The predatory mites of Suborder Prostigmata are important natural enemies of Spider mites. During 2009-2010, in a faunistic survey of Superfamilies Raphignathoidea, Bdelloidea and Erythraeoidea in Mashhad region (Razavi Khorasan province), different samples were taken from soil, tree foliages, crops and weeds of pome fruit orchards orchards. After clearing the mites in lactophenol fluid, the slides were made using Hoyer’s medium and then specimens were identified. In this study, a total of 18 species from 15 genera were collected and identified, of which 16 species are new records for mite fauna of Razavi Khorasan province that marked with (*). Among them, Eustigmaeus anauniensis (Canestrini, 1889) had the highest abundance and distribution. All slides are deposited in collection of Plant Protection Department, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. The list of species is as follows:
1. Family Bdellidae: Spinibdella cronini (Baker & Balock, 1944)*; Bdella muscorum Ewing, 1909*; Biscirus silvaticus (Kramer, 1881); Cyta lattiresris (Hermann, 1804); Bdellodes kazeruni Ostovan & Kamali, 1995*, 2. Family Cunaxidae: Cunaxa setirostris (Hermann, 1804)*; Pulaeus glebulentus Den Heyer, 1980**; Cunaxoides croceus Koch, 1838*, 3. Stigmaeidae: Ledermuelleriopsis zahiri Khanjani & Ueckermann, 2002*; Agistemus industani Gonzalez, 1965*; Stigmaeus elongatus Berlese, 1886*; Eustigmaeus anauniensis (Canestrini, 1889), 4. Raphignathidae: Raphignathus zhaoi Hu, Jing & Liang, 1995*; R. giselae Meyer & Ueckermann, 1989*, 5. Eupalopsellidae: Eupalopsellus crotovallaris Van Dis & Ueckermann, 1993*, 6. Erythraeidae: Erythraeus (Zaracarus) iranicus Saboori & Akrami, 2001*; Erythraeus (Zaracarus) kurdistaniensis Khanjani & Ueckermann, 2005*; Erythraeus (Erythraeus) garmsaricus Saboori, Goldarazana & Khajeali, 2004*. |
