Ali Reza Nemati - Department of Plant Protection, Agricultural College, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran.
Mohammad Reza Kavianpour - Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Iran.

Soil-dwelling mites and among them Gamasina (Acari, Mesostigmata) are widely distributed in soils, rich in species and have great ecological significance in the respective ecosystems. A survey was conducted to study Laelapidae (Mesostigmata) mites in Ahwaz (Khuzestan province), Iran during ۲۰۱۰-۲۰۱۲. Samples were taken from soil and litters and then mites extracted using Berlese funnel, cleared in lactic acid and mounted in Hoyer's medium. Among some species of this family, Gaeolaelaps jondishapouri n. sp., collected from soil is described and illustrated. G. jondishapouri n. sp. is characterized by dorsal shield with ۳۹ pairs of setae (including Px۲-۳), r۶ and R۱-۶ being off dorsal shield on soft lateral cuticle; posterior part of dorsal shield with abrupt contraction between S۴ and S۵ setae; st۱ on weakly sclerotized pre-sternal area out of sternal shield, iv۱-۲ slit-like. A key to the adult females of the species of Gaeolaelaps with abrupt constriction in dorsal shield (Karg’s angusta species group) is provided.

Iran, mite, Gaeolaelaps, Laelapidae