Zercon similifoveolatus Ivan & Călugăr

Karaca, Mehmet & Urhan, Raşit, 2016, Five new species of Zercon C. L. Koch, 1836 (Acari: Zerconidae) from northwestern Turkey, Zootaxa 4127 (1), pp. 31-59 : 45-46

Zercon similifoveolatus Ivan & Călugăr *

Zercon similifoveolatus Ivan & Călugăr, 2004: 31 .

Zercon similifoveolatus .— Ujvári & Călugăr, 2010: 244; Karaca, Urhan & Duran, 2015: 101.

Materials examined. 1 male, soil and litter samples under Turkish pine ( Pinus brutia ), 41°57' N, 27°23' E, 525 m, vicinity of Çağlayık village, Centre of Kırklareli province, December 2013; 3 females and 2males,soil and litter samples under oak trees ( Quercus sp.) and beech trees ( Fagus sp.), 41°55' N, 27°22' E, 440 m, vicinity of Dereköy village, Centre of Kırklareli province, December 2013; 2 females, soil and litter samples under beech trees ( Fagus sp.), 41°51' N, 27°56' E, 29 m, vicinity of İğneada village, Demirköy district (Kırklareli province), September 2013; 1 male, soil, litter and moss samples under beech trees ( Fagus sp.), 41°58' N, 27°55' E, 109 m, vicinity of Sislioba village, Demirköy district (Kırklareli province), March 2014; 8 females, 5 males and 3 deutonymphs, soil and litter samples under beech trees ( Fagus sp.) and oak trees ( Quercus sp.), 41°52' N, 27°44' E, 550 m, vicinity of Hamdibey and Yeşilce villages, Demirköy district (Kırklareli province), March 2014; 7 females and 4 males, soil, litter and moss samples under beech trees ( Fagus sp.) and oak trees ( Quercus sp.), 41°57' N, 27°40' E, 276 m, vicinity of Karacadağ village, Demirköy district (Kırklareli province), March 2014; 6 females, soil, litter and moss samples under beech trees ( Fagus sp.) and oak trees ( Quercus sp.), 41°51' N, 27°33' E, 330 m, vicinity of Dupnisa cave, Demirköy district (Kırklareli province), March 2014; 10 females, 3 males and 51 deutonymphs, moss samples on soil layer, 42°2' N, 27°9' E, 580 m, vicinity of Topçular village, Kofçaz district (Kırklareli province), December 2013; 11 females, 4 males and 3 deutonymphs, soil, litter and moss samples under oak trees ( Quercus sp.), 42°0' N, 27°9' E, 600 m, vicinity of Kocayazı village, Kofçaz district (Kırklareli province), December 2013; 1 female, soil, litter and moss samples under beech trees ( Fagus sp.), 41°44' N, 27°50' E, 156 m, inside of mixed forest, Vize district (Kırklareli province), September 2013; 17 females and 5 males, moss samples on oak trees ( Quercus sp.), 40°46' N, 27°13' E, 425 m, vicinity of Ormanlı village, Şarköy district (Tekirdağ province), March 2014.

Female (Figures 8–9). Mean length of idiosoma 467 (450–476), mean width 356 (341–370) (n =10).

Dorsum (Figure 8). Twenty pairs of setae present on dorsal side of podonotum: j-row with six pairs, z-row with two pairs, s-row with six pairs and r-row with six pairs. Setae j1–j2 and r series finely barbed, remaining setae on podonotum short and smooth. Twenty-two pairs of setae present on dorsal side of opisthonotum: J-row with six pairs, Z-row with five pairs, S-row with four pairs and R-row with seven pairs. Setae J1–J2, Z1–Z2 and S1–S2 similar to each other in shape and length, all short, thin with a single barb. Seta J3 short, slightly barbed. Setae J4 and J5 thick, barbed, with hyaline ending. Seta J4 reach to base of seta J5. But seta J5 not reach to base of seta J6. Seta J6 similar in appearance to seta J5, but twice longer than seta J5. Setae J6, Z3–Z4 and S3–S4 long, barbed with hyaline ending. Setae Z3–Z4 and S3–S4 longer than other setae in related series, thick with hyaline endings. Seta Z3 reach to base of seta Z4. Setae in R series short and apically with two barbs. Podonotum covered with irregular tile-like pattern. Anterolateral parts covered with tile-like pattern, anteromedial parts covered with reticulated pattern of opisthonotum and these pattern reach to setae J2, Z2 and S3. Remaining region between these setae and dorsal cavities, covered with punctate pattern like a perforated sieve. Dorsal cavities distinct, equal in size with axes parallel to that of the body.

* A summary of Z ercon similifoveolatus was presented as a poster and published as an abstract at 1st International Conference on Engineering and Natural Sciences (ICENS), which was held in Skopje, Macedonia, between 15–19 May 2015.

Pores (Figure 8). Pore po1 below the base of seta s1, pore po2 located on line connecting setae j4–s4 (closer to seta j4) and pore po3 located on line connecting setae z2–s5 (closer to seta s5) on podonotum. Pore Po1 above the base of seta Z1, pore Po2 located on line connecting setae Z2–S2, pore Po3 located on line connecting setae J4–Z4 and pore Po4 below the base of seta S4 on opisthonotum.

Venter (Figure 9). Shapes of ventral shields and peritremes, and chaetotaxy are typical for genus Zercon . Two pairs of setae present on ventral side of podonotum. Setae p1 short, smooth and needle-like, seta p2 long, finely plumose, feather-like, with hyaline ending. Peritremes comma-shaped. Lateral ends of peritremal shields reach to seta R1. Adgenital shields present(with four opening valves). Ventrianal shield with nine pairs of setae. Anterior margin of ventrianal shield with four setae and unpaired postanal seta, all short, smooth and needle-like.

Male. Mean length of idiosoma 325 (311–334), mean width 213 (201–224) (n=10). Dorsal side, ventral side, shapes of setae on idiosoma, sculpture of podonotum and opisthonotum, size and appearance of dorsal cavities basically similar to those of female.

Deutonymph. Mean length of idiosoma 377 (371–389), mean width 263 (259–266) (n=10). Most setae on podonotum similar in appearance to that of adults. Setae r2–r3 and r6 with 2–3 barbed, with hyaline ending. Setae J1–J5 short with a single barb, J6 barbed with hyaline ending. Setae Z1–Z2 similar in appearance to setae J1–J5, short and smooth, Z3–Z4 similar in appearance to seta J6, Z3 reaching base of seta Z4, J6 and Z4 reaching beyond opisthonotum, Z5 short, barbed with hyaline ending, S1 short and smooth, S2 short, with a single barb and a hyaline ending, S3–S4 similar in appearance to J6, Z3–Z4, long, thick, barbed with hyaline ending, S3 reaching base of seta S4. All setae in R series short and thorn-like.

Distribution. Romania ( Ivan & Călugăr, 2004) and Turkey (Karaca et al., 2015).

Remarks. Average lengths of opisthonotal setae and distances between setae within longitudinal rows of females, males and deutonymphs specimens as in Table 6 . This species is a new record for the Turkish fauna. Male specimens of this species are recorded for the first time in this study. Some differences were observed between our specimens and the type specimens ( Table 7 ).