Longicheles ozkani, Özbek, Hasan Hüseyin, Bal, Durmuş Ali & Doğan, Salih, 2013

Özbek, Hasan Hüseyin, Bal, Durmuş Ali & Doğan, Salih, 2013, Two new species of the genus Longicheles Valle, 1953 from the Kelkit Valley, Turkey, with redescription Longicheles lagrecai (Valle, 1963) (Acari: Macrochelidae), Zootaxa 3709 (5), pp. 461-472 : 462-465

Longicheles ozkani sp. nov.

( Figures 2–11 , 28–30 )

Diagnosis: Bases of dorsal setae inserted on slight protrusions; bases of j1 separated from each other (about 10); setae z1 long and needle-like; anterior ends of peritremes surpassing bases of z1 and very close to bases of j1; z5 distally pilose, j6 with denticles, j5, z6, J2, J5 needle-like or aciculate, other setae distinctly pilose; setae j5 strongly displaced posteriorly, so that its base is closer to J2 than j6; base of epistome serrated with a pair of distinct lateral points, median process narrow and apically bifurcated.

Specimens examined. Holotype female, Turkey, Gümüşhane, Köse, 40° 16' 39'' N, 39° 37' 59'' E, alt. 1769 m, 26 June 2011, from litter under Salix sp. Paratypes. four females, Turkey, Amasya, Taşova, 40° 44' 08'' N, 36° 21' 31'' E, alt. 224 m, 15 December 2007, from moss and litter; three females and one deutonymph, same data as holotype; two females, Turkey, Tokat, Reşadiye, around Zinav Lake, 40° 27' 06'' N, 37° 16' 25'' E, alt. 954 m, 27 April 2011, from weed litter; one female, Turkey, Tokat, Reşadiye, around Zinav Lake, 40° 26' 40'' N, 37° 14' 544'' E, alt. 833 m, 14 April 2012, from litter.

Description. Female. Dorsum ( Fig. 2 ). Dorsal shield 650–710 long, 360–390 wide at the level of setae r4, oblong, weakly sclerotised, surface punctate, lateral margins serrate; shield bearing 28 pairs of setae; bases of the setae inserted on small protrusions; bases of j1 separate from each other (about 10), setae z1 long, thick and needlelike, or sometimes with two or three small denticles, setae z5 distally pilose, j6 distally denticulate, j5, z6, J2, J5 smooth or aciculate, other setae distinctly pilose; setae j5 strongly displaced posteriorly, closer to J2 than j6; anterior ends of peritremes surpassing bases of setae z1, very close to bases of j1; length of setae: j1, 35–45; j5, 45– 50; j6, 35–40; z1, 70–80; z5, 20–30; z6, 15–25; J2, 25–35; J5, 20–25.

Venter ( Fig. 3 ). Sternal shield 140–150 long, 130–140 wide at the level of coxae II, surface with punctate ornamentation, posteriorly with small sculptured polygons; shield bearing three pairs of needle-like setae, st1 (about 50) longer than other sternal setae ( Fig. 29 ). Metasternal shields oval, free, each with a pore and a smooth seta. Genital shield 140–160 long, 140–180 wide with small sculpture and bearing a pair of smooth setae. Ventrianal shield longer than wide, 230–270 long, 220–250 wide; with punctate-reticulate ornamentation, carrying five pairs of pre-anal setae, a pair of para-anal setae and a smooth post-anal seta; setae Zv2 distinctly pilose, other preanal setae smooth ( Fig. 30 ).

Gnathosoma. Four pairs of hypostomal setae, all smooth and needle-like, h1 longest. Deutosternal groove with five rows of denticles. Corniculi slender, long, and surpassing base of palp genu ( Fig. 4 ). Palp tarsus with 3-tined apotele ( Fig. 5 ). Median process of epistome 75 long in holotype, narrow and apically bifurcated; base serrated, with a pair of distinct lateral points ( Fig. 6 ). Moveable digit of chelicera about 165 µm long, with a large subterminal tooth and six small teeth, one distinct tooth between subterminal tooth and terminal hook; length of fixed digit 115–125 at level of dorsal seta, with two large subterminal teeth and 5–6 small teeth, pilus dentilis very fine. Arthrodial brush short ( Figs 7 , 28 ).

Leg. Chaetotaxy normal for the genus Longicheles . Coxae I with a pair of smooth setae, coxae II–III with a pair of pilose setae, coxae IV with a smooth seta. Tarsus II as in Fig. 8 .

Deutonymph. Dorsal shield 510 long, 300 wide at level of r4 ( Fig. 9 ), covered with punctate ornamentation; with 28 pairs of setae, bases of all of setae inserted on small protrusions; z1, z6, j5, J2 and J5 needle-like, j6 distally pilose, other setae pilose; bases of j1 separated from each other by about 15; j5 displaced posterior to j6; anterior ends of peritremes surpassing bases of z1. Sternal shield 230 long, 90 wide at level of coxae II, narrow, elongate, with four pairs of smooth setae. Anal shield 50 long, 40 wide, with a pair of para-anal seate and a smooth post-anal setae. Cribrum distinct, para-anal extensions reaching bases of para-anal seate ( Fig. 10 ). Epistome as in adult ( Fig. 11 ).

Etymology. The species is named in honour of Turkish acarologist Prof. Dr. Muhlis Özkan, for his valuable contributions to acarology in Turkey.

Notes. This species has been found in moss and litter under Salix sp., at altitudes between 224 and 1769 m. Longicheles ozkani , L. ilvana (Valle & Mazzoleni, 1967) , L. longisetosus and L. bulgaricus (Balogh 1958) are similar in with a narrow epistome, setae z1 smooth, the anterior ends of the peritremes surpassing the bases of z1, and slender cheliceral digits. Longicheles ozkani differs from this group in with setae j5 strongly displaced posteriorly, so that its base is closer to J2 than j6, the epistome serrated with a pair of distinct lateral points, z5 distally pilose, j6 with denticles, pre-anal setae Zv2 pilose, and the characteristic dentition of the fixed digit of the chelicera.

Also, L. cf. longisetosus should be included in this group. Mašán (2003) considered the identity of this species as uncertain, because he observed some differences in dorsal setae between specimens from Slovakia and Bulgaria compared with L. longisetosus . In L. longisetosus the dorsal setae are long, e.g. setae j5 surpasses the bases of j6 for specimens in Bulgaria, but in specimens from Slovakia the dorsal setae are relatively short, and setae j5 do not reach bases of j6. Özbek & Bal (2012) observed that Turkish specimens of L. longisetosus are similar to those from Slovakia. Longicheles cf. longisetosus may be recognised as a new species when L. longisetosus is thoroughly redescribed, but that is beyond the scope of this study.

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 8. Longicheles ozkani sp. nov., female. 2. dorsal shield; 3. ventral shields; 4. gnathosoma; 5. palp; 6. epistome; 7. chelicera; 8. tarsus II. Scale bar = 200 µm for 2 and 3, 100 µm for 4 – 8.

FIGURES 9 – 11. Longicheles ozkani sp. nov., deutonymph. 9. dorsal shield; 10. ventral shields; 11. epistome. Scale bar = 200 µm for 9 and 10, 100 µm for 11.

FIGURES 28 – 36. Longicheles spp., females. 28. L. ozkani, chelicera; 29. L. ozkani, sternal shield; 30. L. ozkani, ventri-anal shield; 31. L. ayyildizi, chelicera; 32. L. ayyildizi, sternal shield; 33. L. ayyildizi, ventri-anal shield; 34. L. lagreci, chelicera; 35. L. lagreci sternal shield; 36. L. lagreci ventri-anal shield.