Remarks on Birjandtrombella Noei, 2020 (Acari: Trombidiformes: Prostigmata)

Abstract

Birjandtrombella farniae Noei, 2020 was described from larvae ectoparasitic on moths (Lepidoptera: Crambidae, Noctuidae, Pyralidae), from Birjand city, South Khorasan province, Iran (Noei and Rabieh 2020). Based on Mąkol and Wohltmann (2012, 2013) the family Neotrombidiidae Feider, 1955 consists of four genera including Discotrombidium Feider, 1977, Monunguis Wharton, 1938, Neotrombidium Leonardi, 1901 and Anomalothrombium Andre, 1936. Discotrombidium and Anomalothrombium are based on post-larval forms only, the monotypic genus Monunguis (Parasitic on bat flies, Streblidae) is based on larva only (Womersley 1963) and Neotrombidium (Parasitic on subcortical beetles of the families Cerambycidae, Cleridae, Elateridae and Tenebrionidae, and on the ground beetle family Carabidae) is based on both larval and post-larval forms. The genus Neotrombidium includes 21 species which among them 13 species are based on larvae or adults and larvae (Mąkol and Wohltmann 2012, 2013; Noei et al. 2017) In this paper, the monotypic genus Birjandtrombella Noei, 2020 (Parasitic on Lepidoptera: Crambidae, Noctuidae, Pyralidae) is transferred from Trombellidae Thor, 1935 to the family Neotrombidiidae and the generic diagnosis is amended. The identification key to the genera of larval Trombellinae is amended, also.