First record of the genus Scirula (Acari: Trombidiformes: Cunaxidae) from Iran
Paper ID : 1182-IPCA4 (R1)
Authors:
Milad -- Davari *1, Masoud Hakimitabar2, Hamed Ghobari3, Saeid Paktinat-Saeij4
1Shahrood University of Technology
2Department of Horticulture and Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood , Iran
3Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kurdestam
4University of Tehran
Abstract:
Cunaxidae are common predatory mites that are present in forest systems, grasslands, agricultural fields, and anthropogenically disturbed areas. Cunaxids have been reported to feed on active prey such as Collembola, bark lice, thrips, and relatively inactive prey such as scales, nematodes and phytophagous mites. Scirulinae Den Heyer, 1980 is a monobasic subfamily, with the single genus Scirula, containing two described species recorded from China, Denmark, Italy, Japan and USA. Scirula can be distinguished from others genus in Cunaxidae by having palps 4-segmented, palps end in a stout claw and coxae I–IV fused. During an investigation from 2020 to 2021 several specimens of the family Cunaxidae were found in different places of the Shahrood city, Semnan province. Collected specimens were extracted using the Berlese-Tullgren funnel and put into AGA solution. Mites were cleared in lactic acid and then microscopic slides were mounted in Hoyer’s medium. During this study, two specimens (slides) of Scirula were collected and identified. The species is new to science and also this genus is considered as new record from Iran.
Keywords:
Scirulinae, predatory mites, AGA, agricultural fields, science.
Status : Abstract Accepted (Poster Presentation)