A checklist of the Iranian Phytoseiidae, including 103 species belonging to 15 genera and three subfamilies, is presented. Among them, Typhlodromus Scheuten (31 species) and Neoseiulus Hughes (21 species) are the most specious genera. The checklist is annotated with some corrections to specific identities and known geographical and habitat distributions in Iran. An identification key to the reported phytoseiids from Iran is also provided. Finally, a list of invalid species reported from Iran is presented.
During a study of predatory mites in Urmia, Northwestern Iran, the female and male of a new species, Stigmaeus dokeri sp. nov. (Acari: Stigmaeidae), were collected from soil under oak trees. The specimens of the following species, S. malekii Haddad Irani-Nejad, Bagheri & Khanjani, 2006, S. boshroyehensis Khanjani, Izadi, Asali-Fayaz, Raisi, Rostami & Doğan, 2010, S. miandoabiensis Bagheri & Zarei, 2012 and S. marandiensis Bagheri & Ueckermann, 2011, were re-examined. We propose that S. boshroyehensis syn. nov. is a junior synonym of S. malekii. We also found S. miandoabiensis and S. marandiensis having bifurcate terminal eupathidium on palptarsus instead of tridentate in the original descriptions.
In a study on the coastal mites of the southern areas of the Caspian Sea, two caligonellid species were collected. The female of Caligonella geonoma Smith-Meyer and Ueckermann is re-described, and the larva of the species is described for the first time. Also, Caligonella quinqueocellata Khaustov is reported from Iran for the first time. Finally, an updated key to Caligonella species of Iran is presented.
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