Microzercon californicus (Sellnick, 1958)

Ujvári, Zs., 2013, Review Of The Nearctic Genera Macrozercon Błaszak, 1976 And Microzercon Błaszak, 1976 (Mesostigmata: Zerconidae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 59 (4), pp. 347-389 : 360-364

Microzercon californicus (Sellnick, 1958)

( Figs 27–37 )

Prozercon californicus SellnIck, 1958 a: 126 ; SellnIck 1958 b: 363.

Microzercon californicus : BŁaSzak 1976: 554. 1980: 547.

Typelocality. USA, California, SantaCruzCounty, BenLomond, redwoodforest.

Materialexamined. USA, California, Mt. Tamalpais, 1000 ma.s.l., pineforest, moss

from trees and dry-rotten wood, 12.01.1985, leg. Neiger, M. (HNHM E-Am-090 – 1 female, 1 male). USA, Oregon, Benton Co., McGlynn Creek Ravine, moss on bank, 23.01.1977, leg. Russel, L. (slideCNCAZ0394 – 1 female, earlieridentifiedas’ Microzercon sp. ’) ; USA, Oregon, Benton Co., Marys Peak , log with moss, 05.12.1976, leg. Russel, L. (slide CNCAZ 0613 – 1 female) ; USA, California, P.O., SanDiego, 3 mi. S. Laguna , pineduffandgrass, 27.03.1961, leg. Lindquist, E. E. (slideCNCAZ0722 – 1 female) ; USA, California, MontereyCo., North ForkSanAntonioRiver, 0.7 mi. IndianAgr. Sta., Madroneduff , 29.09.1961, leg. Lindquist, E. E. (slide CNCAZ 0725 – 1 female) .

Diagnosis of female. The two opisthonotal J setal rows situated on an elevatedcentralridge. Centralandsubmarginalsetaeofpodonotumand opisthonotumsmoothandneedle-like, marginalsetaedenselypilose, brushlike. Glandspo3 situatedinposition gds4, lateraltolineconnectings4 ands5. GlandsPo2 inposition gdS2, onlineS2 andS3, Po3 inposition gdJ2, posterolateraltoJ2. Opisthonotumcoveredbyreticulatepattern, withsmallpitsin thecrossingpoints. Lateraldorsalcavitiesweaklydeveloped, centralcavities large, wellsclerotized, withaxesconvergingposteriroly. Posterolateraltipsof peritrematalshieldsfusedwithventrianalshieldonlevelofsetaeR3–4.

Descriptionoffemale. Lengthofidiosoma: 348 μm (339–360 μm); width: 293 μm (280–306 μm) (n = 5).

Dorsal side ( Fig. 27 ). Podonotum with 20 pairs of setae, j1–6, z2–6, s1–6, r2 and r4–5 inserteddorsally, r1 andr3 insertedventrally, onperitrematalshields. Setaej1–2, z3, s2, r2, s3, r4–5 ands6 moderatelylong, brush-like, denselypilose. Setaes1 andz2 shorter, pilose. Other podonotal setae short, smooth and needle-like. Setae s5 situated between level of z5 andz6. Glands gds1 (po1) situatedposteriortoinsertionsofs1; gdj4 (po2) situatedonline connecting j4 and s4; gds4 (po3) lateral to line connecting s4 and s5. The whole surface of podonotalshieldcoveredbyscalespossessinglacyposteriormargin, exceptasmallarea oftheposterocentralsurface, whichcoveredbyreticulateornamentation, withsmallpits inthecrossingpoints.

Opisthonotumwith 22 pairsofsetae: J1–5, Z1–5 andS1–5, marginalR-serieswith sevenpairsofsetae. SetaeJ1–5, Z1–4 andS2–5 similarinappearance, moderatelylong, smooth, pointed. SetaeJ1–5 constitutenearlyparallellines, eachreachingornearlyreachinginsertionsofthefollowingoneoftheseries. SetaeZ4 shiftedtowardstheJ-series, situated on line connecting J4 and S5. Setae S2 situated anterior to S3. Setae Z5, S1 and all the R-setaemoderatelylong, brush-like, denselypilose. S2–4 notreachingedgesofopisthonotum, the tips of S5 expanding beyond the margins of the shield. Length of opisthonotal setaeanddistancesbetweentheirinsertionsasinTable 4. Glands gdZ1 (Po1) situatedanteromedialtoinsertionsofZ1; gdS2 (Po2) situatedonlineconnectingS2 andS3, nearS3; gdJ2 (Po3) posterolateral to J2; gdS5 (Po4) on line connecting Z5 and S5, anteromedial to insertionsofJv5. Marginalserrationdeep, obtuse. Opisthonotalsurfacecoveredbyreticulate pattern, withsmallpitsinthecrossingpoints. Lateraldorsalcavitiesweaklydeveloped, centralcavitieslarge, wellsclerotized, withaxesconvergingposteriroly.

Ventralside ( Fig. 28 ). Peritrematalandventrianalshieldsfusedwithbodymargins. Posterolateraltipsofperitrematalshieldsfusedwithlateralpartsofventrianalshieldon levelofsetaeR3–4, abentincisionbetweenthetwoshieldsrunningtowardsthebody margins. Peritrematalshieldsornamentedbyfinereticulationoflongitudinalsutures. Peri- tremesfinelycurved, withasmalldilationnearstigmata ( Figs 30–31 ). Peritrematalsetae r1 andr3 short, smoothandbristle-like. Tritosternumwithtwoslender, apicallytrifurcate, marginallypiloselaciniae, tritosternalbaseproximallysubrectangular ( Fig. 32 ). Sternal shield 56 μmlongand 34 μmwideatthelevelofsetaest2, withstraightposteriormargin, withoutornamentation. Sternalsetaesmoothandneedle-like. Glands gv1 situatedposteromedialtosetaest3. Genitalshieldtypicalforthefamily, withoutornamentation, genital setaesmoothandneedle-like. Glands gv2 present, withasingleopeningontinyadgenital sclerites. Ventrianalshieldwithshort, smoothandneedle-likepreanalsetae, setaeZv1 absent. Adanal setae and postanal seta 1.5–2 times longer than preanal setae, smooth. Setae Jv5 moderatelylong, brush-like, denselypilose. Analvalveswithvestigialeuanalsetae.

of female.

Glands gv3 situatedanterolateraltoadanalsetae. Anteriorsurfaceofventrianalshieldcov- eredbytile-likepatterntolevelofJv3–Zv3–Zv4.

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 33 ). Situationofhypostomalandsubcapitularsetaetypicalforthe family. Setae h1 elongate, apically tapering, smooth. Setae h2 shorter than h1, h3 half as longash2, eachsmooth. Setaeh4 aslongash2, proximallyserrate. Corniculihorn-like, internalmalaewithapairofbifurcateanterocentralbranchesandwithserratemargins. Chelicerae ( Fig. 34 ) relativelyslender, fixeddigitwith 6–7 teeth, movabledigitwith 4–5 teeth. Epistome of Prozercon - type ( Figs 35–37 ).

Descriptionofmale ( Fig. 29 ). Lengthofidiosoma: 285 μm; width: 231 μm (n = 1). Chaetotaxy, adenotaxyandsculpturalpatternofdorsal, ventrianalandperitrematal shieldsbasicallysimilartothoseoffemale. Lengthofopisthonotalsetaeanddistances betweentheirinsertionsasinTable 4. Peritrematalshieldsfusedwithanterolateralpartsof ventrianalshield, onlyapairofhorizontalincisionscanbeobservedrunningtowardssetaeR2. Sternigenitalshielddivided, thefirstpairofsternalsetae (st1) sittingonaseparate pieceofsclerotizedarea, therestofsternalsetaeandgenitalopeningsituatedonthepos- teriorsclerotizedareaofthesternigenitalregion, whichendsonlevelofposteriormargin of coxae IV. Setae st5 absent. Sternal setae st3 situated on level of anterior edge of genital opening. Analvalveswithvestigialeuanalsetae. Eachcharactersofgnathosomasimilarto thoseoffemale, butterminalpartoffixeddigitofcheliceraebifurcate.

Figures

Figs 27–29. Microzercon californicus (Sellnick, 1958): 27 = dorsal view of female, 28 = ventral view of female, 29 = ventral view of male.

Figs 30–37. Microzercon californicus (Sellnick, 1958): 30–31 = peritremes of female, 32 = tritosternum of female, 33 = gnathosoma of female, 34 = chelicera of female, 35–37 = epistomes