium chorassanicum Bung (Boraginaceae); and new records in Iran of Aceria malherbae Nuzzaci, 1985 on Convolvulus repens L. (Convolvulaceae), and Aceria salsolae de Lillo & Sobhian, 1996 on Salsola dendroides Pall. and Salsola kali L. (Chenopodiaceae).

Eutarsopolipus americanus sp. nov. (Acari: Podapolipidae), subelytral, haemolymph-feeding parasite of Chlaenius praesinus Dejean 1826 (Coleoptera: Carabidae), is described from Oceana County, Michigan and Adair and St. Louis Counties, Missouri. Relationships with 17 previously described species in the myzus group of Eutarsopolipus are discussed. Species in the myzus group parasitize beetle species of the genera Chlaenius, Poecilus, Scarites and Diplocheila. Eutarsopolipus americanus is the first species in the Western Hemisphere in the myzus group with adult females with stylets exceeding 80 micrometers.

Eutarsopolipus asiaticus sp. nov. (Acari: Podapolipidae), subelytral parasite of Chlaenius costiger Chaudoir (Coleoptera: Carabidae), is described from Japan. Relationships with 18 previously described species in the myzus group of Eutarsopolipus are discussed and keys are provided to species in the myzus group. This is the first record of Eutarsopolipus in the myzus group in Japan and represents a subgroup of species in the myzus group with cheliceral stylets 90 micrometers or longer.

Two new species of the superfamily Oripodoidea, Scheloribates (Bischeloribates) lizelhugoae sp. nov. and Zygoribatula josefstaryi sp. nov. are described from material collected from an expedition to Ethiopia during February and March 2012. An annotated checklist of identified oribatid mite taxa is presented. Seven species and two genera are the first records for Ethiopia.

An annotated checklist of oribatid mite taxa from acacia and pine plantations of Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve (Southern Vietnam) is presented. The species Ctenacarus araneola, Nehypochthonius porosus,Scheloribates mahunkai, Scheloribates kraepelini, Indoribates panabokkei, genera Ctenacarus,Nehypochthonius and families Ctenacaridae and Nehypochthoniidae are first records from Vietnam, and of these Nehypochthoniidae, Nehypochthonius and Nehypochthonius porosus are first records from the Oriental region. A new oribatid mite species, Galumna (Cosmogalumna) dongnaiensis sp. nov. (Galumnidae), is described from soil in a pine plantation. The new species is distinguishable from all species of the subgenus Galumna (Cosmogalumna) by the sculpturing of the prodorsum and pteromorphs and the number of notogastral porose areas.

The biological parameters of Tetranychus turkestani (Ugarov et Nikolskii) and Tetranychus truncatus (Ehara) on cotton and corn were studied in the laboratory at 28±1°C, 70±10% RH and 16L: 8D photoperiod in 2011 and 2012. The differences of the two spider mite species on the same host plant and the effect of different host plants on the same spider mite species were both compared. The results of two spider mite species on the same host plant indicated that the r_m values of T. truncatus were higher than those of T. turkestani whether they were reared on cotton or corn. The other results of the effect of different host plants on the same spider mites indicated that T. turkestani achieved higher r_m on cotton (0.18, 0.17) than on corn (0.14, 0.15) in both 2011 and 2012, respectively. However, the r_m values obtained on cotton for T. truncatus (0.19, 0.19) were smaller than those obtained on corn (0.21, 0.21) in both years. This study showed that the fecundity of T. truncatus is greater than that of T. turkestani on the same plant species. Moreover, corn is the better host plant for T. truncatus, whereas cotton is more suitable for T. turkestani.