Pavania tadjikistanica

Häckel, Martin & Anichtchenko, Alexandr, 2015, Megacephala marginicollis, Acarologia 55 (3), pp. 311-320 : 311-320

Pavania tadjikistanica

Sevastianov, 1980

( Figure 2A )

Material examined — 84 ♀♀, Mazandaran Prov., Abbas Abad, Kazemkela village (36°41’N, 51°05’E, altitude 6 m a.s.l.), 8.VIII.2013, from cervical membrane (soft membranes between head and pronotum) of the beetle Onthophagus taurus (Schreber, 1759) (Col.: Scarabaeidae ) collected from cowpad. 60 ♀♀, Mazandaran Prov., Noor, Noor Forest (36°34’N, 52°03’E, altitude 3 m a.s.l.), 9.VIII.2013, from cervical membrane of the beetle O. taurus collected from cowpad. 48 ♀♀, Mazandaran Prov., Ramsar, Dalikhani Forest (36°49’N, 50°37’E, altitude 950 m a.s.l.), 18.VIII.2013, from cervical membrane of Euoniticellus fulvus (Goeze, 1777) (Col.: Scarabaeidae ) collected from cowpad.

World distribution — Tajikistan, phoretic on Onthophagus sp. ( Sevastianov, 1980); Iran, Isfahan province, phoretic on Onthophagus sp. ( Tajodin, 2013), Mazandaran province (current study).

Remarks — Thus far mites of the genus Pavania have been recorded in association with dung beetles of the tribes Coprini , Scarabaeini , and Onthophagini ( Bahramian et al., 2015). This study has revealed the tribe Oniticellini as a new scarabaeid host tribe for this genus.

Figures

FIGURE 2: Heterostigmatic mites on their host beetles: A – Colony of Pavania tadjikistanica attaching to the cervical membrane of Onthophagus sp.; B – Archidispus armatus attaching to the abdominal sternites and tergites of a staphylinid beetle; C-D – Colony of Archidispus bembidii under elytra of Acuapalpus sp.; E – Coccipolipus macfarlanei on elytral cavity of Coccinella septempunctata; F – Colony of Eutarsopolipus steveni under elytra of Chlaenius coeruleus.