Two new species of laelapid mites of the genus Gaeolaelaps Evans & Till are described based on adult females collected from soil and litter in Kerman Province, southeastern Iran, and Mazandaran Province, northern Iran. Gaeolaelaps jondishapouri Nemati & Kavianpour is redescribed based on the holotype and additional specimens collected in southeastern Iran. The concept of the genus is revised to incorporate some atypical characters of recently described species. Finally, some morphological attributes with potential to define natural species groupings as well as hypoaspidine genera are discussed, particularly idiosomal gland pores and poroids.

A short diagnosis and a more detailed diagnosis of the genus Laelaspis are presented. Until now, a total of 40 described species belong to the genus, including a new species described here, and excluding the four following species previously described as Laelaspis or Hypoaspis (Laelaspis): L. badrii Nasr & Nawar [considered as Cosmolaelaps badrii comb. nov.], L. zuluensis Trägårdh, Hypoaspis (L.) lawrencei Van Aswegen & Loots, and Hypoaspis (L.) latodentis Karg. In addition, L. morazae sp. nov., is described on the basis of adult female and male specimens associated with Lepisiota semenovi (Ruzsky) (Formicidae) in Mashad County, northeastern Iran, and in the nest of an unknown ant in Shahreza County, central Iran. Laelaspis persicus is redescribed based on the holotype, paratype and additional specimens collected in north, southeastern and southwestern Iran.

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Ophiocelaeno sudhiri Datta, 1985 (family Diplogyniidae) is transferred to the genus Lobogynium Trägårdh, 1950 and rede-scribed from specimens collected in close association with histerid beetles of the genus Atholus (Thomson) in Europe and Asia.The genus Lobogynium is redefined and a key to the species is presented. The first description of the female, detailed redescrip-tion of the male and the new combination Lobogynium sudhiri (Datta, 1985) comb. nov. are given. A neotype is designated forthis species, because the holotype is lost. A strongly sclerotised antero-lateral circum-anal area appears to be an autapomorphicfeature of this species. Lobogynium sudhiri is widely distributed in the Palaearctic region, and is probably a sapro-coprophilous species that completes its life-cycle in dung and other decaying organic matter.

This paper describes a new genus and three new species of mites (Acari: Eviphididae) associated with scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in northeast Iran: Metacryptoseius gen. nov., M. persicus sp. nov., M. khorasanicus sp. nov. and Cryptoseius khayyami sp. nov. The new genus is similar to Cryptoseius Makarova. Additional descriptive information is provided for the genus Cryptoseius and its type species, C. petrovae Makarova, based on new characters including dorsal adenotaxy and poroidotaxy. Scamaphis guyimingi Ma is transferred to Metacryptoseius. A key to adults of the genus Metacryptoseius is presented.