Abstract

During a survey (2005-2010) on edaphic mesostigmatic mites of Zanjan province (North-west of Iran), several species belong to six families were collected. Samples were taken from soil and mites extracted by Berlese funnel. Mites were mounted using Hoyer's medium after clearing in lactophenol and then identified. Among them, two species are considered as the first records for mite fauna of Iran which are signed by one asterisk and all species are new reports for Zanjan province fauna. Identified species are listed as follows: Laelapidae: Pneumolaelaps sclerotarsus (Costa); Cosmolaelaps vacua (Michael); Gaeolaelaps aculeifer (Canestrini); Euandrolaelaps karawaiewi (Berlese); Androlaelaps sp.; Haemogamasus sp.; Pachylaelapidae: Pachyseius sp.; Pachylaelaps sp.; Macrochelidae: Macrocheles merdarius (Berlese); Macrocheles insignitus Berlese; Parasitidae: Poecilochyrus necrophory* Vitzthum, Parasitus sp.; Parholaspididae: Parholaspulus sp.; Rhodacaridae: Protogamasellopsis corticalis* Evans & Purvis.