Tarsonemid mites (Acari, Heterostigmatina) found in association with bark beetles (Insecta, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) in Iran

Abstract

The authors report on the presence of species of the family Tarsonemidae in association with three bark beetle species( Orthotomicus erosus(Wollaston, 1857),Scolytus scolytus(Fabricius, 1775), andS. multistriatus(Marsham, 1802)) in two provinces inCentral and Northern Iran. The following mite species are new for the fauna of Iran:Heterotarsonemus hajekaeSmiley and Moser, 1985,H. magowskiiKhaustov, 2001, andTarsonemus crassus(Schaarschmidt, 1959). The genusHeterotarsonemusis newly recorded in Asia.The new record ofH. hajekaeis the second ever known in the world andH. magowskiiis now established as new phoront of the barkbeetle hostO. erosus. Tarsonemus crassusis recorded outside the Europe for the first time. The taxonomy, identification, relationshipswith beetle hosts, and biogeography of the newly recorded mite species are briefly discussed.