| New record of Pseudopygmephorous abdominalis (Acari: Heterostigmatina: Neopygmephoridae) in Golestan Privince, Northern Iran |
| Paper ID : 1109-IPCA5 (R2) |
| Authors |
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Fakhteh Jafari1, Vahid Rahiminejad *2 1Gorgan University of agricultural sciences and natural resources 2Gorgan university of agricultural sciences and natural resources |
| Abstract |
| The Heterostigmatina includes eight superfamilies, comprising over 2,265 described species, 232 genera, and 18 families. These mites are categorized within the suborder Prostigmata, with many species associated with animals and functioning as parasites, fungivores, or physogastric forms typically residing in the upper layers of soil. Heterostigmatic mites have primarily occupied niches outside of soil and have demonstrated a free-living lifestyle that can lead to parasitism and parasitoidism. These mites uniquely represent the phenomenon of phoresy among mite taxa. Certainly, their diminutive size has facilitated symbiotic relationships, particularly in the context of phoresy. The superfamily Pygmephoroidea, described by Cross in 1965, consists of four families: Pygmephoridae (Cross, 1965), Neopygmephoridae (Cross, 1965), Microdispidae (Cross, 1965), and Scutacaridae (Oudemans, 1916), encompassing over 1,400 species globally. It is likely that all pygmephoroid mites feed on fungi. The family Neopygmephoridae includes a wide variety of pygmephoroid mites, currently consisting of 30 genera and over 260 documented species. Members of the genus Pseudopygmephorus Cross, 1965 are often associated with a variety of habitats, including soil and decaying organic matter. They also establish phoretic relationships with dung beetles, and their ecological roles often involve interactions with decomposing organic material, contributing to nutrient cycling within their habitats. During an investigation of neopygmephorid mite fauna in Golestan Province during 2023–2024, soil sampling was conducted, and one species was found to be a new record for the Golestan region. Pseudopygmephorus abdominalis (Berlese, 1904) belongs to the superfamily Pygmephoroidea and the family Neopygmephoridae. Pseudopygmephorous abdominalis (Berlese, 1904) belongs to superfamily Pygmephoroidea and family Neopygmephoridae. It closely resembles the type species P. tarsali (Hirst,1921) but depending on the shape of the setae 2a-2b and the sensillus, also the distance between the setae 3b and 4b it distinct from both its type-species and the similar P. stercoricola (Berlese,1911). |
| Keywords |
| Dung beetle, Golestan, Nutrient cycling, Phoresy, Soil, Systematics |
| Status: Abstract Accepted |
