Taxonomic study of the soil laelapid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) in different habitats of Shahrood region-Iran

Laelapidae is a large and cosmopolitan family comprises a multitude of morphologically and behaviorally diverse mites that are free-living predators that inhabit soil-litter habitats or associated with arthropods, mammals, or birds. This study is based on survey on soil inhabiting Laelapidae that was carried in 2015 from different habitats of Shahrood region. Soils and litter were collected then transferred to laboratory and put in Berlese-Tullgren funnel. Mites were extracted using it. Specimens were preserved in 75% ethanol and cleared in Lactic acid. Mites were then directly mounted into Faure medium on microscopic slides. Figures were capture and measurements were calculated using a CH2 Olympus microscope. In this study, 19 species belonging 10 genera and three subfamilies were collected and identified, all species considered as new records for the mite’s fauna of Semnan Province. Identified species are as follows:Subfamily Hypoaspidinae: Cosmolaelaps rectangularis (Sheals, 1926); Cosmolaelaps vacua (Michael, 1891); Cosmolaelaps lutegiensis (Shcherbak, 1971); Gaeolaelaps aculieifer (Canestrini, 1884); Gaeolaelaps angusta (Karg, 1965); Gaeolaelaps kargi (Costa, 1968); Gaeolaelaps nolli (Karg, 1962); Gaeolaelaps queenslandicus (Womersley, 1956); Euandrolaelaps karaawaiewi (Berlese 1903); Euandrolaelaps sardoa (Berles, 1911); Pseudoparasitus dentatus (Halbert, 1920); Pseudoparasitus hajiganbari Kazemi, 2014; Ololaelaps gamagarensis (Jordaan & Loots, 1987); Subfamily Melittiphidinae: Laelaspis pennatus (Joharchi & Halliday, 2012); Laelaspis dariusi Joharchi & Jalaeian, 2012; Laelaspisella berlesi; Joharchi, 2016 Gymnolaelaps myrmophilus (Michael, 1891);. Subfamily Laelapinae: Haemolaelaps shealsi (Costa, 1968); Haemolaelaps casalis (Berlese, 1887).