Zercon colligans Berlese, 1920

Bilki, Kamil, Urhan, Raşit & Karaca, Mehmet, 2022, Mites of the family Zerconidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Southwestern Turkey, with description of three new species, Acarological Studies 4 (2), pp. 89-103 : 91

Zercon colligans Berlese, 1920

This species was the third most abundant zerconid species in terms of number of individuals in the study area.

Materials examined: 102 females, 22 males, six DN and two PN: soil, litter and moss samples under various plants (see Table 8), 36°47.459' N, 28°11.515' E, 140 m a.s.l., vicinity of Marmaris-İÇmeler road, 17 May 2020. 24 females, 12 males, one DN and one PN: soil, litter and moss samples under various plants (see Table 8), 36°54.151' N, 28°16.822' E, 355 m a.s.l., Marmaris- Muğla road junction, 12 January 2021 . 21 females, four males and one DN: soil and litter samples under Turkish pine ( Pinus brutia ), 36°44.883' N, 28°15.533' E, 108 m a.s.l., vicinity of Kumlubük road, 13 March 2021 . 43 females, 15 males and three DN: soil, litter and moss samples under various plants (see Table 8), 36°51.633' N, 28°33.175' E, 369 m a.s.l., vicinity of Ekincik-Sultaniye road, 28 April 2021 . 112 females, 35 males, 11 DN and two PN: soil, litter and moss samples un- der various plants (see Table 8), 36°52.286' N, 28°29.421' E, 27 m a.s.l., vicinity of BüyükkaraağaÇ road, 28 April 2021.

Short desription: On podonotum, all setae short, smooth and needle-like, excluding seta j1 and marginal setae. Seta j1 and marginal setae (s2–3, s6, r2 and r4–5) finely barbed. On opisthonotum, setae J1–2, Z1–2 and S2 short, smooth and needle-like. Setae S3 and marginal setae (S1 and R 1–6) finely barbed. Remaining opisthonotal setae elongated, finely barbed with hyaline endings. Only setae S5 reaching to beyond of opisthonotum. Pores gdS2 located between setae Z2 and S3, gdZ3 located between setae J4 and Z4. Dorsal cavities distinct and strongly developed. Anterior margin of ventrianal shield with one pair of setae (JV1), glands gv2 present. Posterolateral tips of peritrematal shield reach to level of setae S1 ( Bilki, 2021; Bulut et al., 2021).

Turkish distribution: Afyonkarahisar, Artvin, Aydın, Balıkesir, Çanakkale, Denizli, Edirne, Erzurum, Giresun, İstanbul, Kırklareli, Kütahya, Tekirdağ, Uşak ( Bulut et al., 2021), Muğla (present study).

Known distribution: Austria, France, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Russia, Sweden, Swiss, Turkey ( Bulut et al., 2021).