The old world date mite, Oligonychus afrasiaticus (McGregor) (Acari: Tetranychidae) is a severe spider mite pest of date palm in most of the Middle East and North Africa. Considering that nothing is known about the performance of phytoseiid predators against O. afrasiaticus, biology, predation, and life table parameters of Cydnoseius negevi (Swirski and Amitai) and Neoseiulus barkeri Hughes (Acari: Phytoseiidae), collected from date palm orchards, were studied under laboratory conditions (25, 35°C and 35 ± 10% RH) as a first step to understand their effectiveness against all mobile life stages of O. afrasiaticus. For both predators, oviposition period was significantly shorter at 35°C than at 25°C. The following parameters were obtained for C. negevi and N. barkeri at 25 and 35°C, respectively: female longevity, 31.8, 20.1, 35.7, 27.4 d; fecundity, 21.6, 38.0, 18.8, 34.8 eggs per female; oviposition period, 23.9, 13.7, 25.9, 18.1 d. Total predation of C. negevi and N. barkeri female was 246.0, 270.0, 227.6, 205.3 prey at 25 and 35°C, respectively. Rectal plugs were observed attached to the opisthosoma of some adult females of N. barkeri, which often cause the mite to stick to the surface. Life table parameters were estimated as net reproductive rate (R₀) 10.44, 17.35, 10.19, 13.84, intrinsic rate of increase (r_m) 0.14, 0.19, 0.13, 0.16 d⁻¹, finite rate of increase (λ) 1.15, 1.21, 1.12, 1.17 d⁻¹, generation time (T) 17.03, 15.17, 17.83, 16.61 d, doubling time (DT) 04.95, 03.64, 05.33, 04.33 d for C. negevi and N. barkeri at 25 and 35°C, respectively. The values of intrinsic rate of increase and net reproductive rate were higher in C. negevi than N. barkeri at both temperature regimes. Therefore, it could be concluded that C. negevi performance was better than N. barkeri against O. afrasiaticus and can be considered as a valuable addition to the existing methods for spider mites control.

The Mullederia Wood, 1964 (Acari: Stigmaeidae) is a species-limited genus with a geographic distribution so far restricted to eastern Palaearctic, Indomalaya and Australasia regions. Mullederia sichuanensis Wang, 1986 is newly recorded from Japan based on specimens collected from two different evergreen broad-leaved forests at Bōsō Peninsula, Chiba Prefecture (Honshu). Adult females, males and deutonymphs are redescribed and illustrated. Interspecific morphological variations among world species of Mullederia are provided. Also, stigmaeid mite species recorded from Japan are listed.

Feather mites of the family Avenzoariidae (Acari: Astigmata: Analgoidea) are recorded for the first time in Saudi Arabia. A new avenzoariid species, Zachvatkinia (Zachvatkinia) repressae sp. n. (Avenzoariidae: Bonnetellinae), is described from the White-cheeked Tern, Sterna repressa Hartert, 1916 (Charadriiformes: Sternidae). The new species belongs to the sternae group and is closely related to Z. (Z.) chlidoniae Mironov, 1989a. Two more species, Z. (Z.) dromae Mironov, 1992 and Z. (Z.) sternae (Canestrini & Fanzago, 1876), were collected from the Crab Plover Dromas ardeola Paykull, 1805 (Charadriiformes: Dromadidae) and the Sooty Gull Ichthyaetus hemprichii (Bruch, 1853) (Charadriiformes: Laridae), respectively. Among the 18 described species of Zachvatkinia Dubinin, 1949, including the new species, this is the fifth species recorded from a sternid host. The remaining 13 nominal species are associated with birds of the families Diomedeidae, Dromadidae, Hydrobatidae, Laridae, Pelecanoididae, Procellariidae and Stercorariidae. A checklist of world species of Zachvatkinia with data on their distribution and type hosts is also provided.

Eight species of phytoseiid mites are reported from date palm orchards in Saudi Arabia. Seven of them were first records forthis country: Neoseiulus bicaudus (Wainstein), N. conterminus (Kolodochka), N. makuwa (Ehara), N. rambami (Swirski &Amitai), Proprioseiopsis asetus (Chant), P. messor (Wainstein), P. ovatus (Garman). Neoseiulus makuwa and P. asetus arerecorded from the Middle East and North Africa for the first time. One new species is described from Bermuda grass, Neoseiu-lus saudiensis n. sp. The new species is most similar to Neoseiulus alpinus (Schweizer) and N. marginatus (Wainstein). A key for identification of the included species is provided.