There have been few ecological studies of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from the Black Sea Region of Turkey. In the RAMSAR-listed wetland system of the Kızılırmak Delta of Turkey's central Black Sea coast, seasonal grazing by domesticated water buffalo produces plentiful dung from April to November. Twenty-three species of dung beetles from 13 genera of Aphodiinae and 4 genera of Scarabaeinae were collected from their dung on two adjacent soil types in 2013. The species were from three functional groups, namely dung dwelling (12), tunneling (10), and ball rolling (1). Thirteen and fourteen species were collected in spring/summer and autumn, respectively, with only 4 species in common. There was a distinct shift from Scarabaeinae (8 of 13 species) in spring/summer to Aphodiinae (10 of 14 species) in autumn. The ten species collected on the sandy clay loam soil were a subset of the 23 species on the sand dunes. On the sandy clay loam, high water tables in winter and soil cracking in summer may exclude deeper tunneling species. The 3:1 ratio of dung dwelling species on the sand compared to the sandy clay loam may suggest a more appropriate dung moisture regime over time that favors successful breeding on the sand.

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This paper, which addresses the issue of the extinction of mite species at the global scale for the first time, highlights mite diversity, assesses the evidence for an extinction process, discusses contributing factors and estimates losses. The ~1 250 000 mite species occupy an enormous variety of terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems from the equator to the polar regions and to high altitudes. Some groups provide essential ecosystem services, including the incorporation of organic matter into the soil. The maintenance of mite diversity is inextricably linked to the continuance of floristic diversity, habitat complexity and insect diversity. The majority of mite species are assumed to be in the tropical rainforests, of which >50% has been destroyed or severely degraded. Most biodiversity hotspots are in tropical forests; endemic phytoseiid mite species are at least 17 times more concentrated in the hotspots than outside. Habitat destruction and degradation continue on an enormous scale, with increasing human population growth and resource consumption the overarching drivers of extinction. Moreover, climate change is likely to be worsening the effects of the other drivers at an increasing rate. The small body of direct evidence and a considerable body of indirect evidence strongly suggest the continuing, widespread extinction of mite species. Based on estimates of overall biodiversity loss, ~15% of mite species were likely to have become extinct by 2000, with losses currently expected to increase by between 0.6% and 6.0% by 2060. More detailed information on both spatial differences in mite assemblages and anthropogenic threats worldwide is crucial because they underpin the total number of species and their vulnerability to extinction, respectively. The rapid expansion of the protected area estate to capture the maximum possible area of ecosystem heterogeneity, especially in the biodiversity hotspots, is essential, as is best practice management of these areas.

Overwintered pupae of fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury), were collected from 38 hazelnut (Corylus avellana L. (Betulaceae)) plantations in Samsun province, Turkey, in 2008 and 2009. Four chalcidoid (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) species were reared: Chouioia cunea Yang (Eulophidae), Conomorium amplum (Walker), Dibrachys boarmiae (Walker), and Psychophagus omnivorus (Walker) (Pteromalidae). Overall parasitism was 11.97% and 4.84% for 2008 and 2009, respectively; species richness on sites ranged from one to three species. Psychophagus omnivorus parasitised 6.7% of all pupae and comprised 79% of chalcidoid rearings. Chouioia cunea had the highest clutch average (117) and female:male ratio (44.5:1). Records of Chouioia cunea and Conomorium amplum are new for Turkey and, except for P. omnivorus, all parasitoids are new records for H. cunea in Turkey.

The biology of Kampimodromus aberrans (Oudemans), a predator of the big bud mite, Phytoptus avellanae Nalepa, was studied under laboratory conditions. All experiments were conducted on hazelnut leaf discs in an incubator at 25 +/- 1 degrees C, with 16:8 h L:D, at an average daily relative air humidity of 76%. Observations were made twice daily for the immature stages and daily for the adults to determine developmental time, survival and fecundity. The mean developmental time for females was 6.90 days and for males was 7.10 days, and mean adult longevity for females was 11.67 days. The mean total and daily egg production were 12.67 and 1.85 eggs, respectively. The net reproduction rate (R0) was 7.09 females/female, intrinsic rate of increase (rm) was 0.153 female/female/day and mean generation time (T0) was 12.80 days. The mortality rate of immature stages was 0.66% and the sex ratio was 0.51 female.