Prozercon graecus, Ujvári, Zsolt, 2011

Ujvári, Zsolt, 2011, Six new species of Prozercon Sellnick, 1943 (Acari, Mesostigmata, Zerconidae) from Greece, with remarks on the genus, Zootaxa 2785, pp. 1-31 : 16-21

Prozercon graecus sp. nov.

( Figs 20–29 , 39 )

Material examined. Holotype. Female: E-2580, Greece, Larisa county, Ossa Mts, Karitsa, oak forest south of the village, 520 m a.s.l., N39°49.615’ E22°46.174’, 09.04.2009, leg. Dányi, L., Kontschán, J., Murányi, D. Paratypes. Locality and date as for the holotype (2 females); E-2165, Drama county, Dit-Rodopi Mts., stream in beech forest north of Kalikarpos, 869 m a.s.l., N41°27.959’ E24°14.389’, moss and fern on rock, 01.04.2007, leg. Dányi, L., Erőss, Z., Fehér, Z., Kontschán, J., Murányi, D. (2 females); E-2160, Greece, Drama county, Falakro Mts., beech forest beneath the ski centre, 1186 m a.s.l., N41°17.582’ E24°00.422’, leaf litter, 31.03.2007, leg. Dányi, L., Erőss, Z., Fehér, Z., Kontschán, J., Murányi, D. (1 female); E-2560, Greece, Larisa county, Ossa Mts., Stomio, mixed forest (deciduous and conifer trees) south of the village, 85 m a.s.l., N39°51.524’ E22°44.613’, 09.04.2009, leg.

Dányi, L., Kontschán, J., Murányi, D. (4 females); E-2209, Greece, Rodopi county, Papikio Mts., brook in a secondary forest, 5 km north of Sostis, 442 m a.s.l., N41°09.859’ E25°16.939’, leaf litter, 04.04.2007, leg. Dányi, L., Erőss, Z., Fehér, Z., Kontschán, J., Murányi, D. (11 females, 1 PN); E-2191, Greece, Xanthi county, Koula Mts., Aspro Stream and its gallery beneath Oreo, 550 m a.s.l., N41°16.369’ E24°51.275’, moss on rocks, 03.04.2007, leg. Dányi, L., Erőss, Z., Fehér, Z., Kontschán, J., Murányi, D. (3 females); E-2174, Greece, Drama county, Dit- Rodopi Mts., gallery forest stream south of Mikromilia, 430 m a.s.l., N41°23.326’ E24°10.078’, leaf litter, 31.03.2007, leg. Dányi, L., Erőss, Z., Fehér, Z., Kontschán, J., Murányi, D. (1 female); E-2167, Greece, Serres county, Orvilos Mts., rocky forest 8 km east of Angistrou, 661 m a.s.l., N41°23.936’ E23°30.321’, soil, 30.03.2007, leg. Dányi, L., Erőss, Z., Fehér, Z., Kontschán, J., Murányi, D. (1 female); E-2158: Greece, Drama county, Orvilos Mts., stream in alder gallery, and limestone rocks above Katafito, 823 m a.s.l., N41°20.725’ E23°40.463’, dry rotten wood, 31.03.2007, leg. Dányi, L., Erőss, Z., Fehér, Z., Kontschán, J., Murányi, D. (10 females, 2 males); E-2188, Greece, Serres county, Strimonas River, grassland and limestone rocks east of Neo Petrisi, 77 m a.s.l., N41°17.000’ E23°19.994’, termite nest, 30.03.2007, leg. Dányi, L., Erőss, Z., Fehér, Z., Kontschán, J., Murányi, D. (1 female); E-2183, Greece, Serres county, brook in a beech forest along the Serres- Kato Vrondou road, 916 m a.s.l., N41°14.722’ E23°40.513’, leaf litter, 30.03.2007, leg. Dányi, L., Erőss, Z., Fehér, Z., Kontschán, J., Murányi, D. (1 female, 1 male).

Diagnosis. All dorsal podonotal setae densely pilose in female. Setae S1 and marginal R-setae smooth, thornlike, other opisthonotal setae densely pilose. Setae S2 inserted near Z1, in lateral position. Glands gdS2 (Po2) situated slightly lateral to line connecting S2 and Z2, gdZ3 (Po3) lateral to line connecting Z3 and Z4. Setae J3-4 reaching bases of the following setae.

Description. Female. Length of idiosoma: 303–340 μm (318 μm); width: 215–234 μm (220 µm) (n = 10). Holotype: length: 320 µm; width: 215 µm.

Dorsal idosoma ( Fig. 20 ). Podonotum with 20 pairs of setae, j1-6, z2-6, s1-6, r2 and r4-5 inserted dorsally, setae r1 and r3 inserted ventrally, on peritrematal shields. All podonotal setae densely plumose. Setae j2-6, s1, s4-5, z2, z4-6 pointed, j1, z3, s2-3, s6, r2, r4-5 brush-like. Setae s2 and r2 markedly shorter than other brush-like marginal setae. Glands gds1 (po1) situated posterior to insertions of s1; gdj4 (po2) situated on a line connecting j4 and z4; gds4 (po3) medial to a line connecting s4 and s5. Podonotal shield covered by reticulate pattern, with irregular pits on its posterior and posterolateral surface.

Opisthonotum with 20–21 pairs of setae, J1-5, Z1-5, S1-5, marginal R-series with five or six pairs of setae, six pairs in majority of specimens. Setae J1-5, Z1-5 and S2-5 densely plumose, S1 and marginal R-setae short, smooth and thorn-like. Plumose opisthonotal setae Z4-5 and S3-5 brush-like, others pointed. Setae J1-2 not reaching insertions of the following setae of the series, J3-4 reaching insertions of the following setae of the series. Setae J5 and S3-5 reaching beyond margins of opisthonotum. Setae S2 situated on line connecting Z1 and S1, near Z1. Bases of central opisthonotal setae medium-sized. Length of opisthonotal setae and distances between their insertions as in Table 8. Glands gdZ1 (Po1) situated anterior or anterolateral to insertions of Z1; gdS2 (Po2) slightly lateral to a line connecting S2 and Z2; gdZ3 (Po3) lateral to line connecting Z3 and Z4; gdS5 (Po4) posteromedial to S5. Whole opisthonotal shield covered by relatively large, distinct, irregular pits. Dorsal cavities uniform, of normal size and appearance.

Ƥ 3 PN Ƥ 3 PN Ƥ 3 PN

J 1 26 20 6 Z 1 17 17 6 S1 6 5 - J1-J 2 31 23 23 Z1-Z 2 32 26 23 S1- S 2 29 25 - J 2 25 20 7 Z 2 23 18 7 S 2 22 19 18 J2-J 3 29 21 24 Z2-Z 3 28 19 21 S2- S 3 30 20 21 J 3 28 23 7 Z 3 25 17 9 S 3 32 21 28 J3-J 4 22 20 19 Z3-Z 4 29 21 21 S3- S 4 33 26 30 J 4 21 15 6 Z 4 23 16 12 S 4 31 21 28 J4-J 5 18 15 14 Z4-Z5 55 40 33 S 4-5 34 26 28 J 5 20 14 6 Z 5 33 23 26 S 5 33 20 31 Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 21 ). Slit between peritrematal shield and dorsal shields inconspicuous. Peritrematal shield with posterolateral tips reaching level of R5-6, covered by fine reticulation. Peritremes straight. Chaetotaxy and poroidotaxy of ventral shields typical for genus Prozercon , peritrematal setae r1 smooth or barbed. Sternal shield 51 μm long and 42 μm wide at the level of setae st2, with arcuate posterior margin and reticulate ornamentation. A weakly sclerotised slit between level of setae st1 and st2 can often be observed. Ventrianal shield with short, smooth and needle-like preanal and adanal setae, setae ZV1 absent. Postanal seta longer than preanal and adanal setae, distally serrate, setae JV5 brush-like, plumose. Anal valves with euanal setae. Glands gv3 situated anterolateral to adanal setae. Anterior surface of ventrianal shield covered by squamous pattern to level of JV3-ZV4-JV4.

Male ( Figs 22–23 ). Length of idiosoma: 245–252 μm (247 μm); width: 188–193 μm (190 µm) (n = 3). Chaetotaxy, poroidotaxy and sculptural pattern of dorsal, ventrianal and peritrematal shields similar to those of female, except setae j5 smooth and needle-like. Peritrematal setae r1 often barbed. Length of opisthonotal setae and distances between their insertions as in Table 8. Sternigenital shield bearing four pairs of setae, a weakly sclerotised slit between level of setae st1 and st2 can often be observed. Shape of peritrematal shield similar to that of female, its posterolateral tips reaching level of R5.

Protonymph ( Fig. 24 ). Length of idiosoma: 237 μm; width: 158 μm (n = 1). Podonotal setae j1, j3, z4, r2 and s4 elongate, brush-like, plumose, others short. Short setae densely plumose except j5 and z5 barbed. Podonotal ornamentation weakly developed, gland openings not conspicuous. On opisthonotum, Z5 and S3-5 markedly elongate, brush-like, plumose. S2 half as long as S3, plumose. Setae J1-5 and Z1-4 shorter, J1 and Z1-4 pilose, J2-5 delicately barbed. Length of opisthonotal setae and distances between their insertions as in Table 8. Opisthonotum covered by large, irregular pits. Dorsal cavities weakly developed.

Etymology. The species name ‘ graecus ’ refers to Greece, where the specimens were collected.

Remarks. The new species belongs to the group characterised by the following features: most podonotal setae densely pilose; central and submarginal setae of opisthonotum densely pilose, S1 and R-setae short, smooth and thorn-like; setae S3-5 elongate, brush-like, extending beyond margin of opisthonotum; glands gdZ3 (Po3) situated lateral to a line connecting Z3-4. Within this group, Prozercon graecus sp. nov. is most similar to Prozercon plumosus Cälugär, 2004 , P. tragardhi ( Halbert, 1923) and P. blaszaki ( Urhan & Ayyildiz, 1996d) comb. nov., by the similar shape and position of setae S2 (elongate, inserted near Z1, in posterolateral position), position of gdS2 (Po2) (on line connecting S2 and Z2). The four species can be distinguished by the characters listed in Table 9 . The species seems to show a large degree of variation in characters which previously served as basis for specific and even generic determination. Both divided and entire sternal shield ( Figs 1, 3 ), smooth and pilose r1 setae occur even within a population ( Figs 28–29 ), and the posterolateral expansion of peritrematal shield varies within a wide range ( Figs 25–27 ).

Figures

FIGURE 24. Prozercon graecus sp. nov., dorsal view of protonymph.

FIGURES 20 – 23. Prozercon graecus sp. nov. 20. Dorsal view of female. 21. Ventral view of female. 22. Dorsal view of male. 23. Ventral view of male.

FIGURES 25 – 29. Prozercon graecus sp. nov. 25 – 27. Gradation in posterolateral expansion of peritrematal shields. 28. Anterolateral region with smooth r 1 seta. 29. Anterolateral region with pilose r 1 seta.

FIGURES 36 – 39. New occurences of Prozercon species found in Greece.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Sternal region of Prozercon species. 1. Prozercon graecus sp. nov. paratype with weakly sclerotised band between st 1 - 2. 2. Prozercon bisternalis paratype with weakly sclerotised band between st 1 - 2. 3. Prozercon graecus sp. nov. paratype with well-sclerotised sternal shield. 4. Prozercon bisternalis holotype with entire sternal shield.