Amheterozercon Fain 1989

Klompen, Hans & Gerdeman, Beverly S., 2023, Genus-level revision of the Heterozerconoidea (Parasitiformes: Mesostigmata), Zootaxa 5322 (1), pp. 1-66 : 26

Amheterozercon Fain 1989

Amheterozercon Fain 1989: 147

[type species: Heterozercon oudemansi Finnegan 1931 , by original designation].

Zeterohercon Flechtmann & Johnston 1990: 143

(type species Heterozercon oudemansi Finnegan 1931 , by original designation) [objective synonym of Amheterozercon Fain 1989 by Lindquist et al. 2009b].

Diagnosis. Spermatodactyl of male of flaccid type (7); axial outgrowth of palp trochanter in female distinct and sclerotized (8); apodemes extending from opisthosomal suckers in adults with distinct knobs (64); genitiventral and anal shields in male fused, line of fusion invisible (66); setae S 5 in the male very long (75); marginal opisthosomal setae peg-like spines (78, shared with male Ecuazercon ); setae pl1 on tarsi II spine-like (111, shared with Ecuazercon , Heterozercon , Maracazercon ); all remaining setae on legs II of male setiform.

Remarks. Of the characters listed in Fain’s (1989) diagnosis, only the transformation of 19–26 unidentified supernumerary setae on the margin of the opisthosoma to medium-long peg-like setae may be derived for this genus (character 78 in the current analysis). Both Amheterozercon Fain and Zeterohercon Flechtmann & Johnston were described with Heterozercon oudemansi as their type species, making Zeterohercon an objective synonym of Amheterozercon .

Flechtmann & Johnston (1990) noted the presence of a spermatheca inside some females. Based on that observation they assumed the presence of secondary genital openings even though they could not find such openings. In the current study we have not been able to find secondary genital openings in the females either.

In terms of host associations, species of Amheterozercon are unique among Heterozerconoidea by their association with snakes and amphisbaenids. A similar transition from millipedes (elongate heavily sclerotized organisms) to snakes and lizards (similar body shape) has been proposed in Paramegistidae ( Klompen & Austin 2007) .