Global distribution and host range of the endoparasitic mite genus Locustacarus (Acari: Podapolipidae) with description of a new species from Iran parasitizing grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae).

Abstract

Mites (Acari) represent important parasites for a diverse range of hosts. Within the Acari, the Prostigmata represent a diverse suborder of the order Trombidiformes with about 20 000 species, including parasitic forms on both vertebrates and invertebrates. Within the Prostigmata, the genus Locustacarus (Heterostigmata: Podapolipidae) is particularly known as an intratracheal parasite of bumblebees and grasshoppers. In a survey on prostigmatic mites (Acari: Trombidiformes: Prostigmata) associated with insects in the eastern parts of Iran, one new species of the endoparasitic Locustacarus was collected associated to the grasshopper Aiolopus thalassinus (Fabricius) (Orthoptera: Acrididae). This new species, Locustacarus aiolopiRahmatzaei & Hajiqanbar n. sp., is described here and compared morphologically with other species of the genus. This new species represents the first record of a grasshopper-associated Locustacarus species in the Palearctic. We further provide a comprehensive review of the global distribution of this genus as well as its host range.