Abstract

During a survey of Tetranychid mites in Northwest of Iran (2004-2006), four specimens from subfamily Bryobiinae and tribe Hystrichonichini were collected on Hazelnut (Corylus avellanaL.) and Mediterranean willow (Salix aegyptiacaL.) in Fandoglo region (Ardabil province). They were identified as Tetranycopsis  horridus (Canestrini and Fanzago). Tetranycopsis horridusand T. zambezianusare only species in the genus which appear to be injurious to economic plants. This is the first record of genus and species from Iran and Salix aegyptiacaidentified as new host plant for T. horridus. The hazenut mite, T. horriduswas recorded from hazelnut trees in Turkey (Ozman & Cobanoglu, 2001. Acta Horticulture, 556: 479-488.), Southeastern Europe, England, Russia and California (Jeppson et al., 1975. University of California Press, Berkeley, 614 pp.). It has also been reported on walnut, spruce, pine, yarrow and beans. Major characteristic features of the species are as follow: the claws and empodia are padlike with long tenent hairs. There are 4 pairs of propodosomal setae, anterior pair is very small. Dorsal setae are distinctly long and strong, set on prominent tubercles. There are 12 pairs of hysterosomal setae. The peritremes are free, anastomosing distally from lateral aspects of stylophore (Smith Meyer, 1987. Entomology Memoir No. 69. Department of Agriculture and Water Supply, Republic of South Africa, 174 pp.