Three new mites of the genus Pseudolaelaps Berlese, 1916 (Acari: Mesostigmata, Pseudolaelapidae) from Iran, with an updated key to known species

Abstract

Three new gamasid mites belonging to the genus Pseudolaelaps Berlese, 1916 are described from Guilan Province, Iran. The descriptions of Pseudolaelaps laevidorsatus sp. n., Pseudolaelaps semiduplicans sp. n. and Pseudolaelaps venustulus sp. n. are based on females collected from different kinds of soil substrate and decomposed plant detritus in deciduous forests and some non-woodland habitats in cultivated lowland landscapes. An updated key to 15 species of the genus Pseudolaelaps, widely distributed mainly in Europe, is presented.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C0C644A4-0EBF-4EAA-8054-B97F7B4E9558

Keywords:

• Acari
• Mesostigmata
• Pseudolaelaps
• new species
• key
• Iran

Funding

This study was fully supported by the Scientific Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic and the Academy of Sciences [VEGA Grant No. 2/0091/14: Arboricolous mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) associated with wood-destroying insects and fungi, with consideration on taxonomy, ecology and chorology of individual species.].