Zercon lanceolatus, Ujvári, 2010

Ujvári, Zsolt, 2010, Zerconid mites (Acari: Mesostigamata: Zerconidae) from Croatia with description of four new species, Journal of Natural History 44 (27 - 28), pp. 1671-1696 : 1689-1693

Zercon lanceolatus sp. nov

( Figure 6A–I )

Material examined

Holotype: female, E-2040: Croatia, Plitvice National Park , Stubica , beech forest, from soil, 3 July 2006., leg. L. Dányi; paratypes: three females, locality same as that of the holotype; four females, one male, E-1786: Croatia, Plitvice National Park , from soil, 21–26 July 2005, leg. J. Kontschán; one female, E-1790: Croatia, Plitvice National Park , from leaf-litter, 21–26 July 2005, leg. J. Kontschán; one female, E-1794: Croatia, Plitvice National Park , from moss, 21–26 July 2005, leg. J. Kontschán; one female, one male, E-2036: Croatia, Plitvice National Park , over lake Kozjak, beech forest on eastern side, 3 July 2006, leg. L. Dányi; three females, E-2050: Croatia, Plitvice National Park, from leaf-litter, 14 August 2006, leg. J. Kontschán, Á. Garai.

Diagnosis

Podonotal i 1 and marginal setae slightly pilose, other setae smooth, needle-like. On opisthonotum, I 1, Z 1–2, Z 5 and marginal R 5–7 setae short, smooth, others differently pilose. I 2 almost reaching bases of I 3. I 3–6, Z 3–4, S 2–4 elongated, thickened, subapically pilose, with lanceolate, hyaline endings. Pores Po 3 situated over the line connecting I 5 and Z 4, close to the base of Z 4. Adgenital shields absent. Anterior margin of ventroanal shield with two pairs of setae.

Description – female

Length of idiosoma: 380–422 µm; width: 292–330 µm (n = 14).

Dorsal side ( Figure 6A,E ). On podonotum, 22 pairs of different setae: i-row with six pairs, z-row with two pairs, s-row with six pairs, r-row with six pairs, p-row with two pairs (p 2 visible only on ventral view). Setae i 1 elongated, pilose, members of R-row usually with very fine apical pilosity. Other setae on the shield smooth, needle-like. Setae i 4 markedly longer than other podonotal setae. Pores po 1 situated under the line connecting i 3 and s 1, po 2 located on the line connecting i 4 and s 4, po 3 inside the line connecting s 5 and s 6, closer to s 5. Sculpture of podonotum irregular, tile-like. On opisthonotum, 22 pairs of different setae: I-row with six pairs, Z-row with five pairs, S-row with four pairs, R-row with seven pairs. Setae I 1 short, smooth, needle-like, reaching one-third of the distance to the following setae. I 2 slightly thickened, apically barbed, twice as long as I 1 and almost reaching the insertions of I 3. I 3–6 elongated, thickened, subapically pilose, with lanceolate, hyaline endings, just as Z 3–4 and S 2–4; length of these setae in the same row growing posteriorly, I 5–6, Z 4 ( Figure 6H ) and S 4 similar in length and shape, setae I 6 ( Figure 6I ) are the longest opisthonotal setae. Z 1 similar to I 1, Z 2 1.5 times longer than Z 1, smooth; neither of them reaching bases of the following setae. Setae Z 5 short, smooth. Setae S 1 as long as Z 2, but apically pilose, never reaching the bases of S 2 ( Figure 6G ). Setae I 3–5, Z 4 and S 2–3 reaching the followings insertions. Marginal R-setae relatively short, usually with fine apical pilosity. Setae I 5, Z 4 and S 3–4 reaching beyond the margins of idiosoma. Pores Po 1 anterolaterally to insertions of Z 1, Po 2 on the line connecting S 2 and Z 2, Po 3 situated over the line connecting I 5 and Z 4, close to the base of Z 4, Po 4 located behind bases of S 4. Dorsal fossae of general size and saddle-like appearance, with smooth anterior and posterior margins. Anterior surface of opisthonotum with reticulate pattern, posterior surface smooth.

The size of setae and the distances between their insertions as in Table 7 (measurements are given as mean, in micrometres).

Ventral side ( Figure 6B ). Chaetotaxy, poroidotaxy and shape of ventral shields typical for the genus Zercon . Peritremes straight. Sternal shield well sclerotized, 71 µm long and 58 µm wide at the level of setae st 2, with strikingly arcuate posterior margin and reticulate ornamentation. Adgenital platelets with three gland openings of gv 2. Anterior margin of ventroanal shield with two pairs of setae. Seven pairs of preanal setae, the single pair of adanal setae smooth and needle-like, postanal seta particularly long, reaching beyond the body margin with over half of its length. Anal valves with needle-like euanal setae. The surface of ventroanal shield smooth with the exception of a narrow anterior slit which covered by tile-like pattern.

Description – male

Length of idiosoma: 326–355 µm; width: 235–255 µm (n = 3).

Dorsum and venter ( Figure 6C,D,F ). Chaetotaxy, poroidotaxy and sculpturing pattern on podo- and opisthonotum as in female, but small differences can be observed: setae I 1 reaching half the distance to the following setae; setae I 2 and S 1 smooth; setae I 4 reaching the margins of idiosoma; setae I 6 markedly longer than other dorsal setae; marginal R-setae very finely pilose or smooth. Sternogenital shield bearing five pairs of setae, between setae st 1 and st 2 a weakly sclerotized slit can be observed.

The size of setae and the distances between their insertions as in Table 7 (measurements are given as mean, in micrometres).

Immature stages

Unknown.

Etymology

The name of the new species “ lanceolatus ” refers to the long, lanceolate opisthonotal setae.

Remarks

Zercon lanceolatus belongs to the group of species with a full complement of podonotal and opisthonotal setae, two pairs of setae on the anterior margin of ventroanal shield, long, apically broadening and pilose I 3–6 setae, saddle-like dorsal cavities of general size and short, pointed marginal R-setae, which do not reach the bases of the following one in the series. On the basis of former characters the new species is closely related to Zercon delicatus Urhan and Ekiz, 2002 , Zercon gregalis Mašán and Fend’a, 2004 , Zercon henoticus Blaszak, 1979 and Zercon karadaghiensis Balan, 1992 . Females of the five species can be distinguished according to Table 8.

Figures

Figure 6. Zercon lanceolatus sp. nov.: (A) female, dorsal view; (B) female, ventral view; (C) male, dorsal view; (D) male, ventral view; (E) tectum of female; (F) tectum of male; (G) seta S2 of female; (H) setae Z4 of female; (I) seta I6 of female. Scale bars: A–D, 100 µm; E–I, 25 µm.