Matsuo, T., T. Mori and S. Shiraishi, 1997. Histological and histochemical studies on the male accessory genital glands and the derivations of the spermatophore components from the accessory glands in Haemaphysalis longicornis(Acari: Ixodidae). J. Acarol. Soc. Jpn., 6(1): 1-10.
The external shape and histological changes of the male accessory genital glands during feeding and after copulation were observed in Haemaphysalis longicornis. Histochemical properties between secretory granules of the accessory glands and components of the spermatophore were also compared. The accessory glands consisted of two single and five paired lobes opening into the collecting duct(CD)lying on the floor of the body cavity.The single dorso-median lobe(DML)opened to the posterior end of the CD and extended in an antero-dorsal direction. The single medio-ventral lobe(MVL)opened to the antero-ventral region of the CD. Five paired lobes were on both sides of the CD;the antero-ventral lobe(AVL), the latero-ventral lobe(LVL), the dorsolateral lobe(DLL), the postero-lateral lobe(PLL)and the postero-ventral lobe(PVL)from anterior to posterior. Epithelia of the lobes showed remarkable histological changes synchronized with feeding and copulation: Secretory granules contained in the epithelia increased in number during feeding and were almost completely released after copulation. These histological changes suggest that the secretions of the accessory glands form the spermatophore. The histochemical comparisons showed that the outer and inner layers of the ectospermatophore were, respectively, derived from the AVL and the DLL(PLL), and three types of granules in the spermatophore were transferred from the WVL and the LVL.

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Kunimoto, Y., S. Nishino, J. Otuji, and T. Arima, 1997. Seasonal occurrences and vertical distribu tion of the two-spotted spider mite on chrysanthemum J. Acarol. Soc. Jpn., 6(1): 11-16.
Seasonal occurrences of the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, were investigated on two cultivars of chrysanthemum from April 1993 to April 1994. Mite infestations were also surveyed on weed plants in surrounding areas.
1. Mites were found on several weed plants.
2. On the cultivar“Koyo”and“Lincoln”, the seasonal occurrence of mites was unimodal, but the peak duration was different between the two cultivars.
3. When a chrysanthemum was cut from the mother plant, some mites were left on the cuttings and maintained their populations. Mites returned to the field from the nursery when rooted cuttings were planted in the field.
4. Mite density increased rapidly in July and remained at a high level until September. The density then decreased gradually until February, but some survived throughout the winter.
5. Spatial distribution of mites expanded with growth of the chrysanthemums.

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Kakuda, H., T. Hirooka, T. Mori and S. Shiraishi, 1997. Ultrastructure of the lobular accessory glands in Haemaphysalis longicornis(Acari:Ixodidae). J. Acarol. Soc. Jpn., 6(1): 17-24.
The lobular accessory glands in female Haemaphysalis longicornis are derived from the epithelial lining of the vestibular vagina. As feeding proceeds, the epithelium increases in volume and becomes glandular. The apical region of the developing epithelium detaches from the vestibular cuticle, and the vestibular sinus is formed. Secretions from the epithelial cells are discharged into the sinal lumen and released into the genital tract through the vestibular cuticle.Well-developed microvilli, intercellular spaces and infoldings of the basal plasma membrane associated with mitochondria found in ovipositing females indicate transporting epithelia. The fact that secretory activity of the glands occurs during oviposition suggests that secretions from the lobular accessory glands are involved in the passing of eggs through the genital tract.

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Baker, G. T., 1997. Tick pulvillus: Cuticular structure and function(Acarina: Ixodida). J. Acarol. Soc. Jpn., 6(1): 25-31.
The pulvillus in five ixodid ticks is a large, globular structure that has a thick well-sclerotized dorsal cuticle and a thin, flexible and pleated ventral cuticle. Only an endocuticle and a very thin epicuticle are found in the ventral pleated portion of the pulvillus. The pulvillus is simila in morphology and structure in all post-embryonic stages and no distinct sexual dimorphism is apparent in any of the five species. The central lumen of the pulvillus contains lipid and lipid compounds that are secreted on to the surface on which the tick walks. The material probably has adhesive properties that enable ticks to crawl along and up various kinds of surfaces. If the ventral pulvillar surface is coated, ticks are unable to crawl up a surface in order to reach a potential host.

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Okura N., K. Koga, T. Mori and S. Shiraishi, 1997. Morphological changes in soft integument during feeding of adult female Haemaphysalis longicornis(Acari: Ixodidae). J. Acarol. Soc.Jpn., 6(1): 33-41.
Morphological changes in a stretchable soft integument of adult female Haemaphysalis longicornis during feeding were examined using light and electron microscopy.(1)Semi-thin plastic sections of the integument stained with toluidine blue were quite suitable for distinguishing components of the endocuticle. Using this procedure, it is clearly observed that the inner endocuticle differentiates into the outer endocuticle during the cuticle synthesis phase.(2)Ultrastructural observations of epidermal cells after copulation showed decrease in frequency of exocytosis of the cuticular materials, increase in number of large secretory granules containing these materials, and reduction in the volume of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Therefore, copulatory stimuli induce to stop the exocytosis of cuticular materials at first and synthesis of these materials subsequently in the epidermal cells.

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Yamamoto, Y., and J. Aoki, 1997. A new oribatid mite of the genus Malaconothrus from Iriomote Island, Southwest Japan(Acari: Oribatei: Malaconothridae). J. Acarol. Soc. Jpn., 6(1): 43-47.
A new species belonging to the genus Malaconothrus Berlese, 1904was described from wet moss in Iriomote Island, Okinawa Prefecture. Malaconothrus iriomotensis sp. nov. is similar to Malaconothrus yamamotoi Aoki, 1994 and Malaconothrus kiiensis Yamamoto, 1996, but is distinguishable from the latters by the smooth and thin rostral seta, four pairs of smooth notogastral setae(e2, h1, h2, ps2), some light spots found along inner edge of lamellar and between paired setae d1 and short genital and adanal setae.

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Synganglion extracts from5-day fed non-copulated females or haemolymph from5-day fed copulated females were injected into the haemocoel of partially engorged virgin females, and physiological saline was subsequently infused into the haemocoel at 150 mmHg for 48hours. These components, the extract and thehaemolymph, induced cuticular plasticization or>10-fold increase in relative body volume.Protease digestion did not prevent these components from inducing cuticular plasticization. Biogenic amines, octopamine and noradrenaline(≥10^-6 M in the haemolymph), also induced cuticular plasticization. These results suggest that a neurohormonal factor inducing cuticular plasticization is released from the central nervous system into the haemolymph after receiving copulatory stimuli.

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Fujimoto. K., 1997. Differences in the diurnal questing activities of unfed Ixodes ovatus and Haemaphysalis flava adults(Acarina: Ixodidae)observed under experimental outdoor conditions. J. Acarol. Soc. Jpn., 6(1): 57-64.
The diurnal questing activities of unfed Ixodes. ovatus and Haemaphysalis flava adults were regularly observed under experimental outdoor conditions. Each of the unfed I. ovatus adults irregularly repeated ascents and descents in a plastic cylinder from May 17 to June 5, 1993. However, each individual unfed H. flava adult ascended in a plastic cylinder almost every day during the period in question. There was a significant difference in the proportion of the ascended days between the two tick species. This suggests that the diurnal activity during questing is different between the unfed I.ovatus and H. flava adults.This difference appears to be caused by the different susceptibility of the unfed adults to low humidity. Therefore, desiccation appears to influence the quantitative sampling of both of the tick species when the flagging method was used.

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Ishikawa, K. and P. Saichuae, 1997. Two new gamasid mites(Acari, Gamasida, Podocinidae and Parholaspidae)from the tropical rain forests of Khao Yai Province in Thailand. J. Acarol. Soc. Jpn., 6(1): 65-71.
Two new gamasid mites, Podocinum protonotum sp. nov. (Podocinidae)and Gamasholaspis khaoyaiensis sp. nov. are described from the tropical rain forest of Khao Yai Province in Thailand.

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