| Aceria species fauna of Bostanabad county with one new record for Iran |
| Paper ID : 1047-IPCA5 (R1) |
| Authors |
|
Seyyed-Yahya Sajedian1, Parisa Lotfollahi2, Solmaz Azimi2, arash Honarmand *3 1Master graduate of Agriculture Entomology at Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran 2Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran 3Post-doctoral researcher in Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran |
| Abstract |
| Eriophyoid mites belong to the highly diverse superfamily Eriophyoidea within the Acariformes, encompassing over 5,000 recognized species. Their global distribution is uneven, with the majority of described species found in temperate regions. As some of the smallest terrestrial arthropods, averaging 200 μm in length, they are strictly phytophagous, forming complex associations with host plants by inducing galls and blisters (hence called "gall mites") or living freely on leaf surfaces (Zhang et al. 2024). During the study of eriophyid mite fauna of genus Aceria (Acari: Eriophyidae) in Bostanabad County (East Azerbaijan province, Iran), sampling was carried out on the dominant plants of this region in summer 2023. Eriophyid mites were recovered from the plant material by means of a modified washing method (Lotfollahi & Masoudi-Rad, 2024) and preserved in vials of Oudeman’ fluid (Walter & Krantz, 2009). Collected specimens were slide mounted according to Lotfollahi and Masoudi-Rad (2024). Morphological measurements and identification were done by using an Olympus BX53 Phase contrast microscope. During this study, 12 Aceria species were identified including: Aceria medicaginis (Keifer, 1941) from Medicago sativa L. (Fabaceae); Aceria egmirae Denizhan, Monfreda, Cobanoglu & de Lillo, 2006 from Althaea officinalis L. (Malvaceae); Aceria borselaniensis Honarmand, Lotfollahi & Xue, 2024 occasionally from Nepeta racemose Lam (Lamiaceae); Aceria cf. tosichella Keifer, 1969 complex from Hordeum vulgare L. (Poaceae), Alopecurus sp. (Poaceae), Lolium sp. (Poaceae) and Poa compressa L. (Poaceae), and occasionally from Rhaponticum repens (L.) Hidalgo (Asteraceae), Achillea vermicularis Trin. (Asteraceae), Xeranthemum longipapposum Fisch. & C.A.Mey. (Asteraceae) and Senecio vulgaris L. (Asteraceae); Aceria salviae (Nalepa, 1891) from Phlomis cancellate Bunge (Lamiaceae) and Salvia officinalis L. (Lamiaceae); Aceria chondrillae Canestrini 1890 from Chondrilla juncea Ledeb. (Asteraceae); Aceria belarexi Ripka, 2016 from Gypsophila polyclada Fenzl ex Boiss. (Caryophyllaceae); Aceria loborectiangulae Lotfollahi & Tajaddod, 2018 from Atraphaxis spinose L. (Polygonaceae) and Solanum tuberosum Lindl. (Solanaceae); Aceria jolfae Lotfollahi & Masoudi-Rad, 2024 from Artemisia sp. (Asteraceae); Aceria tristriata (Nalepa, 1890) occasionally from Solanum nigrum L. (Solanaceae); Aceria cynodonis Wilson, 1959 from Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P.Beauv. (Poaceae); Aceria anthocoptes (Nalepa 1892) from Helianthus annuus L. (Asteraceae). Among which A. belarexi was new to the fauna of Iran. In this study, the highest number of mites belonged to the species complex of Aceria cf. tosichella Keifer, 1969 and the lowest number belonged to Aceria anthocoptes (Nalepa, 1892). |
| Keywords |
| East Azerbaijan, Eriophyidae, Iran, new record, washing method. |
| Status: Abstract Accepted |
