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A vast number of tropical and subtropical mites belong to the family Tarsonemidae Canestrini & Fanzago, 1877, with the tribe Tarsoenmini under subfamily Tarsoneminae having the most diverse assemblage. In order to better understand the distribution, community structure, and host specificity of these mites, it is important to investigate the Tarsonemini mite fauna of India, particularly in the highly biodiverse state of West Bengal. A total of 1154 mite specimens were obtained from 69 distinct plant species belonging to 44 families and distributed over six agroclimatic zones in West Bengal. The mites were classified into 8 distinct genera and 38 morphospecies. We developed bipartite trophic networks for Tarsonemini mites for the first time to show how these different communities of these mites are associated to various host plant species in six different agroclimatic zones. Different network descriptors such as Connectance, H2, Niche Overlap and Robustness were calculated from the mite-plant networks of six agroclimatic zones. Northern Hill Zone had the highest diversity followed by New Alluvial and Teesta-Terai Zone whereas, Red Laterite Zone had the least diversity of mite species. More than 70% Tarsonemini mites were found as generalist plant inhabitants which is consistent with their epiphytotic microbivorous feeding strategy.

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The readiness for self-directed learning among the students and its role in improving life-long learning skills has been emphasized recently. The present descriptive study aimed at analyzing the self-directed learning skills possessed by the students of agriculture at Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran (N= 414). As far as methodological design is concerned, the study has utilized Krejcie and Morgan’s (1970) table, and stratified random sampling technique, through which 201 students were selected as sample (n= 201). From this, 193 students filled and returned the research instrument (Return rate= 96%). A set of open ended questionnaires was developed, which was considered to be the main tool for the collection of required data. This prepared questionnaire was validated by a panel of experts of agricultural extension and education, subsequently; its reliability was also checked and confirmed by Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient (0.78-0.83). The results showed that the students could perceive the range of ‘moderate to high’ for all dimensions underlying self-directed learning skills. Based upon another part of results, the students with different educational levels, majors and grade point averages had different self-directed learning skills. It can be concluded that readiness for self-directed learning is a crucial factor for all students and should be taken into consideration in education planning with regard to each field. It is necessary to state that the educational system seeks to develop such skills to promote self-management, self-monitoring, and self-motivating as well as SDL skills among the students.