BIHAREAN BIOLOGIST 12 (2): 73-78 ©Biharean Biologist, Oradea, Romania, 2018 Article No.: e171208 http://biozoojournals.ro/bihbiol/index.html Ascoidea and Blattisociidae (Mesostigmata) mites of Urmia (West Azerbaijan, Iran), with identification keys to genera and species Mohammadreza KAVIANPOUR1, Younes KARIMPOUR1* and Alireza NEMATI2 1. Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran. 2. Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran. *Corresponding author, Y. Karimpour, Email: [email protected] Received: 30. May 2017 / Accepted: 03. October 2017 / Available online: 05. November 2017 / Printed: December 2018 Abstract. A list of 19 species of the superfamily Ascoidea and family Blattisociidae (Mesostigmata) from the Urmia region (West Azerbaijan province, Iran) is presented. The specimens were collected between 2015-2016. In the survey, 19 species dependent 9 genera were identified. Of these 14 species are newly recorded for the fauna of West Azerbaijan province. Key to genera and species, locality as well as collection date of each species are given. Key words: soil, taxonomy, Mesostigmata, Urmia, Iran. Introduction province, Iran and provide keys to separate the species and genera of these mites. In the recent years soil predatory mites have been consid- ered as potentially useful agents for the biological control of Materials and Methods certain agricultural pests (Zhang 2003, Gerson et al. 2008). In soils, Mesostigmata are extremely abundant species-rich and During 2015-2016, mites were collected from various soil and litter play significant ecological roles (Beaulieu & Weeks 2007). samples of Urmia region, West Azerbaijan, Iran. The samples were Some soil and litter Mesostigmata are considered beneficial placed in plastic bags and transferred to the laboratory and they because they feed on arthropods and other invertebrates that were subsequently placed in Berlese funnels for mites extraction. The affect human and animals (Krantz 2009). The order specimens were fixed and preserved in 75% ethanol. Then mites Mesostigmata is divided in to three suborders and it has ap- were cleared in warm lactic acid and mounted in Hoyers' medium. proximately 70 families that are grouped in 26 superfamilies. Slides were dried and ringed with insulating varnish. Morphological observations were made using compound microscopes equipped Cohort Gamasina comprises most of the described species of with differential interference contrast and phase-contrast optical sys- Mesostigmata and include the most familiar families of soil tems. To determine the geographical location of sampling points, predators, biocontrol agents, and vertebrate parasites GPS Data+, vers. 2.91, Operation System: Android was used. Some (Lindquist et al. 2009). species have been recorded after publishing checklists such as Ka- Ascid mites have been commonly found in the upper zemi & Rajaei (2013) and Nemati et al. (2012a, 2012b, 2013) or they layers of the soil, on plants and in stored products (Gerson et have been neglected. These records are mentioned on this paper. al. 2008). The majority of the mite species in the family Asci- dae are predators and they are important in many soil sys- Results tems (Halliday et al. 1998, Zhang 2003, Gwiazdowicz 2007, Gerson et al. 2008). The family has two subfamilies: Arctosei- Family Ascidae Oudemans, 1905 inae and Ascinae (Lindquist et al. 2009). During two last cen- Genus Arctoseius Thor, 1930 turies Ascidae have been known mainly from Europe, but Arctoseius cetratus (Sellnick 1940) more and more new species are described from other areas Iran records: Guilan province: associated with eriophyid of the world (Kaluze & Fenda 2005). mite [Aceria geranii (Canestrini, 1891)] (Adeli et al. 2013); Blattisociidae is a diverse group that has adapted to a Markazi province: Saveh region, associated with the Medi- broad spectrum of terrestrial, arboreal, and subaquatic hab- terranean pine beetle, Orthotomicus erosus (Wollaston, 1857) its and this family has two subfamilies, Platyseiinae and the (Farmahiny Farahani et al. 2013); Esfahan province: soil Blattisociinae (Lindquist et al. 2009). Some of genera of Blat- (Kadkhodaei et al. 2013); Bushehr province: Asaluyeh Port, tisociidae, such as Lasioseius Berlese, 1916, have species that soil (Kazemi & Alikhani 2013); North East of Iran, associated are distributed worldwide and they are predators (Christan with stored food products (Khaleghabadian et al. 2013); Zan- & Karg 2006). jan province: Zanjan, soil (Bigdeli et al. 2014); Lorestan prov- Ameroseiidae Evans, 1961, is a family of predatory, ince: Bishe and Badrabad districts, soil under walnut trees fungivorous, and pollen-feeding mites, found in soil and lit- and peach orchard (Hasanvand et al. 2014); Chaharmahal va ter, stored products, flowers and phoretically attached to Bakhtiari province Saman city, Shahrekord region, soil of ant animals associated with those habitats (Halliday 1997). This nests: Monomorium sp. (Hym.: Formicidae) (Khalili- Mogha- family consists of eight genera and about 150 species (Narita dam & Saboori 2015). et al. 2013, Halliday 1997). Material examined: Urmia. Urmia University, soil; 3♀♀; According to Nemati et al. (2012a, 2012b, 2013) and Ka- 37° 39' 29" N, 44° 58' 42" E, 1403 m; 23/Aug./2015; Shohada zemi & Rajaei (2013), there are some species of the Ascoidea valley, soil and litter; 1♀; 37° 16' 48" N, 45° 08' 06" E, 1425 m; and Blattisociidae that were reported for Irans' mite fauna. 29/Aug./2015; Band, soil of apple orchard; 2♀♀; 37° 28' 16" The objective of this survey is to introduce some Ascoidea N, 44° 56' 52" E, 1477 m; 29/Sept./2015. Sir village, soil of and Blattisociidae mites of Urmia region, West Azerbaijan apple orchard; 1♀; 37° 28' 22" N, 45° 02' 31" E, 1619 m; 74 M. Kavianpour et al. Arctoseius pulvisculus (Berlese, 1920) ince: Ghalesangi and Zarinchogha districts, soil of apple or- West Azerbaijan records: This is the first report of the spe- chard and under oak trees (Hasanvand et al. 2014); Chahar- cies for this region. mahal va Bakhtiari province: Shahrekord, soil. Khuzestan Material examined: Urmia. Shohada valley, soil and lit- province: Izeh, (Mohseni & Nemati, 2014); Zanjan province: ter; 3♀♀; 37° 16' 48" N, 45° 08' 06" E, 1425 m; 29/Aug./2015; Zanjan, soil (Bigdeli et al. 2014). Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari Note: Gwiazdowicz (2004) described a new genus of the province: Shahrekord region, Saman city, soil of ant nests: family Ascidae as Iphidonopsis Gwiazdowicz, 2004 based on a Monomorium sp. (Hym.: Formicidae), (Khalili- Moghadam & new species that were collected in Poland. Afterward he put Saboori 2015); North western Fars province: Komehr region, some species of the genus Arctoseius Thor, 1930 that have not soil and litter (Abolghasemi, & Kazemi 2016). lateral incision in the middle of dorsal shield on the Iphi- West Azerbaijan records: This is the first report of the donopsis. Species such as Arctoseius pulvisculus (Berles, 1921) species for this region. and Arctoseius minutus (Halbert, 1915) were changed by Material examined: Urmia. Govarchin ghale, Kazem Gwiazdowicz (2007) following the same opinion. Eventually dashi, soil; 7♀♀, 4♂♂ ; 38° 04' 04" N, 45° 11' 16" E, 1286 m; Gwiazdowicz (2008) transferred these species to the Arcto- 14/Apr./2016. seius alongside redescription of them. Arctoseuis pulvisculus Antennoseius (Antennoseius) sabulicola Bregetova, 1977 (Berles, 1921) only has been recorded from Gorgan, for the Iran records: Khorasan Razavi province: Sarakhs region, ex fauna of Iran (Malek-Shahkouyi et al. 2011). Cymindis (Eremocymindis) pallidula Chaudoir, 1846 (Kazemi & Arctoseius semiscissus (Berlese, 1892) Moraza 2013). West Azerbaijan records: This is the first report of the spe- West Azerbaijan records: This is the first report of the cies for this region. species for this region. Material examined: Urmia. Sulik village, soil and litter; Material examined: Urmia. Govarchin ghale, Kazem 1♀; 37° 31' 04" N, 44° 46' 07" E, 1690 m; 05/Sept./2016. dashi, soil; 4♀♀; 38° 04' 04" N, 45° 11' 16" E, 1286 m; Genus Gamasellodes Athias-Henriot, 1961 14/Apr./2016. Gamasellodes bicolor (Berlese, 1918) Genus Neojordensia Evans, 1957 Iran records: Esfahan province, Esfahan, soil of different Neojordensia sinuate Athias-Henriot, 1973 (Fig. 1) parts of city (Kadkhodaei et al. 2013); Southwest of East Distribution and habitats Azerbaijan Province: soil (Hashemi Khabir et al. 2013); Zan- West Azerbaijan records: This is the first report of the jan province: Zanjan, soil (Bigdeli et al. 2014). species for this region. Material examined: Urmia. Band, soil of apple orchard; Material examined: Urmia. Band, soil of apple orchard; 1♀; 37° 28' 16" N, 44° 56' 52" E, 1477 m; 27/Sept./2015. 2♀♀; 37° 28' 16" N, 44° 56' 52" E, 1477 m; 29/Sept./2015. Gamasellodes insignis (Hirschmann, 1963) West Azerbaijan records: This is the first report of the spe- cies for this region. Material examined: Urmia. Balanoj, soil of apple orchard; 1♀; 37° 23' 21" N, 45° 09' 57" E, 1305 m; 13/Jun./2016. Genus Protogamasellus Karg, 1962 Protogamasellus massula (Athias-Henriot, 1961) Iran records: Guilan province: associated with eriophyid mites [Aceria oleae (Nalepa, 1900) and Tegonotus hassani (Keifer, 1959)] (Adeli et al. 2013). Material examined: Urmia. Nazlu dam, soil; 3♀♀; 37° 40' 19" N, 44° 55' 22" E, 1379 m; 6/Sept./2015; Kaboodan island, soil; 2♀♀; 37° 28' 33" N, 45° 35' 21" E, 1329 m; 9/ Sept./2015. Genus Antennoseius Berlese,