Abstract

Superfamily Ascoidea comprises three families of Ascidae, Ameroseiidae and Melicharidae. During a survey (2010-2011) on Ascoidea superfamily of Zanjan province (North-west of Iran), about 250 specimens were collected. Samples were taken from soil, rotten wood, fungi, litter, and dung. After clearing the mites in lactophenol or Nesbitt's fluid, specimens were mounted in Hoyer's medium. Sixteen species belonging to the three families (Ascidae, Ameroseiidae and Melicharidae) were identified. Among them two species are new to science which are signed by two asterisks (**) and fourteen species are new records for the fauna of Zanjan county which are signed by one asterisk (*). They are as follow:   Ascidae: Antennoseius (Vitzthumia) kamalii* Moraza and Kazemi, Antennoseius (Vitzthumia)* sp., Antennoseius (Antennoseius)* sp., Asca nesoica* Athias-Henriot, Arctoseius cetratus* (Sellnick), Arctoseius semiscissus* (Berlese), Iphidozercon gibbus* (Berlese); Ameroseiidae: Ameroseius corbiculus* (Sowerby), A. pseudoplumosus* Rack, A. parplumosus* (Nasr and Abu-Awad), Ameroseius** n. sp., A. lidiae* Bregetova, Epicriopsis palustris* Karg; Melicharidae: Proctolaelaps pygmaeus* (Muller), Proctolaelaps**n. sp., Proctolaelaps* sp