Zercon danyii, 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 : 1681-1685

Zercon danyii sp. nov

( Figures 3A–D , 4A–E )

Material examined

Holotype: female, E-1962: Croatia, Krk Island , Glavotok camp, oak forest, from moss, 30 April 2006, leg. L. Dányi; paratypes: one female, one male, two deutonymphs, locality same as that of the holotype.

Diagnosis

Podonotal setae smooth, except i 1 which was barbed. Setae s 1 absent. On opisthonotum, I-, Z- and S-setae smooth, except I 6 and S 4. Marginal R-setae very slightly pilose. Setae I 3–5 thickened, short, but longer than I 1–2, smooth. I 3 never reaching the insertions of I 4. I 4 almost reaching the bases of I 5. I 6 twice as long as I 5, apically pilose. Setae Z 3 never reaching the bases of Z 4. S 3 never reaching margins of idiosoma. Pores Po 2 situated over the line connecting Z 3 and S 2, Po 3 on the line connecting I 5 and Z 4. Dorsal fossae of general size and appearance, saddle-like, opisthonotum covered with tile-like, reticulated pattern, and posteriorly spotted. Anterior margin of ventroanal shield with 1 pair of setae. Adgenital shields

present.

Description – female

Length of idiosoma: 482–498 µm; width: 415–420 µm (n = 2). Dorsal side ( Figures 3A , 4B ). On podonotum, 21 pairs of different setae: i-row with six pairs, z-row with two pairs, s-row with five pairs, r-row with six pairs, p-row with two pairs. Setae i 1 barbed, other i-, z-, s- and r-setae smooth and needle-like. Setae s 1 absent. Pores po 1 situated on the line connecting i 2 and s 2, po 2 under the line connecting i 4 and s 4, po 3 under the line connecting z 1 and s 5, closer to s 5. Podonotum covered with irregular, tile-like pattern. On opisthonotum, 22 pairs of different setae: I-row with six pairs, Z-row with five pairs, S-row with four pairs and R-row with seven pairs. Setae I 1–2 short, smooth and needle-like, never reaching the followings bases. I 2 twice as long as I 1. I 3–5 either short, but longer than I 2, thickened and smooth, I 4 almost reaching the insertions of I 5. I 5 never reaching the margins of opisthonotum. Setae I 6 long, apically barbed. Setae Z 1–2 short, smooth, needle-like. Setae Z 3–5 thickened, smooth, similar to I 4–5. Z 3 never reaching the insertions of Z 4. Setae S 1 similar to I 2, S 2–3 similar to I 4–5, S 4 long, apically barbed ( Figure 4E ), just as setae I 6. Neither of S-setae reaching the followings bases, and only S 4 reaching beyond the margins of opisthonotum. Marginal R-setae twice as long as I 1, usually with very fine apical pilosity. Pores Po 1 situated anteromedially to Z 1, Po 2 above the line connecting Z 3 and S 2, Po 3 on the line connecting I 5 and Z 4, closer to Z 4, Po 4 next to the insertions of S 4. Dorsal fossae of general size and appearance, saddle-like, with smooth anterior and posterior margins. Anterior surface of opisthonotal shield with tile-like pattern, central surface reticulated and posteriorly covered by distinct spots.

The size of setae and the distances between their insertions as in Table 3 (measurements are given as mean, in micrometres).

Ventral side ( Figure 3B ). Chaetotaxy, poroidotaxy and shape of ventral shields typical for the genus Zercon . Peritremal shields with shallow fissures as ornamentation. Peritremes strikingly bent, C-shaped. Sternal shield well sclerotized, 78 µm long and 68 µm wide at the level of setae st 2, with slightly arcuate posterior margin and reticulate ornamentation. Adgenital platelets with three or four gland openings of gv 2. Anterior margin of ventroanal shield with one pair of setae. Seven pairs of preanal setae, the single pair of adanal setae and postanal seta smooth and needle-like. Anal valves with needle-like euanal setae. Ventroanal shield anterolaterally covered by squamous pattern, medially punctuated.

Description – male

Length of idiosoma: 345 µm; width: 275 µm (n = 1).

Dorsum and venter ( Figures 3C,D , 4C ). Chaetotaxy, poroidotaxy and sculpturing pattern on podo- and opisthonotum as in female with the exception of some small differences: I 2 scarcely longer than I 1, Z 3 reaching the insertions of Z 4, setae S 2–3 longer than I 4–5. Sternogenital shield with four pairs of setae. Adgenital platelets with two or three gland openings of gv 2.

The size of setae and the distances between their insertions as in Table 3 (measurements are given as mean, in micrometres).

Description – deutonymph

Length of idiosoma: 402–408 µm; width: 312–330 µm (n = 2).

Dorsal side ( Figure 4A,D ). Podonotal setae as in adult stages. On opisthonotum, I 1–5 short, smooth, never reaching the followings bases. I 6 longer than in adult stages, apically pilose. Setae Z similar to I. Z 3 never reaching bases of Z 4. Z 4 markedly longer than in adult stages, apically pilose, reaching beyond posterior margins of opisthonotum. Z 5 elongated, smooth. Setae S 1–3 smooth, S 2 twice as long as S 1, S 3 reaching beyond the margin of idiosoma. S 4 similar to I 6, longer than in adult stages. Poroidotaxy similar to that of the adults. Sculpturing pattern weakly developed, on podonotum rare, tile-like pattern, on opisthonotum, anteriorly tile-like, on medial surface reticulate pattern, on the margins rarely punctuated, but posterior parts without ornamentation.

1–2

1–2

The size of setae and the distances between their insertions as in Table 3 (measurements are given as mean, in micrometres).

Protonymph and larva

Unknown.

Etymology

The new species is dedicated in honour of Dr László Dányi, a taxonomist specializing in Myriapoda and Collembola, who collected several samples from Croatia, including this species from Krk Island.

Remarks

The new species is closely related to Zercon fragilis Urhan, 2001 , Zercon hispanicus Sellnick, 1958 and Zercon nemoralis Urhan, 2001 by the following similar characters: anterior margin of ventroanal shield with one pair of setae; setae I 3–5 thickened, without hyaline sheats, longer than I 1–2; pores Po 3 situated between I 5 and Z 4; posteromedial surface of opisthonotum with punctuate ornamentation; dorsal cavities of general size and appearance. The distinctive characters between the mentioned members of the group and the new species are presented in Table 4.

Figures

Figure 3. Zercon danyii sp. nov.: (A) female, dorsal view; (B) female, ventral view; (C) male, dorsal view; (D) male, ventral view.

Figure 4. Zercon danyii sp. nov.: (A) deutonymph, dorsal view; (B) tectum of female; (C) tectum of male; (D) tectum of deutonymph; (E) S2 seta of female. Scale bars: A, 100 µm; B–E, 25 µm.