Prozercon didimensis, Keçeci & Urhan & Karaca, 2021

Keçeci, Büşra, Urhan, Raşit & Karaca, Mehmet, 2021, Mites of the genus Prozercon (Acari: Zerconidae) in Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park (Turkey), with description of a new species, Acarological Studies 3 (1), pp. 37-42 : 38

Prozercon didimensis sp. nov. ( Figures 1-2 )

Zoobank: http://zoobank.org/ 8395C5CC-80D5-4BDE-8D8C-C51DE33169E2

Type material. Holotype (female), soil and litter samples under strawberry tree ( Arbutus sp. ), 37°29.664' N, 27°20.381' E, 85 m a.s.l., vicinity of Söke- Milas road, fork of Didim road, Aydın Province, 8 April 2020 . Paratypes: 6 females, same data as holotype ; 5 females, soil and litter samples under olive tree ( Olea europaea ), same data as holotype .

Diagnosis. Anterior margin of ventrianal shield with two pairs of setae. All podonotal setae finely barbed (except seta j5). Seta j5 short, smooth and needle-like. All opisthonotal setae finely barbed in various lengths, marginal setae shorter than others. Pores gdS2 located between setae Z2 and S2, gdZ3 located between setae J4 and Z4, closer to Z4. Dorsal cavities weakly developed. Podonotum covered with tile-like and reticulate pattern, opisthonotum covered by irregular punctate pattern.

Female ( Figs 1–2 ). Length (without gnathosoma) and width in holotype 305 and 232, respectively. Measurements of 11 paratypes: length 296–315, width 224–247. Dorsal fossae indistint and weakly sclerotized.

Dorsal side. ( Fig. 1 ). Twenty pairs of setae present on podonotum: setae in j series with six pairs, z series with five pairs, s series with six pairs and r series with three pairs. All of them finely or densely plumose (except seta j5). Setae j1 and s3 markedly elongated, densely plumose and brush-like. Seta j5 short, smooth and needle-like. Setae j2, s1 and z2 shorter than other podonotal setae. Remaining podonotal setae approximately as the same length. Except seta s3, all marginal setae in r series situated as parallel to lateral margin of podonotum. Twenty one pairs of setae present on opisthonotum: setae in J series with five pairs, Z series with five pairs, S series with five pairs and R series with six pairs. All of them finely or densely plumose. In J series, only seta J5 reaching base of following seta. Seta Z5 unilateral plumose in contrary of other setae in J series, situated as parallel to posterior margin of opisthonotum. None of setae in Z series reaching the base of following seta. Seta JV5 similar to Z5. None of setae in S series reaching the base of following seta. All setae in S series situated as parallel to lateral margin of opisthonotum. Seta S2 not reaching lateral margin of opisthonotum, seta S3 reaching lateral margin of opisthonotum, but setae S4 and S5 reaching beyond of opisthonotum. All marginal setae (S1 + R 1– R 6) situated as parallel to lateral margin of opisthonotum. The interval between setae Z5 and JV5 21–24. Length of the opisthonotal setae and distance between setal bases within longitudinal J, Z and S rows are given in Table 1 for female specimens of P. didimensis sp. nov.

Pores. ( Fig. 1 ). On podonotum, pores gds1 located on the line connecting setae j3–s1, closer to s1. Pores gdj4 located on the line connecting setae j4–z4, closer to z4. Pores gds4 located on the line connecting setae s4–s5, closer to s5. On opisthonotum, pores gdZ1 located above the base of setae Z1. Pores gdS2 located on the line connecting setae Z2–S2. Pores gdZ3 located on the line connecting setae J4–Z4, closer to Z4. Pores gdS5 located closer to base of setae S5.

Ventral side. ( Fig. 2 ). Chaetotaxy and shape of the peritrematal shields normal for the genus Prozercon . Posterolateral tips of peritrematal shield reaching the level of setae R 2– R 3. Peritrematal shield with two pairs of setae (r1 and r3), both short, smooth and needle-like. Peritremes similar to reverse comma. Sternal shield with three pairs of setae (st1–3), genital shield with one seta (st5), and one seta (st4) present between sternal and epigynal shield, all of them short, smooth and needle-like. Glands gv2 absent between posterior section of genital shield and anterior section of ventrianal shield. Ventrianal shield with eight pairs of setae (JV1–JV3, ZV2–ZV4, JV4 and Ad) and one single postanal seta (Pa), all short, smooth and needle-like. Postanal seta as the longest on the ventrianal shield. Anterior margin of ventrianal shield with two setae (JV1).

Male and immature stages. Not found.

Etymology. The specific epithet ‘ didimensis ’ refers to the Didim County (Aydın Province) where the new species was collected.

Remarks. Prozercon didimensis sp. nov. is quite similar to P. banazensis Urhan, Karaca and Duran, 2015 , P. erdogani Urhan, 2010 and P. martae Ujvári, 2010 . The distinctive morphological features of these four species were given in Table 2 .

Figures

Figures 1–2. Prozercon didimensis sp. nov. (female) 1. Dorsal view, 2. Ventral views. Abbreviations: (r1 and r3) peritremal setae, (Pr) peritreme, (Pes) peritremal shield, (Ts) tritosternum, (C I–C IV) endopodal shields, (st1–5) sternal setae, (Ges) genital shield, (Vas) ventrianal shield, (JV1– JV3, ZV2–ZV4 and JV4) ventrianal setae, (Ad) adanal setae and (Pa) postanal seta. Scale bar 100.