| First record of the genus Locustacarus (Acari: Podapolipidae) parasitizing grasshoppers from Iran |
| Paper ID : 1024-IPCA4 (R1) |
| Authors |
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Bahman rahmatzaei *1, Hamidreza Hajiqanbar2, Abdolazim mortazavi2, Martin Husemann3 1Department of Entomology Faculty of Agriculture Tarbiat Modares University 14115-336, Tehran IRAN 2Department of Entomology Faculty of Agriculture Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran 3Centrum für Naturkunde, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany |
| Abstract |
| The podapolipid mites (Acari: Heterostigmata: Podapolipidae) are highly specialized as ecto- and endoparasites of insects of the orders Blattodea, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Orthoptera, and especially Coleoptera in most parts of the world. In this family, most males and larval females are able to move and the adult female mite loses the ability to move after maturation and mating. So far, the genera Podapolipus, Podapolipoides, Eutarsopolipus, Regenpolipus, Ovacarus, Tarsopolipus, Dorsipes and Coccipolipus have been reported from Iran associated with Coleoptera and Orthoptera. During sampling from vicinity of Zahak city (Sistan and Baluchestan Province) in 2020, in order to study of fauna of the prostigmatic mites associated with insects, a new species of the genus Locustacarus Ewing, 1924 was found from a vial containing Aiolopus thalassinus (Orthoptera: Acrididae). This is the first record of the genus Locustacarus from Iran and even report of the grasshoppers-associates of this genus is new for the Palaearctic region. This genus includes three known species: Locustacarus trachealis (Ewing, 1924) and L. masoni (Husband, 1974) both parasites of grasshoppers, and L. buchneri (Stammer, 1951) as parasitic species of bumble bees. These species are tracheal parasites of grasshoppers and bumble bees. The description of this new species is in progress. |
| Keywords |
| Podapolipidae, Locustacarus, Iran, Aiolopus thalassinus, Acrididae |
| Status: Abstract Accepted (Poster Presentation) |