Zercon izmirensis 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 : 2325-2328

Zercon izmirensis Urhan, Duran and Karaca sp. nov.

( Figures 2 (a–d), 3(a–b))

Examined materials

Holotype (female), litter and moss samples under kermes oak ( Quercus coccifera ) and rockrose ( Cistus sp. ), 38.316°N, 27.023°E, 884 m, vicinity of Kavacık and Tırazlı villages,Karabağlar county, İzmir province, 29 April 2019. Paratypes: 8 females, 11 males, 2 deutonymphs and 1 protonymph, same locality as holotype. 1 female, litter samples under kermes oak ( Quercus coccifera ), 38.145°N, 27.291°E, 317 m, vicinity of Karakuyu village, Menderes county, İzmir province, 25 February 2019. 6 females, 16 males and 8 deutonymphs, litter and moss samples under kermes oak ( Quercus coccifera ), black pine ( Pinus nigra ) and oleaster-leafed pear ( Pyrus elaeagrifolia ), 38.324°N, 27.006°E, 893 m, vicinity of Kavacık and Tırazlı villages, Karabağlar county, İzmir province, 29 April 2019.

Diagnosis

Anterior margin of ventrianal shield with 2 pairs of setae. Setae j1 and r1–6 finely barbed, other podonotal setae smooth. Setae J1–3 and Z1–2 smooth. Setae Z5, S1 and R1–7 finely barbed. Other opisthonotal setae elongated, apically finely barbed 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 2 (a)). Length and width in holotype 442 μm and 316 μm, respectively. Measurement of 10 paratypes; length 441–416 μm, width 284–312 μm. Shapes of idiosomal setae, pores and shields are illustrated in Figure 2 (a). Dorsal cavities are apparent, same size, considerably large and well sclerotised.

Dorsum. ( Figure 2 (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. Setae j1 and r1–r6 finely barbed. Remaining podonotal setae short, smooth and needle-like. 22 pairs of setae present on opisthonotum: J series with 6 pairs, Z series with 5 pairs, S series with 4 pairs and R series with 7 pairs. Setae J1–J3 and Z1–Z2 smooth and needle-like. Setae J4–J6, Z3–Z4 and S2–S4 elongated, apically finely barbed with hyaline endings. Setae Z5, S1 and R1–R7 have same length and appearance, all of them finely barbed without hyaline endings. Seta J4 reaching beyond insertion of seta J5, but seta J5 reaching insertion of seta J6. Setae Z3 and Z4 reaching insertions of next setae. None of setae in S series reaching insertions of next setae, seta S2 reaching margin of opisthonotum, but setae S3 and S4 reaching beyond opisthonotum. The interval between setae J6 and J6 is 103–110 μm, and setae Z5 and J6 are 19–22 μm apart.

Pores. ( Figure 2 (a)) Pores po1 are located on the line connecting setae j4–s1, closer to s1. Pores po2 are located on the line connecting setae j5–s4, closer to s4. Pores po3 are located on the line connecting setae z2–s5, closer to s5. Pores Po1 are located anteroparaxially to insertion of setae Z1. Pores Po2 are located outside 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 on the line connecting setae Z5–S4, closer to S4.

Venter. ( Figure 2 (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 setae on ventroanal shield are short, smooth and needle-like.

Male. ( Figure 2 (c–d)) Length of idiosoma in 10 paratypes 329–346 μm, width 218– 236 μm. Chaetotaxy of idiosomal setae, location of pores on idiosoma and ornamentation of dorsal shields like in females. The interval between setae J6 and J6 is 87–96 μm, and setae Z5 and J6 are 14–16 μm apart.

Deutonymph. ( Figure 3 (a)) Length of idiosoma in 10 paratypes 338–362 μm, width 238– 255 μm. On podonotum, setae j1 and r3 finely barbed, remaining podonotal setae smooth and needle-like. Opisthonotal setae J1–J5, Z1–Z2 and setae in R series short, smooth and needle-like . Setae J6, Z3–Z4 and S1–S4 elongated, apically finely barbed with hyaline endings.

Seta Z5 finely barbed. The interval between setae J6 and J6 is 94–104 μm, and setae Z5 and J6 are 12–18 μm apart.

Protonymph. ( Figure 3 (b)) Length of idiosoma in 1 specimen 305 μm, width 188 μm. Podonotal setae j1 and r3 finely barbed, remaining podonotal setae smooth and needle-like. Opisthonotal setae J1–J5, Z1–Z2, Z5 and R1 short,smooth and needle-like . Remaining setae in R series invisible . Setae J6, Z3 –Z4 and S1–S4 elongated, apically finely barbed with hyaline endings. The interval between setae J6 and J6 is 72 μm, and setae Z5 and J6 are 17 μm apart.

Etymology

The specific name izmirensis reflects the name of the city İzmir ( Turkey) where the new species was collected.

Mean lengths and ranges of opisthonotal setae are given in Table 1 for female, male, deutonymph and protonymph specimens. Zercon izmirensis sp. nov. is quite similar to Z. burdurensis Urhan, 1999 , Z. cokelezicus Urhan, 2009 , Z. juvarae Ivan and Călugăr, 2004 , Z. magdae Ujvári and Călugăr, 2010 , and Z. quadricavum Urhan, 2001 . The distinctive morphological features of these six species are shown in Table 2. Comparisons are based on published descriptions and illustrations, not on the direct examination of specimens.

Figures

Figure 2. Drawings of adult specimens of Zercon izmirensis 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 3. Drawings of nymph specimens of Zercon izmirensis sp. nov. (a) Dorsal view of deutonymph; (b) dorsal view of protonymph. Scale bar: 100 µm.