As part of a tick-borne disease surveillance program, ticks were collected using tick drags and by making incidental collections from humans and animals in six provinces (Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungnam, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, and Jeonbuk) of the Republic of Korea (ROK) during 2020–2021. A total of 57,751 Haemaphysalis longicornis, 2,020 H. flava, 1,861 Ixodes nipponensis, 14 H. phasiana, 9 H. japonica, and 9 Amblyomma testudinarium were collected. Cases of ectromely were observed in two H. longicornis with six legs (one female and one nymph), and six H. longicornis (two females and four nymphs), two female Haemaphysalis flava and one male Ixodes nipponensis with seven legs. Additionally, two female H. longicornis were found with extra legs (tarsus), and two female H. longicornis and one male H. japonica were observed with atrophied legs.

Cold storage is the most prevalent method to obtain sufficient number of natural enemies after mass rearing. In this study efficacy of stored indigenous Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot against Tetrancyhus urticae red form on eggplant under greenhouse conditions were assessed after determining best storage conditions for the predatory mite stored at 5 and 10 ^oC with >98% RH conditions. Treatments in the greenhouse experiments consisted of T. urticae release (control), P. persimilis release stored at 5 ^oC for 15-day and unstored P. persimilis releases in 2014. In 2015, P. persimilis release stored at the same temperature for 30-day was made along with a control and unstored P. persimilis release. P. persimilis survival was 100% after 5.5 weeks at 5 ^oC, and was 75% at 10 ^oC for the same storage period. No significant difference was observed between the total mean numbers of T. urticae mixed stages in unstored and stored predatory mite release treatments for 15-day-stored predatory mites. On the contrary, a significant difference was detected among the T. urticae densities in all three treatments on some sampling dates at 30-day-stored predatory mite released treatments. The results showed that P. persimilis demonstrated great effectiveness on suppressing the T. urticae red form, and 15-day-stored indigenous strains of P. persimilis could be successfully used in the biological control of T. urticae in greenhouse-grown eggplant when compared to 30-day-stored P. persimilis.

Four eriophyid mite species were collected on plants during field survey in Egypt. Abacarus sacchari ChannaBasavanna is recorded for the first time from Egypt and a supplementary morphological description and illustrations are given. A new species, Aculodes sacchari sp. nov., is vagrant in grooves on the inner surface of the leaves of Saccharum officinarum L. (Poaceae) and no apparent symptoms were observed. Two other new species are described: Aculus glinus sp. nov., causes deformations on stems and leaves of Glinus lotoides L. (Molluginaceae), and Aceria nodiflorae sp. nov., is vagrant on leaves and flowers of Phyla nodiflora (L.) Greene (Verbenaceae) and no apparent symptoms were observed. Both adult sexes and immature stages are described and illustrated for all species.

A new genus and species, Tarsobisulcus angulomarginis n. gen., n. sp. (Acari: Tarsonemidae: Pseudotaesonemoidini) is described based on females collected on larvae of the gall midge Xylodiplosis nigritarsis Zett. (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in oak wood from Norway. Some aspects of the morphology, systematic relationships and biology of Tarsobisulcus angulomarginis n. gen., n. sp. are discussed.

The genus Charletonia is revised based on type specimens and other specimens from species and locations worldwide. A total of 86 species were identified and the genus was divided into three morpho-groups, and seven subgroups. The following synonymies were also made: C. braunsi and C. agatae as junior synonyms of C. kibonotensis; C. farajii as a junior synonym of C. shahriari; C. saboorii as a junior synonym of C. damavandica; C. dalegori as a junior synonym of C. nazeleae; C. bahaensis Kamran and Alatawi, 2014 as a junior synonym of C. krendowskyi (Feider, 1954); C. hunanensis Zheng, 1996 as a junior synonym of C. banksi Southcott, 1966 and C. lombokensis Haitlinger, 2006 as a junior synonym of C. okinawaensis (Kitahara & Takara, 1964). Also, tarsal chaetotactic maps are shown, leg chaetotaxy is discussed, and keys to species groups, subgroups, and species are included. We amended and provided new morphological data for 41 species. The holotype of C. farajii is considered as a neotype for C. shahriari.

Ticks are ill-famed vectors of many pathogenic organisms which can cause various diseases and life-threatening illnesses to animals and humans. Each tick's species and its life stages have distinct morphological features that can permit them to be accurately identified. However, the use of conventional stereo microscopes limits the accuracy of species identification. The taxonomy of ticks, in general, is not much understood and existing information is based on sparse morphology data. Thus, this study aims to examine and describe the morphological characteristics of different species of ticks collected on rodents in mangrove forests using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This method renders high-quality images of body parts of ticks. Five different morphospecies of ticks from one host species (Rattus tiomanicus) were examined under SEM, followed by the PCR technique using mitochondrial 16S rDNA gene for species validation. This study revealed that the ticks belong to five species: Dermacentor auratus, Ixodes granulatus, Haemaphysalis hystricis, D. atrosignatus and Amblyomma cordiferum. The combination of stereomicroscopic and SEM methods has improved our understanding of the morphological characteristics of different tick species, hence establishing up-to-date taxonomic keys for these species. Moreover, due to the lack of taxonomic keys on the immature stage of ticks, the SEM method is essential in characterising the morphological features of these stages in detail, subsequently helpful in revising the taxonomic keys for certain ticks species.

Boophilus microplus, an ectoparasite of bovines has immense importance in South Asian countries like Pakistan. These are cosmopolitans and affect cattle herds drastically worldwide and are involved in direct and indirect harm to the bovine species. In this regard, trichlorfon is widely used to control ticks in bovines along with its sprays to control different pests, which leads to resistance in ticks against these acaricides in different parts of the world. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the resistance and prevailing genomic mutations in Boophilus microplus ticks against trichlorfon. Molecular characterization was carried out and heterozygous mutations were observed in the adult tick samples collected from two different zones of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province of Pakistan. After the identification of ticks, in vitro studies were performed which showed resistance in ticks against trichlorfon drug. To assess genomic mutation in the samples, DNA was extracted through a kit, and PCR was performed to evaluate the mutation in the samples. After in-vitro studies, almost 104 (54%) ticks samples were found resistant and run through PCR in which 3 and 4 samples from zone-I and zone-II, were identified mutated while the remaining samples were found non-mutated. Boophilus microplus acetylcholinesterase genes were sequenced and compared with the control group. All these findings suggest a continuous monitoring of heterozygous mutations in the Boophilus microplus ticks and the strategic application of trichlorfon against Boophilus microplus ticks, to enable improvement in drug efficacy and tick control strategies.

Pesticides cause serious damage to agricultural and natural ecosystems. Knowing pesticides' side effects on non-target beneficial phytoseiids is crucial for integrated mite management (IMM) programs. One solution is to use biological agents and a low concentration of pesticides together. The present study was conducted to evaluate sublethal effects of acaricide Milbemectin (Milbecnock®) at LC₅, LC₁₅ and LC₂₅ levels on development and reproduction parameters of Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Heneroit (Acari: Phytoseiidae) under laboratory conditions [25 ± 1°C, 70 ± 5% RH and 16:8 (L:D) hours]. Our results demonstrated that higher concentrations of Milbemectin (LC₁₅ and LC₂₅) had the most effect on the Longevity and the Total life span of both males and females of a predatory mite. The total life span in females was recorded from 42.67 days (Control) to 23.46 days (LC₂₅ treatment). In an unusual observation, the oviposition period and also the total fecundity of the LC₅ treatment have been 21.42 days and 37.31 offspring per individual, respectively. Which is recorded higher than the control treatment. These parameters were recorded in minimum value on the highest concentration treatment. Contrariwise the intrinsic rate of increase (r) and the finite rate of increase (λ) are not affected by sublethal concentrations of Milbemectin. The recommended dose of milbemectin based on the active ingredient is 10 ppm and the concentration obtained for LC₅ is 27.92 ppm, which had a positive effect on fecundity and a slight imperceptible effect on the total life span reducing of the predatory mite. Sublethal effects of milbemectin and its impact on A. swirskii are discussed.

Phenotypic plasticity, especially the ability to switch to new dietary sources is essential to invertebrates for survival and reproduction in variable environments. Amblyseius orientalis Ehara (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is an effective predatory mite to control spider mites in orchards, whereas its preys or artificial diets used in mass rearing productions are distinct from the field pests. It's unknown if predator performance could recover immediately after diet change from rearing condition to pest management. In this study, we assessed life-history performances and predation in four populations of A. orientalis which were fed by two preys (Tetranychus urticae and Carpoglyphus lactis) in respective parental and offspring generations to evaluate the phenotypic plasticity and dietary adaptation of A. orientalis progeny. The results showed that prey species switching in two generations had great influence on predator's developmental time and longevity. The longevity of A. orientalis reduced from 32.98 to 24.22 days while parent and progeny feeding on different preys. However, the sex ratio, fecundity, prey consumptions of progeny were not different among four populations. The sex ratio of four populations of A. orientalis also showed the consistence of a female-biased trend from 1.57 to 1.75, and the lifetime reproductions were almost equivalent from 25.82 to 28.06 eggs per female. Prey consumptions were similar among A. orientalis females and changed between 21.41 to 23.23 eggs per day. Overall, our study demonstrated that A. orientalis has higher fitness plasticity and does not need long time to adapt the new diet, therefore it can be applied as an outstanding biocontrol agent in pest management after diet change from production to the field.

The predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is an effective biological control agent that suppresses populations of Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) under greenhouse conditions. Our study assessed the lethal and sublethal effects of three novel pesticides on this predator. Results showed that pyridalyl presented the highest toxicity against A. swirskii adults based on LC₅₀ (41.7 mg L^-1). Also, sublethal concentrations (LC₂₅) of Proteus^® and pyridalyl not only significantly prolonged the duration of A. swirskii immature stages but alsoreduced the fecundity of the predator female adults by 21.4 and 41.5%, respectively. Similarly, the LC₂₅ of both pesticides significantly reduced life table parameters of the F1 generation, which are important in the effective control of F. occidentalis, particularly in conservation biological control. In contrast, the LC₂₅ of matrine stimulated reproduction in A. swirskii populations by significantly increasingR₀ and r. Within a 24-h period, the number of F. occidentalis consumed by A. swirskii adults exposed to fresh Proteus^® and pyridalyl residues was reduced by 35.6% and 15.8%, respectively. Proteus^® caused the highest mortality in persistence assessments up to 96h. Our results indicated that only matrine is marginally compatible with the use of A. swirskii.

The Alamedin Gorge is one of the famous resorts in Kyrgyzstan. There are more than 150 thousand vacationers and tourists visiting this gorge each year, and the visitors could be potential hosts for ectoparasites. Thus, the risk of epidemic diseases caused by ectoparasites could not be ignored. To monitor the abundance of parasitic arthropods and their hosts is very important for early warning and controlling the epidemic disease accurately. In this paper, rodents were captured with traps and ectoparasitic acarines were separated from them in the Alamedin Gorge in different seasons from 2019 to 2020. It showed that there were 33 species in 15 genera representing six families of ticks, gamasid mites and chigger mites parasitizing on five species of rodents. Neotrombicula (Neotrombicula) kharadovi, N. (N.) monticola and Ixodes crenulatus are dominant species. The species diversity of host rodent and parasitic acarines, the seasonal dynamic of communities of acarines, the distribution of acarines in different biotopes and elevation gradients were analysed. It is helpful for assessing the risk of the epidemic disease, and establish effective preventive measures by sanitary and epidemiological services in this area.

This paper provides an overview of the research on the family Cheyletidae of Turkey with a list of cheyletid species known from Turkey. For now, this family is represented by 35 valid species and one species inquirenda, Apodicheles heteropalpus (Mégnin) in 20 genera in Turkey. Some setal variations in two species, Cheletomimus (Hemicheyletia) bregetovae (Volgin) and Cheyletus trouessarti Oudemans were reported herein. Two previously misidentified species from Turkey, Cheletomimus (Hemicheyletia) wellsi (Baker) and Columbicheyla macroflabellata Thewke & Enns were corrected as Cheletomimus (Hemicheyletia) bregetovae (Volgin) and Microcheyla granifera Kuznetzov, respectively. This work presents the first records of three species, Acaropsella rohdendorfi (Volgin), Cunliffella variegata (Barilo) and Lepidocheyla caucasica Volgin from Turkey. This is the first report on the occurrence of the genus Cunliffella Volgin in Turkey. The presence of newly recorded species indicates that Turkey has diverse cheyletid species which is still waiting to be discovered. This study also includes comments on some members of the genera Lepidocheyla and Cheletomimus Oudemans. In this regard, the name Lepidocheyla solimani Zaher & Hassan 1986 is considered as nomen nudum.

Tetranychus truncatus is a phytophagous spider mite that is one of the economic pests of agricultural and economic crops. Its control has been and still is based mainly on the use of chemical controls. Since pesticides compatibility with natural enemies is a main concern for IPM programs, the aim of this study was carried out to explore the toxicity, repellency, oviposition deterrent and eggs hatching inhibition of crude ethyl acetate extract of Moelleriella raciborskii and their secondary metabolites against adults and eggs of T. truncatus. The results indicated that M. raciborskii crude extract at 5% (w/v) had high contact toxicity (89% mortality) on adult females of T. truncatus. The LC₅₀ value was 1.476%, 1.026 and 0.732% after 24, 48 and 72 h posttreatment. Among the two steroidal and two hopane triterpenes separated from the ethyl acetate extract, 3β-acetoxy-15α,22-dihydroxyhopane was identified as the most active compound with LC₅₀ values of 0.232% (w/v), followed by ergosterol, ergosterol 5, 8-endoperoxide with LC₅₀ values of 0.235% and 0.318% at 72 h posttreatment, respectively. In addition, 3β-acetoxy-15α,22-dihydroxyhopane showed strong repellency (70.19%) and ergosterol and ergosterol 5, 8-endoperoxide decreased egg production of T. truncatus by 70.35 and 67.98%, respectively. Strong oviposition deterrent (ODI=100) was noted when 0.5% (w/v) crude extract was applied on half of the leaf disc. The crude ethyl acetate extract of M. raciborskii could have potential for the development of novel acaricides to control T. truncatus for use in an integrated pest management program.

One new genus and two new species of eriophyoid mites from South China are described and illustrated: Epicecidophyes cinnamomi sp. nov. infesting Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J. Presl (Lauraceae) belongs to the subfamily Cecidophyinae and Fairina dimocarpi gen. nov. & sp. nov. infesting Dimocarpus longan Lour. (Sapindaceae) belongs to the subfamily Phyllocoptinae. Both new species are vagrants causing no apparent damage to their host plants.