Berzercon Seeman & Baker

Seeman, Owen D. & Baker, Michelle R., 2013, A new genus and species of Discozerconidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) from carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in New Zealand, Zootaxa 3750 (2), pp. 130-142 : 131

Berzercon Seeman & Baker gen. nov.

Diagnosis. Male and female: Dorsal setae minute; marginal setae r2 – R2 long; numerous shorter blade-like marginal setae fringing posterior margin between R2 – R2. Presternal shield unpaired. Sternal shield fused with endopodal shield, bearing setae st1 – 4. Ventrianal shield long, thin, bearing one pair of ventral setae, postanal seta, and para-anal setae; ventrianal shield flanked by broad rectangular shield; metapodal shields fused in their anterolateral corner with peritrematal shield. Gnathosoma with strong corniculi; gnathotectum tripartite, with weak keel; palp tibia and tarsus fused; palp femur with lateral finely porose area. Moveable digit of chelicera with one simple excrescence; chelicerae with lateral membranous process. Pretarsi I–IV without claws; tarsi I–IV with apical flanges. Female: genital shield dome-shaped, reaching almost to anterior margin of sternal shield, with lateral sclerotised margin and medial spatulate process; genital opening not apparent; hypostomal seta h1 thick. Male: genital opening at anterior margin of sternal shield; hypostomal seta h1 highly modified.

Etymology. The genus name is constructed to sound like berserk, derived from Old Norse (ber -bear; serkr - coat), and in English meaning wild, frenzied and crazy. The suffix – zercon is commonly used in the Mesostigmata , especially Heterozerconina. Here, the genus name is meant to reflect the exceptional appearance of this beautiful mite.

Remarks. The new genus has several characteristics not present in other Discozerconidae : the long marginal setae, a tripartite gnathotectum, a fused palp tibia and tarsus, the arrangement of ventral shields and the male’s highly modified seta h1. It does, however, share some characteristics with Discozercon : the long, thin ventrianal shield; the bare shields flanking the ventrianal shield (posterior to the suckers); unmodified male chelicerae; and the anteriorly-positioned female genital shield. These characters suggest a closer relationship to Discozercon than Discomegistus , with which Berzercon shares the fusion of the endopodal shields with the sternogenital shield only.