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Species of the genus Stigmaeus (Acariformes: Stigmaeidae) from the Karasu Valley (Türkiye): morphological examination and a taxonomic argument

Year 2026, Issue: 2026, - , 31.01.2026

Salih Doğan

https://doi.org/10.47121/acarolstud.1815772

Abstract

In the present work, morphological characteristics of species of the genus Stigmaeus Koch collected from the Karasu Valley in the Munzur Mountains (Türkiye) were examined. A total of 11 species of the Stigmaeus were identified in this study. Among them, S. dokeri, S. maraghehiensis and S. purpurascens are recorded for the first time from Türkiye. The protonymph and deutonymph stages of S. bifurcus, as well as the larva, protonymph and deutonymph stages of S. dokeri, are described for the first time. Furthermore, morphological variations were observed for the first time in S. dokeri and S. pulumurensis.
The names Stigmaeus africanus Soliman & Gomaa, 1986, S. banksi Gomaa & Hassan, 1986, S. triramus Soliman & Gomaa, 1986 and S. zaheri Gomaa & Hassan, 1986 are considered nomina nuda. This study also highlights the importance of maintaining the current concept of the genus Stigmaeus for taxonomic stability. While the available molecular data suggest that some species may form distinct clades, single-locus analyses based on limited data sets are not yet considered sufficient to justify clear divisions at the genus level. Therefore, it has been suggested that a more balanced approach would be to cautiously consider the idea of dividing Stigmaeus into separate genera and to restructure it based on subgenera or natural species groups, in accordance with the concept of Berlese (1910), and the aim is to open this systematic framework for discussion. In this context, the proposal to reinterpret certain taxa such as Ledermuelleriopsis Willmann and Villersia Kuznetsov not as independent genera but as subgenera within Eustigmaeus Berlese has also been opened for discussion within the scope of this unifying approach.
In conclusion, this study contributes to the diversity of Stigmaeus in Türkiye with new records, documents different developmental stages and morphological variation, clarifies the nomenclatural status of some species-names, and advocates a taxonomic framework that prioritises subgeneric re-structuring over generic-level splitting within Stigmaeidae systematics.

Keywords

Nomen nudum description taxonomy variation over-splitting

Ethical Statement

The necessary legal permits for the sampling activities were obtained from the following organisations in the Republic of Türkiye: the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, reference number 21264211-288.04-E.4255389), the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (reference number 50411936-903.07.02-E-4372543), and the Erzincan Governorate (reference number E61652141640-12908). The study was conducted in accordance with the relevant legal regulations and ethical principles. As no experimental animals were used, ethical committee approval was not required.

Supporting Institution

This study was produced under project number 121Z986, supported by TÜBİTAK.

Project Number

121Z986

Thanks

I would like to thank TÜBİTAK for their financial support of this study and the relevant departments of the Republic of Türkiye the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Erzincan Governorate for their assistance in obtaining sample collection permits.

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Karasu Vadisi’nden (Türkiye) Stigmaeus (Acariformes: Stigmaeidae) türleri: morfolojik inceleme ve taksonomik bir argüman

Year 2026, Issue: 2026, - , 31.01.2026

Salih Doğan

https://doi.org/10.47121/acarolstud.1815772

Abstract

Bu çalışmada, Munzur Dağları yöresi Karasu Vadisi’nden (Türkiye) toplanan Stigmaeus Koch türlerinin morfolojik özellikleri incelenmiştir. Çalışma kapsamında toplam 11 Stigmaeus türü belirlenmiştir. Bunlardan S. dokeri, S. maraghehiensis ve S. purpurascens türleri Türkiye’den ilk kez kaydedilmiştir. S. bifurcus türünün protonimf ve deutonimf bireyleri ile S. dokeri’nin larva, protonimf ve deutonimf evreleri ilk kez tanımlanmıştır. Bunun yanı sıra, S. dokeri ve S. pulumurensis türlerinde ilk kez morfolojik varyasyonlar gözlenmiştir.
Stigmaeus africanus Soliman & Gomaa, 1986, S. banksi Gomaa & Hassan, 1986, S. triramus Soliman & Gomaa, 1986 ve S. zaheri Gomaa & Hassan, 1986 adları, çıplak isimler (nomina nuda) olarak önerilmiştir. Bu çalışma ayrıca Stigmaeus cinsinin mevcut konseptinin korunmasının taksonomik istikrar açısından önemine dikkat çekmektedir. Mevcut moleküler veriler bazı türlerin ayrı kladlar oluşturabileceğini göstermekle birlikte, sınırlı veri setlerine dayalı tek-lokuslu analizlerin, cins düzeyinde keskin ayrımlara/bölünmelere temel oluşturmak için henüz yeterli olmadığı değerlendirilmiştir. Bu nedenle, Stigmaeus’un ayrı cinsler halinde bölünmesi fikrine temkinli yaklaşılarak, Berlese (1910) konseptine paralel biçimde alt cinsler veya doğal tür grupları temelinde yeniden yapılandırılmasının daha dengeli bir yaklaşım olabileceği öne sürülmüş ve bu sistematik çerçevenin tartışmaya açılması hedeflenmiştir. Bu çerçevede, Ledermuelleriopsis Willmann ve Villersia Kuznetsov gibi bazı taksonların bağımsız cinsler olarak değil, Eustigmaeus Berlese içinde alt cins düzeyinde yeniden yorumlanması önerisi de bu birleştirici yaklaşım kapsamında tartışmaya açılmıştır.
Sonuç olarak, bu çalışma Türkiye’deki Stigmaeus çeşitliliğine yeni kayıtlarla katkı sunmakta, farklı gelişim evrelerini ve morfolojik varyasyonları belgelemekte, bazı tür adların nomenklatürel statüsünü netleştirmekte ve Stigmaeidae sistematiğinde cins düzeyinde parçalamalara karşı, alt cins düzeyli yeniden yapılandırmayı önceleyen taksonomik bir çerçeve önermektedir.

Keywords

Nomen nudum tanım taksonomi varyasyon yapay ayrıştırma

Ethical Statement

Örnekleme faaliyetlerinin yürütülmesi için gerekli yasal izinler, T.C. Tarım ve Orman Bakanlığı Doğa Koruma ve Milli Parklar Genel Müdürlüğü (21264211-288.04-E.4255389), Tarımsal Araştırmalar ve Politikalar Genel Müdürlüğü (50411936-903.07.02-E-4372543) ile T.C. Erzincan Valiliği’nden (E61652141640-12908) alınmıştır. Çalışma süreci, ilgili yasal düzenlemeler ve etik ilkeler çerçevesinde gerçekleştirilmiş, herhangi bir deneysel hayvan kullanımı söz konusu olmadığından etik kurul onayına gerek duyulmamıştır.

Supporting Institution

Bu çalışma, TÜBİTAK tarafından desteklenen 121Z986 numaralı projeden üretilmiştir.

Project Number

121Z986

Thanks

Çalışmaya maddi destek sağlayan TÜBİTAK’a, örnek toplama izinleri konusundaki desteklerinden ötürü T.C. Tarım ve Orman Bakanlığının ilgili müdürlüklerine ve T.C. Erzincan Valiliği’ne teşekkür ederim.

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There are 75 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Acarology
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Salih Doğan 0000-0001-5030-0544

Project Number 121Z986
Submission Date November 2, 2025
Acceptance Date December 28, 2025
Publication Date January 31, 2026
Published in Issue Year 2026 Issue: 2026

Cite

APA Doğan, S. (2026). Species of the genus Stigmaeus (Acariformes: Stigmaeidae) from the Karasu Valley (Türkiye): morphological examination and a taxonomic argument. Acarological Studies, 2026. https://doi.org/10.47121/acarolstud.1815772
AMA 1.Doğan S. Species of the genus Stigmaeus (Acariformes: Stigmaeidae) from the Karasu Valley (Türkiye): morphological examination and a taxonomic argument. Acarol. Stud. 2026;(2026). doi:10.47121/acarolstud.1815772
Chicago Doğan, Salih. 2026. “Species of the Genus Stigmaeus (Acariformes: Stigmaeidae) from the Karasu Valley (Türkiye): Morphological Examination and a Taxonomic Argument”. Acarological Studies, nos. 2026. https://doi.org/10.47121/acarolstud.1815772.
EndNote Doğan S (January 1, 2026) Species of the genus Stigmaeus (Acariformes: Stigmaeidae) from the Karasu Valley (Türkiye): morphological examination and a taxonomic argument. Acarological Studies 2026
IEEE [1]S. Doğan, “Species of the genus Stigmaeus (Acariformes: Stigmaeidae) from the Karasu Valley (Türkiye): morphological examination and a taxonomic argument”, Acarol. Stud., no. 2026, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.47121/acarolstud.1815772.
ISNAD Doğan, Salih. “Species of the Genus Stigmaeus (Acariformes: Stigmaeidae) from the Karasu Valley (Türkiye): Morphological Examination and a Taxonomic Argument”. Acarological Studies. 2026 (January 1, 2026). https://doi.org/10.47121/acarolstud.1815772.
JAMA 1.Doğan S. Species of the genus Stigmaeus (Acariformes: Stigmaeidae) from the Karasu Valley (Türkiye): morphological examination and a taxonomic argument. Acarol. Stud. 2026. doi:10.47121/acarolstud.1815772.
MLA Doğan, Salih. “Species of the Genus Stigmaeus (Acariformes: Stigmaeidae) from the Karasu Valley (Türkiye): Morphological Examination and a Taxonomic Argument”. Acarological Studies, no. 2026, Jan. 2026, doi:10.47121/acarolstud.1815772.
Vancouver 1.Doğan S. Species of the genus Stigmaeus (Acariformes: Stigmaeidae) from the Karasu Valley (Türkiye): morphological examination and a taxonomic argument. Acarol. Stud. [Internet]. 2026 Jan. 1;(2026). Available from: https://izlik.org/JA67CH27KJ

Aim & Scope

The aim of the journal Acarological Studies (AS) is to promote acarological research worldwide. The journal is international, peer reviewed, open access, on-line and it has no publication fees.

AS publishes high quality research papers on any aspect of mites, including anatomy, behaviour, biodiversity, conservation, biological control, ecology, medical acarology, morphology, phylogeny, physiology, systematics, veterinary acarology and zoogeography. The journal also invites the submission of case studies, monographs, revisions, reviews, catalogues, checklists, descriptions of taxa and nomenclature for consideration.

Title and statement page

All manuscripts must be accompanied by a separate title and statement page (click here to download template file of the title and statement page).

This page should contain the full title. The title should be short and informative, and not contain non-standard acronyms or abbreviations or taxon's authors. The higher taxa containing the taxa dealt with in the manuscript should be indicated in parentheses in the title. The full names of all authors must be given and surname should be typed in the upper case. The address of each author should be given in italic each starting a separate line. Authors are strongly encouraged to include an ORCID with their manuscript submission or revision (for more information on how to register for an ORCID click here). The contact e-mail address should be provided for the clearly identified corresponding author.

Authors’ contributions to the manuscript, ethics approval, funding source(s), conflict of interest statements, and acknowledgements should be given here.


Main text

The manuscripts should be written in English or Turkish. There are no word limits for the manuscript in this journal. The manuscripts should be MS-Word processed, typed with size 12 in Times New Roman font, double-spaced, continuous line numbered, with 2.5 cm margins on each side. All pages should be numbered consecutively in the bottom. The manuscript should be compiled in the following order: title, abstract, keywords; introduction, material and methods, results and discussion, acknowledgments, references, tables with captions on individual pages and figure captions. The figures should be saved separately from the text. The file of main manuscript does not contain identification information about the authors such as name, e-mail address, affiliation and etc. (click here to dowload template file of the main text).


Abstract

The abstract should present the general scope, and give summarize information on the main results and conclusions of the paper. In the manuscripts written in Turkish, the abstract in English must be included in addition to the Turkish abstract. Any new names or new combinations proposed in the manuscript should be referred in the abstract. The abstract should preferably be kept below 350 words, and citations should generally be avoided where possible.


Keywords

Keywords are used for indexing purposes. For this reason, it is better to give keywords that are not present at the title. Abbreviations and acronyms should be avoided.


Introduction

The introduction should provide concisely description of the basic background, rationale, aims and objectives of the study. It should not include the findings.


General Information

The manuscripts should be written in English or Turkish. There are no word limits for the manuscript in this journal. The manuscripts should be MS-Word processed, typed with size 12 in Times New Roman font, double-spaced, continuous line numbered, with 2.5 cm margins on each side. All pages should be numbered consecutively in the bottom. The manuscript should be compiled in the following order: title, abstract, keywords; introduction, material and methods, results and discussion, acknowledgments, references, tables with captions on individual pages and figure captions. The figures should be saved separately from the text. The file of main manuscript does not contain identification information about the authors such as name, e-mail address, affiliation and etc.

Tables should be editable tables in a word document or main text. All columns must have headings. If a table continues on more than one page, repeat column headings on subsequent page(s). Use approved abbreviations already defined in the text and define them in the general footnote.

The figures should be saved separately from the text. They should be in their native format for best quality. The figures should be at least 600 dpi, or 1200 dpi for line graphs. The following file types of figures are accepted: png (preferred), tiff, gif or jpeg.

All tables and figures should have a caption or legend, they should be labelled, and the labels should be numbered unless there is only one table or figure. All tables and figures should be referred to in the text (e.g., “Table 1”, “Fig. 2”, “Figs 3-5”).

Citations should be arranged chronological and alphabetical within year. All references cited in the text must appear in the literature cited section, and all items in this section must be cited in the text. Citation of unpublished studies or reports is not permitted, i.e., a volume and page number must be available for serials and a publisher, city, state, and full pagination for books. Work may be cited as “in press” only when the paper has been accepted for publication. Personal communications do not appear in the literature-cited section.


Electronic Publication & Nomenclatural Information

Article 8.5.3. To be considered published, a work issued and distributed electronically must be registered in the Official Register of Zoological Nomenclature (ZooBank) and contain evidence in the work itself that such registration has occurred.

The requirements for electronic publications are that the work be registered in ZooBank before it is published. This is a recent change to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. The papers published in Zootaxa and Zookeys by International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (2012) explain how to do this, to make the new names available. Here is the web site for registration of your paper in ZooBank: http://zoobank.org/. We remind you that the data entered in ZooBank are your responsibility and we thank you making sure that the information provided is accurate and complete.


Materials and Methods

In this section, it should be provided concise but complete information about the materials and the analytical and statistical procedures used. This part should be as clear as possible to enable other scientists to repeat the research presented. Brand names should be supplied for all mentioned equipment, instruments, consumables etc.

Authors are responsible for verifying whether collection permit is necessary in the country from which their specimens originate, and for timely acquisition of such a permit. DNA sequences must be deposited in a public database (e.g., Genbank) and accession numbers should be provided in the manuscript.


Results

In this section it should be presented only the data which support the objective without any discussion of the results. Figures and tables are used to present the results, but information in figures and tables should not be duplicated in the text.


Discussion

In this section the results are discussed and interpreted in the context of the existing knowledge. It can be presented here the relationships and generalizations shown by the results. Information in the Introduction and Results sections should not be repeated here. Main conclusion of the study can be clearly given in the end of this section.


Authors’ contributions

All authors should make substantial, meaningful contributions to the manuscript. In the title page and main manuscript text, the authors must include a statement outlining their individual contributions to the manuscript by using the relevant CRediT roles (Brand et al., 2015; https://doi.org/10.1087/20150211). The necessary CRediT roles are: Conceptualization; Data curation; Formal analysis; Funding acquisition; Investigation; Methodology; Project administration; Resources; Software; Supervision; Validation; Visualization; Writing - Original draft; Writing - Review & Editing.

Authors must meet at least three of the criteria, please click here for details of the criteria. When there are multiple people serving in the same role, a degree of contribution may optionally be specified as ‘lead’, ‘equal’, or ‘supporting’.

An example of an authors’ contribution statement using CRediT roles with degree of contribution:

Author 1: Conceptualization, data curation, formal analysis (lead), visualization (supporting), writing - original draft (lead). Author 2: Investigation, formal analysis (supporting), methodology (equal), visualization (lead), software, writing - original draft (supporting). Author 3: Project administration, supervision, methodology (equal), writing - review & editing.

It is recommended that corresponding authors assume responsibility for role assignment, and that all contributors be given the opportunity to review and confirm assigned roles.

A contribution statement is not required for a manuscript with a single author.

All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in the section, ‘Acknowledgements’.


Statement of ethics approval

If the work involves the use of human subjects, the author(s) should ensure that the work described has been carried out in accordance with The Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki, 2013). The author(s) should include a statement in the manuscript that informed consent was obtained for experimentation with human subjects. The privacy rights of human subjects must always be observed. In addition, the manuscript must include the name of the ethics committee that approved the study and the committee’s reference number/ID.

For work involving data of minors/children/infants, author(s) should confirm that statements of written informed consent from legally authorized representatives/parents/guardians are available; if verbal informed consent was obtained, reasons for this must be mentioned.

If the work involves animal experiments, it should be carried out in accordance with the relevant national institute of health guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals and the author(s) should clearly state in the manuscript that such guidelines have been followed and also provide an approval number for the research protocol granted by an Animal Ethics Committee in accordance with international principles in this section.

If the manuscript does not report on or involve any human data or animal experiments, please state “Not applicable.” in this section.

If authors use AI tools for content generation, editing, coding and analytical assistance, this must be clearly stated in an appropriate section of the manuscript or in this section.



Funding

List here all funding details required by your funding and grant-awarding bodies. Names of funding organisations should be written in full.


Conflict of interest

The authors should declare whether they have conflict of interest or not.


Acknowledgements

It should be given in a separate section at the end of the manuscript before the references, and included them on the title page. It should be listed here those individuals who provided help during the research.


References

Citations should be arranged chronological and alphabetical within year. All references cited in the text must appear in the literature cited section, and all items in this section must be cited in the text. References should be arranged alphabetically. Citation of unpublished studies or reports is not permitted, i.e., a volume and page number must be available for serials and a publisher, city, state, and full pagination for books. Abstracts not subjected to peer review may not be cited in the text or in the literature cited section. Work may be cited as “in press” only when the paper has been accepted for publication. Personal communications do not appear in the literature-cited section.


Citation style in the text

One author

Fain (1998) or (Kontschán, 2020).


Two authors

Seeman and Baker (2013) or (Fan and Zhang, 2005).


Three and more authors

Lindquist et al. (2009) or (Khaustov et al., 2017).

(Grandjean, 1944; Düzgüneş, 1963; Khanjani, 2005; Keskin, 2016) Chronological.

(Ermilov, 2010, 2015; Bochkov and Oconnor, 2015) Chronological and alphabetical within the same year.

(Ueckermann et al., 2015a,b) As long as the first author and the year are the same, it should be used the letter designators to distinguish between publications.


Style of the literature cited section

Journal article, 1 author

Ewing, H.E. 1911. New predaceous and parasitic Acarina. Psyche, 18: 37-43.

doi: 10.1155/1911/234794


Journal article, 2 authors

Fan, Q.-H. and Ueckermann, E.A. 2016. Resurrection of the genus Nonocaligus Habeeb with redefination of Nonocaligus and Mullederia Wood (Acari: Stigmaeidae). Systematic and Applied Acarology, 21 (11): 1447-1449.

doi: 10.11158/saa.21.11.1


Journal article, 3 and more authors

Cakmak, I., Janssen, A., Sabelis, M.W. and Baspinar, H. 2009. Biological control of an acarine pest by single and multiple natural enemies. Biological Control, 50: 60-65.

doi: 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2009.02.006


Note that titles of serial publications must be written in full. DOI (if available) should be given. If there are more than 10 authors, then include names of the first 10, followed by et al.


Electronic resource

OConnor, B. and Klimov, P. 2012. Family Cheyletidae Leach, 1815. Available from http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/beemites/Species_Accounts/Cheyletidae.htm (Last accessed: 19 May 2018).


Book

Krantz, G.W. and Walter, D.E. 2009. A manual of acarology. Third edition. Texas Tech University Press, Lubbock, Texas, USA, 807 pp.


Book Chapter

Kethley, J. 1990. Acarina: Prostigmata (Actinedida). In: Soil biology guide. Dindal, D.L. (Ed.). John Wiley and Sons, New York, USA, 667-756.


Thesis

Le Goff, G. 2011. Benefits of aggregation in Tetranychus urticae. Unpublished PhD Dissertation. Earth and Life Institute, Biodiversity Research Centre, Faculty of Sciences, Catholic University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, 298 pp.


Congress

Sullivan, G.T and Ozman-Sullivan, S.K. 2018. Is a cataclysmic mass extinction of mite species occurring in the shadows of high profile insect and vertebrate extinctions? XV International Congress of Acarology, 2-8 September 2018, Antalya, Türkiye, p. 117.

Ethical Principles

Acarological Studies (AS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and expects all parties (authors, referees, editors and publisher) in the publishing process to bear the following ethical responsibilities.

In keeping with its commitment to best practices in academic publishing, AS strongly supports and adheres to the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publication adopted by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA) and World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). Acarological Studies utilises the process flow sheets developed by COPE in collaboration with Springer Nature when dealing with cases of fraudulent manipulation of the publication process.


Authors’ Responsibilities

The persons who participate in the design of studies, data collection or the analysis or interpretation of the data in a study, or meaningfully contribute to arrangement of the content, are described as authors. Only people who meet these criteria can be included in the list of authors of a paper.

Before you undertake any research you should familiarize yourself with the full meaning and application of ethics in research. There are numerous resources available, including the following link: https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics/whatis/index.cfm

In addition, authors should:

  • guarantee the accuracy and authenticity of the paper they submit.
  • all agree to its submission and that the corresponding author has been authorized by co-authors to submit on their behalf. It should be confirmed that neither the manuscript nor its main content have already been published in any language (including full-texts of papers presented at scientific meetings) or under consideration for publication elsewhere.
  • appropriately cite other authors or contributors or sources.
  • only use copyrighted materials such as data collection tools, questionnaires, interview forms, tables, graphics, figures, maps and photos after obtaining written permission or making a copyright agreement; however, use without obtaining permission is allowed if the source is clear; for example, authors can download and use a map if the source is written on the map.
  • verify whether a collection permit or receiving ethics committee approval is necessary in the country from which specimens originate, and allow for timely acquisition of such a permit.
  • always comply with the privacy rights of human participants; authors should include a statement in their manuscript that informed consent was obtained to conduct experiments with human participants.
  • deposit their molecular data in a public database (e.g., GenBank) and accession numbers should be provided in the manuscript.
  • respond promptly to editors’ requests for raw data, evidence of the accuracy of their data, ethical approval documents, informed consent forms and copyright permissions.
  • explain any financial relationship or conflict of interest that could potentially affect the findings or scientific conclusions of the study.
  • clearly report all funding details required by their funding and grant-awarding bodies.
  • not include people on the author list who provide help during the work such as writing, editing and technical assistance but who do not meet the criteria of authorship; they should be listed in the "Acknowledgments" section after obtaining their written permission.
  • not use information that they personally obtain (conversation, correspondence or interviews with third parties) without written permission from the source.
  • contact the editor as quickly as possible in order to withdraw the paper or correct as an erratum/errata when inaccurate information or scientific errors are found in the paper.
  • act in accordance with all details stated in the copyright release form.


AS utilises the process flow sheet prepared by COPE in situations potentially related to ethical problems. Please click here to access the flow sheet prepared by the committee.


Reviewers’ Responsibilities

After initial evaluation, the manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent, expert referees. If there are substantial inconsistencies between the referees, more reviewers are asked to review the manuscript. In every stage of the evaluation process, the double-blind peer review process, in which the names of the referees and the authors are not disclosed, is used.

Reviewers should:

  • immediately inform the editor whether they will review or decline to review when an invitation to review a manuscript is received.
  • inform the editor and withdraw from the review process if the content of the submitted manuscript is outside their own scientific field or knowledge, or if they cannot make their assessment in the stated period sassessment in duration of peer review process, or if there is any other reason that would disqualify them from being a reviewer.
  • have no conflicts of interest related to the study, the authors and/or the research funder.
  • act fairly and objectively and try to be constructive while maintaining scientific neutrality when evaluating manuscripts.
  • not make personal criticisms of the authors during the evaluation process.
  • make suggestions to the authors to improve the manuscript and to eliminate possible errors.
  • indicate important papers not cited in the text or references cited in the text but not in the reference list.
  • keep confidential all the information and ideas in the manuscript; they should not be shared with third parties, and not used for personal advantage. The confidentiality rule also covers people who decline to review.
  • inform to the editor if there are any ethical problems, plagiarism concerns or copyright infringements in the study.


Reviewers must follow COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers prepared by the COPE. Please click here to access the guidelines.


Editors’ Responsibilities

Editors should facilitate the sharing of scientific output with the target readership group by meeting the needs of both readers and the authors. In addition, they should record the opinions and ideas of authors, readers, reviewers and members of the editorial board to help improve journal processes. Editors should also adhere to the highest standards and best practices in academic publishing, and reconsider the journal’s processes in the light of new information and circumstances.

At AS, the chief editor has overall responsibility and the section editors appointed by the chief editor manage the peer review processes of the relevant manuscripts on behalf of the chief editor. The section editors are responsible for deciding whether manuscripts are published in the journal. The section editors should also provide feedback on the journal’s performance and have input to the selection of editorial board members.

Editors should:

  • have good knowledge of scientific English and publication ethics.
  • actively conduct scientific research.
  • have a broad knowledge of the science environment.
  • not have personal, economic or political connections that would affect in any way their duties and responsibilities.
  • carefully check the suitability of submitted manuscripts for the journal and conformity to the journal style for the manuscript.
  • carefully check manuscripts for scientific authenticity, originality and conformity to the journal’s ethical standards.
  • ensure that all information in submitted manuscripts is kept confidential until published.
  • impartially and independently manage the peer review process.
  • declare whether they have a conflict of interest or not, for example, when they are asked to manage the process of a manuscript submitted from their own institution.
  • not allow any activities that constitute conflict of interest or prejudice between the authors and the reviewers.
  • not make their publication decision entirely according to the reviewers’ suggestions; the editors should be aware that the reviewers are only advisers.
  • be aware that they have ethical responsibility for their publication decision.
  • not change their acceptance decision unless there is a serious problem with the manuscript, for example, when an ethics violation is detected.
  • not change editorial decisions given in the previous editorial period, unless there is a serious problem in the manuscript.
  • not hesitate to publish errata, amendments and declarations.
  • defend freedom of expression.
  • maintain ethical standards throughout all processes.


All editors are obliged to follow the guidelines in the Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors developed by COPE. In this combined version of the documents, the mandatory Code of Conduct for Journal Editors standards are shown in regular script and with numbered clauses, and the more aspirational ‘Best Practice’ recommendations are shown in italics. In addition, you can find a handbook, which is the main reference guide for editors, translated to Turkish (click here) with the support of Trakya University and TÜBİTAK – ULAKBİM, and distributed to the editors of scientific journals in Türkiye.


Publisher’s Responsibilities

The publisher:

  • provides all the necessary technical conditions for an online journal management system and helps ensure the maintenance of the journal’s standards.
  • ensures that the content on the publisher's page is accurate and up to date.
  • determines the fee policy.
  • appoints and authorizes the Chief Editor.
  • supports efforts to increase the journal’s international visibility.
  • ensures that the highest standards and the best practices in academic publishing are maintained.
  • provides the appropriate data for national and international indexes.
  • delivers permanent accessibility and the preservation of scientific works, and ensures digital archiving of publications by partnering with other organizations.


Readers’ Responsibilities

AS expects readers to bear the following responsibilities, even if they are not in the publishing process.

Readers:

  • must refrain from any action that would infringe the copyrights of published papers.
  • are encouraged to provide feedback to the journal regarding potential improvements in all aspects of journal performance.
  • should notify the Chief Editor (acarolstud@gmail.com) in cases where published papers are suspected of ethical misconduct, contain factual errors, or include significant typographical or spelling errors.
  • are encouraged to share or disseminate published content responsibly, ensuring the integrity and proper attribution of the original work.
  • are welcome to suggest new topics, special issues, or ideas that could enhance the scientific scope and outreach of the journal.


Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy

The primary purpose of the policy on the use artificial intelligence (AI) tools in academic processes is to preserve scientific accuracy, transparency and research ethics. This policy requires all stakeholders to use AI technologies exclusively in accordance with these principles and to disclose their use of such tools clearly when necessary.

Acarological Studies (AS) takes an ethical and responsible approach to the use of AI, placing human-centred values at the forefront. AS complies with the international standards of organisations such as The Council of Higher Education (YÖK), the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Wiley and Springer Nature regarding the use of AI in research and publishing processes. AS stays up to date with the rapid developments in AI technologies and reserves the right to update its policies as necessary.

The following sections outline the responsibilities and principles relating to the use of AI for different roles.


For Authors

Use of AI-Generated Data or Visuals

AI-based translation tools may be used only for support. It is incumbent upon the authors to ensure the accuracy of the produced text and to verify its final version. Tables and analytical outputs generated by AI may be used provided they are not presented directly as real data. The publication of videos and images, including figures and micrographs, generated by AI is not permitted, except for those specifically used in a paper related to AI. The use of fabricated or synthetic data generated by AI or other means in the production of scientific results is strictly prohibited.

Authors’ Responsibility for Scientific Content and Accuracy

Content produced by AI tools may contain factual inaccuracies, fabricated references or erroneous data. Therefore, it is fully the authors’ responsibility to verify all AI-generated outputs, correct them when necessary and confirm their scientific appropriateness. AI-assisted content generation cannot replace scientific evaluation or scientific judgement.

Confidentiality and Personal Data Security

Authors should not upload confidential data, personal information and private data from human subjects or unpublished research results to general-purpose online AI models. When such content must be processed, only institution-approved, secured and closed AI systems can be used.

Plagiarism and Originality Responsibility

Any texts created by AI must be checked for plagiarism. Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality, proper attribution and ethical use of AI-assisted content. AI outputs may not be directly copied into a manuscript. The author must review them and make any necessary changes to ensure they fit with the scientific framework.

AI Systems Not Listed in Authors

AI tools cannot be listed as authors on a manuscript. All scientific content, evaluations and conclusions in the manuscript are the responsibility of the human authors. Because AI-generated content does not meet international authorship criteria, AI tools can’t be authors.

Disclosure of AI Use

If authors use AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Gemini) for content generation, editing, coding and analytical assistance, this must be clearly stated in an appropriate section of the manuscript (e.g., Methods) or in the section of ethics statement. The statement must include the tool name, version, purpose of use and usage rate. Disclosure is not required when AI tools are used solely for translation, simple language editing or cross-reference checking.


For Reviewers

Protection of Confidential Materials

Reviewers should not upload the manuscript under review —or any supplementary files, figures, tables, datasets or other confidential materials— to any AI system. This restriction applies to online large language models, cloud-based analytical tools and any platform that transmits content to external servers. In accordance with author confidentiality and double-blind review principles, no information obtained during peer review can be transferred to AI models.

Limited Use of AI When Preparing Review Reports

Reviewers can use AI tools solely to improve the linguistic clarity of the review report text that they themselves have written. AI tools cannot be used for scientific assessment, data interpretation or decision-making. Academic evaluations must rely entirely on the reviewer’s expertise.

Responsibility for Review Report Content

Suggestions generated by AI tools should not be accepted automatically; they must be checked and verified by the reviewer. Reviewers are responsible for the content, scientific accuracy and appropriateness of their reports. AI systems can’t replace the reviewer’s expert judgement.

Disclosure of AI Use in Review Reports

If a reviewer uses AI tools when preparing a review report, this should be disclosed to the editor when necessary.

Journal’s Right to Audit

If improper AI use is suspected in a review report, AS reserves the right to investigate, invalidate the report, appoint a new reviewer or request further clarification. These measures aim to ensure transparency and uphold ethical standards in the editorial process.


For Editors

Permissible Uses of AI Tools

Editors may use AI tools for mechanical tasks such as checking the suitability of manuscripts, reviewing formatting, conducting preliminary linguistic screening and drafting cover letters. However, scientific decisions such as desk rejection, returning manuscripts to authors, requesting revisions or acceptance/rejection decisions must rely solely on the editor’s academic judgement.

Insights produced through AI-assisted evaluations (e.g., potential plagiarism and linguistic issues) are only preliminary indicators. They cannot be used directly in decision-making without editor verification. AI tools are assistive in nature and cannot replace editorial expertise.

Data Storage and Confidentiality

When using AI, editors should adhere to the principles of transparency, accountability, and human oversight. Confidential editorial files, unpublished data and reviewer reports should not be uploaded to AI systems. Editors must ensure that any AI platform they use does not use uploaded information for training model or for third-party purposes. All systems must operate solely in accordance with confidentiality agreements and in non-training (closed) modes.


For Readers

Critical Evaluation

Readers should be aware that although AI-based analyses in scientific manuscripts have passed through editorial and peer review filters, it is still important to evaluate the results critically. AS may request disclosure statements from authors regarding AI contributions when necessary. Readers should be aware that AI may be used for formatting, statistical summarization or content refinement, but scientific data, interpretations and conclusions are solely the authors’ responsibility.

Respect for Confidentiality and Copyright

Readers should avoid uploading published papers or datasets in bulk to AI tools for reprocessing, as such actions may violate copyright and confidentiality. Before using published content for model training or commercial data generation, users must consider applicable licensing terms.


For Data Repositories and Libraries

AI-Assisted Metadata and Archival Processing
Data repositories and libraries can use AI tools for tasks such as metadata verification, content classification and archival processing. However, confidential or unpublished materials, as well as user-specific private data cannot be used for AI model training.

Institutional archives and libraries should offer licensing options to prevent papers, datasets or other uploaded materials from being used automatically in AI model training. All AI-based operations and outputs must be subject to human oversight and must not be finalized without human approval.

AI in the Context of Licensing and Copyright

Libraries must clearly and transparently communicate in their policy documents the legal boundaries of AI tools regarding access to licensed resources, text and data mining, bulk data extraction and commercial uses.

Responsible Use of AI-Based Search Engines

When providing AI-based search services, libraries must offer transparent information regarding the model’s training sources, data privacy safeguards, content filtering (e.g., risks of generating inaccurate or fabricated information —hallucinations) and reliability scoring.


Publication Policy

Acarological Studies (AS) is a peer-reviewed, international scientific journal that publishes and promotes research in acarology worldwide. It is a fully open access journal, published continuously by DergiPark for the “Turkish Academic Network and Information Center (ULAKBİM)”, a unit of “The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK)”. DergiPark provides online hosting services and an editorial workflow management system for academic journals published in Türkiye. The DergiPark project, undertaken by TÜBİTAK – ULAKBİM, is a public service in Türkiye whose mission is the web-based publication of academic journals and the operation of an online journal management system.

All manuscripts submitted for publication in AS will be pre-reviewed by the editor. Manuscripts that fall outside the aims and scope of the journal, are inadequate in terms of language and writing, not original or not sufficient for the requirements of a scientific study, will be rejected or may have revisions requested at this initial stage.

After initial evaluation, the manuscript will be double blind, peer reviewed by at least two independent, expert referees. If there are inconsistencies between the referees, more reviewers will be asked to review the manuscript. The editor will decide on the acceptance or rejection of the manuscript according to the reports of these referees. However, a manuscript may be rejected without external review by the editor if it is considered unacceptable, for example, a manuscript will be rejected without peer review if it does not comply with the instructions for authors or if it is beyond the scope of the journal.

AS uses a plagiarism checker to detect potential plagiarism in the manuscript. If the editor, editorial board member or reviewer detects plagiarism at any stage of the evaluation process, the corresponding author will be immediately notified that the manuscript has been refused. AS utilises the process flow sheets developed by COPE when dealing with cases of potential plagiarism in a submitted manuscript or a published article.

There is almost always similarity between published papers and a new manuscript that cites them but the similarity has to be limited and the works have to be correctly referenced.

The names and e-mail addresses entered in the journal system DergiPark will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party. Responsibility for technical content and for protection of proprietary material rests solely with the author(s) and their organizations and is not the responsibility of the publisher, the journal or its editorial staff.

AS provides full open access to its publications according to the principle that providing scientific research to the public free of charge increases global information sharing. There is no publication fee in AS. The journal does not charge authors any fee for submitting, processing or open access publishing. All published papers in AS are freely available online.

Acarological Studies provides full open access to its publications according to the principle that providing scientific research to the public free of charge increases global information sharing. There is no publication fee in Acarological Studies. The journal does not charge authors any fee for submitting, processing or open access publishing. All papers published in Acarological Studies are freely available online.

Citation Indexes

TR Dizin

Baş Editör

Salih DOĞAN
Biological Sciences, Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Acarology, Conservation and Biodiversity, Biology Education

Yardımcı Editör

Adem KESKİN
Host-Parasite Interactions, Acarology, Entomology, Parasitology

Alan Editörleri

Mohamed W. NEGM
Acarology in Agriculture, Entomology in Agriculture
Edward A. UECKERMANN
Acarology in Agriculture
İsmail DÖKER
Acarology in Agriculture
Sebahat K. OZMAN-SULLİVAN
Acarology in Agriculture
Jenő KONTSCHáN
Acarology in Agriculture, Veterinary Parasitology
İbrahim ÇAKMAK
Acarology in Agriculture
Kosta Y. MUMCUOĞLU
Acarology, Medical Parasitology
Fabio Akashi HERNANDES
Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences, Acarology in Agriculture

İstatistik Editörü

Kürşad ÖZKAN
Forest Biodiversity, Forestry Biomass and Bioproducts, Forest Ecosystems, Forestry Sciences (Other)

Dil Editörü

Gregory SULLİVAN
Acarology in Agriculture

Mizanpaj ve Dizgi Editörleri

Naci BAYRAK
Acarology, Education, Instructional Technologies, Science and Mathematics Education, Biology Education
Abdulkadir TAŞDEMİR
Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Acarology, Animal Physiology-Ecophysiology, Neurosciences, Medical Physiology
Gökhan EREN
Host-Parasite Interactions, Acarology, Parasitology, Medical Parasitology, Veterinary Parasitology

Sosyal & Medya Editörü

Sedat PER
Biological Sciences, Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Acarology, Animal Physiology-Ecophysiology

Yayın Kurulu

Mohammad BAGHERİ
Acarology in Agriculture
Yunus ESEN
Acarology
Sultan ÇOBANOĞLU
Nematology, Acarology in Agriculture, Entomology in Agriculture, Forest Entomology and Forest Protection, Agroforestry
Yunus Ömer BOYACI
Hydrobiology, Freshwater Ecology, Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Acarology, Aquaculture and Fisheries
Fahad Jaber ALATAWİ
Acarology, Entomology in Agriculture, Plant Protection (Other)
Nusret AYYILDIZ
Biological Sciences, Terrestrial Ecology, Acarology, Invertebrate Biology
Orhan ERMAN
Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Acarology
Sergio BERMUDEZ CASTİLLERO
Acarology, Entomology
Serge KREİTER
Population Ecology, Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Oenology and Viticulture, Acarology in Agriculture, Plant Protection (Other), Organic Agriculture
Sergey ERMİLOV
Acarology
Rana AKYAZI
Acarology
Philippe AUGER
Acarology
Samuel J. BOLTON
Acarology in Agriculture
Mohammad KHANJANİ
Acarology in Agriculture
Joanna MąKOL
Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Acarology, Conservation and Biodiversity
André HENRİ M.
Acarology
Joanna IZDEBSKA
Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Host-Parasite Interactions, Acarology
Farid FARAJİ
Acarology
Omid JOHARCHİ
Acarology, Entomology
Tetsuo GOTOH
Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences
Cengiz KAZAK
Pesticides and Toxicology, Acarology in Agriculture
Hasan Hüseyin ÖZBEK
Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Acarology
Kamil KOÇ
Ecology, Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Acarology, Entomology
Alexandr Alexandrovich KHAUSTOV
Acarology
Alireza SABOORI
Acarology, Acarology in Agriculture
Erhan ZEYTUN
Biological Sciences, Ecology, Acarology, Parasitology
Antonella Dİ PALMA
Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Acarology, Conservation and Biodiversity, Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences, Acarology in Agriculture
Sevgi SEVSAY
Biological Sciences, Acarology
Vladimir PESİC
Biological Sciences, Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Acarology
Maciej SKORACKİ
Acarology, Conservation and Biodiversity
Mohamed W. NEGM
Acarology in Agriculture
Dejan MARčİć
Acarology in Agriculture
Jaime MAYORAL
Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Acarology, Entomology
Owen SEEMAN
Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Acarology
Peter SCHAUSBERGER
Behavioural Ecology, Acarology, Entomology
Muhlis ÖZKAN
Acarology
Raşit URHAN
Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Acarology
María MORAZA
Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Acarology
Maria PAPPAS
Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences, Acarology in Agriculture
Zhi-qiang ZHANG
Population Ecology
Fabio Akashi HERNANDES
Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences, Acarology in Agriculture
Mustafa AKYOL
Acarology
Sedat PER
Biological Sciences, Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Acarology, Animal Physiology-Ecophysiology
İsmail KASAP
Entomology in Agriculture
Furkan DURUCAN
Biological Sciences, Ecology, Hydrobiology, Acarology
Peterson R. DEMİTE
Acarology, Biodiscovery
Antonio Carlos LOFEGO
Acarology, Forest Biodiversity
Maka MURVANİDZE
Acarology, Entomology
Minodora MANU
Acarology

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Acarological Studies is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International.

International Scientific Research Journal on Acarology