Zercon subguttulatus, Moraza, María Lourdes, 2006

Moraza, María Lourdes, 2006, New species of zerconid mites from southern Europe and the Macaronesian region (Acari: Mesostigmata: Zerconidae), Zootaxa 1255, pp. 1-15 : 9-11

Zercon subguttulatus n. sp.

( Figs 11–14 )

Types

Holotype female: SPAIN, Navarra, Beunza (Navarra), UTM: 30TXN044584, from litter of oak forest ( Quercus pyrenaica ), altitude 600 m., 23.XI.1989, M. Moraza Leg. (deposited in MZUNAV); five paratypes females, one male, one deutonymph and six protonymphs, from the same locality and date as the holotype (two females deposited in OSAL).

Diagnosis

Anterior margin of ventrianal shield with two pairs of setae. Dorsal fossae of similar size and appearance, ring­like and with smooth anterior margin. Glands gdZ3 (Po3) situated between Z and S­ setal rows, lateral to the line connecting setae Z3 and Z4. Setae J1–J5, not reaching the bases of following setae, similar in length: short and needle­like with one or two barbules. Setae Z1 and Z2 similar, needle­like and lightly pilose; setae Z3, Z4, Z5 and S 5 elongate, with flattened, paddle­like hyaline tips. Setae S4 similar in length to S2 and S3, reaching beyond margin of idiosoma. Lateral margins of opisthonotum with shallow and obtuse serration, marginal setae S1 and R shorter than other opisthonotal setae, and with hyaline tips. Opisthonotal shield with distinct reticulation in the anterior region and a reticulate­punctuate pattern in the posterior region.

Description

FEMALE. Length of idiosoma 532 μm (513–574), width 457 μm (443–478).

Dorsum ( Fig. 11 ). Podonotal shield with distinct reticulate pattern; opisthonotal shield with distinct reticulate pattern in the anterior region and a reticulate­punctuate pattern in the posterior region posterior to setae J2, Z3 and S4. Podonotum with 20 pairs of setae of varying shape (setae r3 on lateropeltidial shield). Podonotal central and submarginal setae smooth, of equal length; marginal setae with hyaline tips. Glands gdj2 (po1) situated near j2 on the line connecting j2 and s1; gdj4 (po2) outside the line connecting seta j4 and j5 (closer to j4), and gds4 (po3) on the line connecting s4 and s5. Opisthonotum with 22 pairs of setae: setal row J with five pairs of short setae, similar in length, needle­like; setal row Z with five pairs of setae: setae Z1 and Z 2 similar in shape and length to J1 ( Fig. 12 ), setae Z3 longer than Z2, Z4 longer than Z5, 2 x length of Z1; setae S2 to S3 similar in length and shape, S4 reaching beyond lateral margin of idiosoma, S5 similar to Z5. Marginal setae S1 and R short, their tips not reaching bases of following marginal setae, and similar in shape to other marginal podonotal setae. Setae Z3–Z5, S4–S5 and marginal setae with flattened, hyaline rounded tips ( Fig. 12 ). Glands gdz6 (Po1) on the line connecting setae z6 and Z1, glands gdZ2 (Po2) lateral to the line connecting S2 and S3; glands gdZ3 (Po3) antiaxial to the line connecting setae Z3 and Z4 (nearer to setae Z4), and gdS5 (Po4) on the line connecting setae Z5 and S5. Dorsal opisthonotal fossae of uniform appearance, round, ring­like, and with smooth anterior margins.

Length of the opisthonotal setae and distance between setal bases within longitudinal I­, Z­, and S­rows as follows (measurements in μm): J1– J5 (21); Z1 = Z2 (21), Z3 (34), Z4 (45), Z5 (40), S2 –S4 (21), S5 (36), S1 (15); R1–R8 (15–19); J1–J2 (49), J2–J3 (51), J3–J4(38), J4–J5 (38), Z1–Z2 (38), Z2–Z3 (47), Z3–Z4 (47), Z4–Z5 (96), S1–S2 (53), S2–S3 (64), S3–S4 (64), S4–S5 (87).

Venter. Ventral chaetotaxy, adenotaxy, poroidotaxy and shape of ventral shields typical for the genus. Glands gv2 with four openings on free platelets. Ventrianal shield with reticulate cuticle. Anterior margin of ventrianal shield with two pairs of setae. Euanal setae present.

MALE. Length of idiosoma 426 μm, width 335 μm. Dorsum similar to the female. Sternogenital shield fused to endopodal IV ( Fig. 14 ); gv2 on separate platelet with two and four pores; euanal setae present.

Notes

The new species is closely related to Z. guttulatus Athias­Henriot, 1961 and Z. arcuatus Trägårdh, 1931 . These three species share the position of gdZ3 however, the length and/or structure of the opisthonotal setae is different. In Z. arcuatus all opisthonotal setae, including th emarginal setae, are smooth, needle­like and thin, and gdZ1 are anterior and antiaxial to the bases of S2. In Z. guttulatus , the marginal opisthonotal setae are longer, and their tips reach the bases of the following setae; setae J3–J5 are longer (tips reaching the bases of the following setae) and have the hyaline rounded tips, Z3 reach the bases of S4 and tips of Z4 reach the bases of S5. The new species has a smaller body size.

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 14. Zercon subguttulatus n. sp. 11. Female, dorsal idiosoma. 12. Seta Z 5. 13. Seta J 1. 14. Male, sternogenital region.