Gall-inducing Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea: Eriosomatinae) Associated with Salicaceae and Ulmaceae in Razavi Khorasan Province, with New Records for Fauna of Iran

A survey of gall-inducing aphids on elm and poplar trees was carried out during 2017 in Razavi Khorasan province, NE Iran. As a result, 15 species of gall-inducing aphids from 5 genera, all belonging to the subfamily Eriosomatinae, were recorded on 6 host plant species. The collected species included the genera Eriosoma, Kaltenbachiella, Pemphigus, Tetraneura and Thecabius. Pemphigus passeki Börner (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and Pemphigus populinigrae (Schrank) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Populus nigra var. italica (Salicaceae) were new records for the Iranian aphid fauna. Both new recorded species belong to the tribe Pem-phigini, subfamily Eriosomatinae. Among the identified species, 8 aphid species were new records for Razavi Khorasan province

Report of Coccinella magnopunctata (Col.: Coccinellidae) from Iran

In a faunistic survey of aphids and their aphidophagous predators in cereal fields of Mashhad and vicinity, during 2006-2008, several coccinellid species were collected and determined. Among them, Coccinella magnopunctata Rybakow is being reported for the first time from Iran

First report of the aphid, Appendiseta robiniae (Gillette, 1907) (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea), from Iran

During the faunistic survey of aphid species associated with ornamental shrubs in the urban green spaces of Mashhad, the capital city of Khorasan-Razavi province of Iran, in 2015, specimens of the species Appendiseta robiniae (Gillette, 1907) were collected from a colony on Vitex agnus-castus. This aphid species is reported here for the first time from Iran

First report of three species of dark-winged fungus gnats (Diptera: Sciaridae), on Pinus mugo Turra, from Iran

During a survey in 2015, three dark-winged fungus gnat species, Bradysia odoriphaga Yang & Zhang, 1985, Bradysia trivittata Staeger, 1840and Scatopsciara atomariaZetterstedt, 1851 were identified and recorded here from Iran for the first time. The genus Scatopsciara Edwards, 1927 is newly recorded from Iran as well. The identification of specimens were confirmed by Dr Kai Heller (Germany). The sciarid species were collected on the pine trees, Pinus mugo Turra, in the urban green landscapes of the city of Mashhad, Khorasan-e Razavi province, Iran

Biodiversity of Auchenorrhyncha in sugar beet fields of Mashhad region and new records for Khorasan Razavi province

In a faunistic survey conducted on Auchenorrhyncha in sugar beet fields of Mashhad and Chenaran regions during 2008-2010, a total of 2741specimens belonging to 5 families were collected. As a result, 10 species were added to the fauna of the study area including: Family Cicadellidae:Rhytidodus decimusquartus (Schrank 1776), Viridicerus malicola (Dubovxdy1966); Handianus procerus (Herrich-Schaffer l835),Euscelidius mundus (Haupt 1927), Doraturopsis sp., Agallia sp.; Platymetopius sp., Family Tettigometridae:Tettigometra sordida (Fieber 1865); Family Aphrophoridae: Aphrophora salicina (Goeze 1778); Family Cixiidae: Reptalus bitinctus (Dlabola 1961). Empoasca meridiana (Zachvatkin 1946) and Circulifer haematoceps (Mulsant and Rey 1855), with 23.7 and 11.2 percent respectively, were the most abundant species in the study sites. The maximum and minimum values calculated for Shannon-Wiener index of diversity, based on data collected fortnightly from the selected fields in Mashhad region were observed in August and November, respectively. At mid-summer, when the index of biodiversity was the highest, the relative abundance of most species was high and there was more uniformity among the collected species

Three new Aceria spp. (Acari: Trombidiformes: Eriophyoidea) associated to Artemisia spp. (Compositae) from South Khorasan province, East Iran

During the field surveys of eriophyoid mites associated to plant species of Artemisia L. (Compositae) from semi-arid and arid environment in East Iran (Birjand, South Khorasan, Iran 2016-2017), three new Aceria spp. (Acari: Trombidiformes: Eriophyidae) were collected. They are Aceria gallartaesp. nov. on Artemisia sieberi Besser, Aceria khaniensissp. nov. on A. tournefortiana Rchb., and Aceria alghooriisp. nov. on A. scoparia Waldst. & Kitam., which are illustrated and described herein

Seven new vagrant eriophyoid species (Acari: Eriophyoidea) from semi-arid and arid environment in East Iran

During field surveys of eriophyid mites associated with autochthonous plants species in semi-arid and arid environments in East Iran (Birjand, South Khorasan, Iran, summer 2016 and 2017), seven new eriophyid mite species (Acari: Eriophyidae) were discovered. They are Aceria astratoraesp. nov. on Astragalus pinetorum Boiss. (Leguminosae), Aceria astracanthaesp. nov. on Astracantha echidna (Bunge) Podlech (Leguminosae), Aceria furgaesp. nov. on Ephedra major Host (Ephedraceae), Aceria runicaesp. nov. on Rubia caramanica Bornm. (Rubiaceae), Aculus birsutumsp. nov. on Epilobium hirsutum L. (Onagraceae), Phyllocoptes birreaesp. nov. on Centaurea virgata Lam. (Compositae), and Neophytoptus semenovissp. nov. on Semenovia suffruticosa (Freyn & Bornm.) Manden (Apiaceae), which are illustrated and described herein. All seven new species appear to be vagrants on green parts of their host plants with no particular symptom

Two new species of eriophyid mites (Trombidiformes: Eriophyoidea) associated with Lamiaceae species from semi-arid and arid environment in East Iran

During the field study of eriophyoid mites associated with Lamiaceae species in semi-arid and arid environment in East Iran (Birjand, South Khorasan, Iran, summer 2017), two new eriophyid mite species (Trombidiformes: Eriophyidae) were discovered. They are Aceria pocriisp. nov. on Teucrium polium L. and Cecidophyes punctineasp. nov. on Rosmarinus officinalis L., and are illustrated and described herein. Both new species seemed to be vagrants on leaves and flowers, and they were not associated to any particular symptom