Zercon semizi Urhan, Duran and Karaca, 2021

Urhan, Raşit, Duran, Elif Hilal & Karaca, Mehmet, 2021, Three new species of Zercon C. L. Koch (Acari: Zerconidae) from the Coastal Aegean Section of Turkey, Journal of Natural History 54 (35 - 36), pp. 2323-2341 : 2333-2338

Zercon semizi Urhan, Duran and Karaca sp. nov.

( Figure 6 (a–d), 7(a–b))

Examined materials

Holotype (female), litter samples under kermes oak ( Quercus coccifera ), 37.662°N, 28.304°E, 373 m, vicinity of county town, Bozdoğan county , Aydın province, 7 April 2019 . Paratypes:

separatus Urhan, 2001 , Z. serratus Urhan, 1999 and Z. solenites HaarlØv, 1942 .

12 females, 10 males, 7 deutonymphs and 3 protonymphs, same locality as holotype; 28 females, 16 males, 2 deutonymphs and 1 protonymph, litter and moss samples under kermes oak ( Quercus coccifera ) and Turkish pine ( Pinus brutia ), 37.660°N, 28.310°E, 400 m, vicinity of Cumhuriyet neighbourhood, Bozdoğan county, Aydın province, 7 April 2019; 19 females and 7 males, litter samples under kermes oak ( Quercus coccifera ), 37.632°N, 28.316°E, 798 m, vicinity of Altıntaş and Kamışlar neighbourhoods, Bozdoğan county , Aydın province, 7 April 2019 .

Diagnosis

Anterior margin of ventrianal shield with 2 pairs of setae. Setae r1–6 finely barbed with hyaline endings, other podonotal setae finely barbed without hyaline endings in various lengths. Setae R1–7 finely barbed with hyaline endings, Z5 finely barbed without hyaline endings. Seta S3 absent. Other opisthonotal setae barbed and considerably broadened, terminally flattened with hyaline endings in various lengths. Pores Po2 located between setae Z2 and S2, Po3 lying on the line connecting setae J4 and Z4, closer to Z4. Dorsal cavities well developed. Podonotum covered by reticulate pattern, opisthonotum covered with tile-like pattern in anterior region and punctate pattern in posterior region.

Descriptions

Female. Idiosoma ( Figure 6 (a)). Length and width in holotype 483 μm and 311 μm, respectively. Measurement of 10 paratypes; length 467–480 μm, width 300–312 μm. Shapes of idiosomal setae, pores and shields are illustrated in Figure 6 (a). Dorsal cavities are apparent, same size, well scletorized with undulate anterior margin.

Dorsum. ( Figure 6 (a)) 20 pairs of setae present on podonotum: j series with 6 pairs, z series with 2 pairs, s series with 6 pairs and r series with 6 pairs. Seta j1 elongated, finely barbed without hyaline ending. Setae j2–j6, z1–z2 and s1–s6 short and finely barbed without hyaline endings. Setae r1–r6 finely barbed with hyaline endings. 21 pairs of setae present on opisthonotum: J series with 6 pairs, Z series with 5 pairs, S series with 3 pairs and R series with 7 pairs. Setae J1–J6, Z1–Z4, S1–S2 and S4 barbed and considerably broadened, almost from insertion, and terminally flattened with a hyaline ending. Seta Z5 finely barbed without hyaline ending. Marginal R setae (R1– R7) finely barbed with hyaline endings. Seta S3 absent. None of the opisthonotal setae reach insertions of next setae in related rows, except seta Z3. Only seta S4 reaching beyond opisthonotum. The interval between setae J6 and J6 is 97–105 μm, and setae Z5 and J6 are 30–34 μm apart.

Pores. ( Figure 6 (a)) Pores po1 are located on the line connecting setae j4–s1, closer to s1. Pores po2 are located above the line connecting setae j4–s4, closer to s4. Pores po3 are located on the line connecting setae z2–s5, closer to s5. Pores Po1 are located anteroantiaxially to the insertion of setae Z1. Pores Po2 are located on the line connecting setae Z2– S2. Pores Po3 are located on the line connecting setae J4 and Z4, closer to Z4. Pores Po4 are located below seta S4.

Venter. ( Figure 6 (b)) Chaetotaxy, poroidotaxy and shapes of sternal, peritremal, genital and ventroanal shields are characteristic for Zercon species. On peritremal shield, seta p1 short, smooth and needle-like, seta p2 elongated, finely barbed and without hyaline ending. Anterior margin of ventroanal shield with 4 setae. Adgenital shields present with 3 opening valves. All of setae on ventroanal shield are short, smooth and needle-like.

Male. ( Figure 6 (c–d)) Length of idiosoma in 10 paratypes 332–374 μm, width 192– 225 μm. Chaetotaxy of idiosomal setae, location of pores on idiosoma and ornamentation of dorsal shields as in females. The interval between setae J6 and J6 is 78–92 μm, and setae Z5 and J6 are 16–23 μm apart.

Deutonymph. ( Figure 7 (a)) Length of idiosoma in 9 paratypes 330–408 μm, width 202–243 μm. On podonotum, setae j1–j4 and s2–s3 finely barbed without hyaline endings. Setae j5–j6, z1–z2, s1, r1–r2 and r4 short, smooth and needle-like. Setae s4– s6, r3 and r5–r6 finely barbed with hyaline endings. Opisthonotal setae J1–J5, Z1 and R3 – R7 short, smooth and needle-like . Setae J6, Z3–Z5, S1–S2 and S4 apically finely barbed with hyaline endings. Setae Z2 and R1 – R2 finely barbed without hyaline endings . The interval between setae J6 and J6 is 79–92 μm, and setae Z5 and J6 are 15–20 μm apart.

Protonymph. ( Figure 7 (b)) Length of idiosoma in 4 paratypes 290–302 μm, width 180–198 μm. Podonotal setae j1 finely barbed without hyaline ending. Setae s4–s6, r3 and r6 finely barbed with hyaline endings. Remaining podonotal setae smooth and needle-like. Setae j5, s1, s3, r1–r2 and r4 invisible. Opisthonotal setae J1–J5, Z1– Z2, Z5 and R1 short, smooth and needle-like. Remaining setae in R series invisible. Setae J6, Z3 –Z4, S1–S2 and S4 apically finely barbed with hyaline endings. The interval between setae J6 and J6 is 65–69 μm, and setae Z5 and J6 are 15–17 μm apart.

Etymology

The name of the new species is dedicated in honour of the ecologist Prof. Dr. Gürkan Semiz (Pamukkale University, Turkey).

Mean lengths and ranges of opisthonotal setae are given in Table 5 for female, male, deutonymph and protonymph specimens. Zercon semizi sp. nov. is quite similar to Z. mehmeturhani Urhan, 2009 , Z. primus KoŠir, 1974 and Z. secundus Błaszak, 1979 . The distinctive morphological features of these four species are shown in Table 6. Comparisons are based on published descriptions and illustrations, not on the direct examination of specimens.

of Zercon semizi sp. nov. (Abbreviations: F: female, M: male, DN: deutonymph, PN: protonymph).

Figures

Figure 6. Drawings of adult specimens of Zercon semizi sp. nov. (a) Dorsal view of female; (b) ventral view of female; (c) dorsal view of male; (d) ventral view of male. Scale bars: 100 µm.

Figure 7. Drawings of nymph specimens of Zercon semizi sp. nov. (a) Dorsal view of deutonymph; (b) dorsal view of protonymph. Scale bar: 100 µm.