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A complementary description of Panonychus caricae Hatzinikolis, 1984, is presented based on the morphology of adult female and male individuals collected from fig trees (Ficus sp., Moraceae) in Greece. Morphological differences between Panonychus caricae and two closely related species, Panonychus ulmi (Koch, 1836) and Panonychus. hadzhibejliae (Reck, 1947), are discussed. Panonychus caricae can be separated from two other Panonychus species using the length of the female dorsal setae in combination with the ratio between the length of female dorsal opisthosomal setae f2 and h1, and the ratio between the length of dorsal setae sc1 and h1. A phylogenetic maximum likelihood tree was constructed based on the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 10 species of the subgenus Panonychus s.str. (including the re-described species P. caricae) and the only two species of the subgenus Sasanychus. The phylogenetic tree indicates that these 12 species are clearly separated from each other. The two subgenera, Panonychus s.str. and Sasanychus, comprise strongly supported monophyletic clades with 98% bootstrap values. The convergence of molecular and morphological data (dorsal setae set on tubercles or not, number of tactile setae on tibiae I and II, and patterns of the dorsocentral striae) suggests that Sasanychus should not be classified under the genus Panonychus. Consequently, molecular and morphological evidence supports the resurrection of the genus Sasanychus, which contains two species, S. akitanus (Ehara) and S. pusillus Ehara & Gotoh, as distinct from Panonychus. A key to the world species of Panonychus and Sasanychus is also provided.

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Ants form complex colonies, harboring resources that can potentially be exploited by myrmecophiles (organisms living in association with ants). Myrmecophily has been studied in detail for Coleoptera, but for mites, remain largely unstudied. This work examined astigmatid mites associated with three Saudi ant species, Monomorium niloticum, Messor meridionalis and Tapinoma simrothi. Mites belonging to two families were found associated with the three ant species, Forcellinia egyptiaca Eraky (Acari: Acaridae) and Histiostoma sammari Eraky (Acari: Histiostomatidae) on Monomorium niloticum and Messor meridionalis, respectively. Cosmoglyphus barbisetus Eraky (Acari: Acaridae) was recorded on Tapinoma simrothi and occurred in large numbers. The abundance of mites varied among colonies, ant species and ant body parts. Mite populations varied not only among ant colonies and also over time. These findings are considered the first record of mites associated with these three ant species.

A survey was carried out to investigate astigmatid mites associated with four unrelated insect species, belonging to four families. The four insect species, Musca domestica (Linnaeus, 1785) (Diptera: Muscidae), Labidura riparia (Pallas, 1773) (Dermaptera: Labiduridae), Gryllus bimaculatus (DeGeer, 1773) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae), and Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus, 1758) (Blattaria: Blattidae), collected from different localities in Riyadh, were observed. Four astigmatid mites (Caloglyphus csibbii Eraky, Histiostoma camphori Eraky, Histiostoma pickaxei Eraky and Shoker, and Myianoetus lili Eraky) belonging to two families, Acaridae and Histiostomatidae, were recorded on G. bimaculatus, L. riparia, P. americana, and M. domestica, respectively. All recorded mites are considered new to Saudi Arabian mite fauna. One individual of Copronomoia sphaerocerae (Vitzthum) (Histiostomatidae) mite, previously recorded in Saudi Arabia, was found on M. domestica. For each mite species found, notes on density and attachment sites are given. An identification key, based on deutonymphal stages, for the five mite species reported in this study and other phoretic astigmatid mites previously recorded on insects in Saudi Arabia is provided.

Cydnoseius negevi (Swirski & Amitai, 1961), Neoseiulus paspalivorus (De Leon, 1957) and Proprioseiopsis beatus (Chaudhri, 1968) are reported for the first time from Saudi Arabia. The mite genus Cydnoseius Muma, 1967 is also new to the Saudi Arabian fauna. Cydnoseius negevi was collected from various host plants in three different regions (Riyadh, Hail, Eastern region) while N. paspalivorus and P. beatus were collected from Cynodon dactylon L. (Poaceae) in date palm orchards in Riyadh and Eastern region respectively. A key is provided to the adult females of the known species of Phytoseiidae of Saudi Arabia.