Zercon sklarsimilis, Karaca, Mehmet & Urhan, Raşit, 2016

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 : 48

Zercon sklarsimilis sp. nov.

Materials examined. Holotype (female), soil and litter samples under oleaster-leafed pear ( Pyrus elaeagrifolia ), 41°44' N, 27°19' E, 370 m, vicinity of Yundalan village Dam, Centre of Kırklareli province, March 2014; Paratypes, 1 female, 1 male, same data as holotype.

Female ( Figure 10). Length of idiosoma in holotype 419, width 280. Measurements in female paratype: length 408, width 278 (n = 1).

Dorsum ( Figure 10). Twenty pairs of setae present on podonotum: j-row with six pairs, z-row with two pairs, srow with six pairs and r-row with six pairs. Seta j1 pilose, j2 finely barbed, remaining setae on podonotum short and smooth. Dorsal opisthonotum with 21 pairs of setae: J-row with six pairs, Z-row with five pairs, S-row with two pairs and R-row with eight pairs. Setae J1–J2, Z1–Z2 and S1 finely barbed, J3–J6 long, finely barbed with hyaline tips. No setae in J series reach to base of following seta. Setae Z3 and Z4 similar in appearance to seta J6; Z3 does not reach base of seta Z4; base of seta Z5 inserted ventrally. Seta S1 does not reach base of S2 or edge of opisthonotum; S2 finely barbed with hyaline ending, not reaching edge of opisthonotum. Setae S3–S4 absent. Series R with eight pairs of setae, all long, inserted on edge of opisthonotum, one or two barbed. Podonotum covered with irregular tile-like pattern; anterolateral areas covered with tile-like pattern; anteromedial parts of opisthonotum with reticulated pattern reaching to setae J2 and Z2; remaining region between these setae and dorsal cavities covered with sparse punctate pattern. Dorsal cavities distinct and dark coloured, well sclerotised, their axes parallel to that of the body.

Pores ( Figure 10). Pore po1 closer to base of seta s1, po2 between setae j4–s4; po3 behind seta s5. Pore Po1 anterior to seta Z1, Po2 outside base of seta Z3, Po3 between setae J5–Z4 (closer to seta J5), Po4 between setae Z5–R8 (closer to seta R8).

Venter. Shapes of ventral shields and peritremes, 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, featherlike with hyaline ending. Peritremes slightly bent, lateral ends of peritremal shield reach to seta R1. Adgenital shields present, but not distinct, opening valves not observed. 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 ( Figure 11). Length of idiosoma 332, width 201. Dorsal idiosoma, ventral idiosoma, shapes of setae on idiosoma, sculpture of podonotum and opisthonotum, size and appearance of dorsal cavities, all similar to those of female, except R series with seven pairs of setae in male.

Immature stages. Unknown.

Remarks. Average lengths of opisthonotal setae and distances between setae within longitudinal rows of females and male specimens as in Table 9 . Zercon sklarsimilis is closely related to Z. primus Košir , Z. secundus Błaszak and Z. sklari Balan. The distinguishing characters of these four related species are shown in Table 10 .

Etymology. The name of the new species refers to the similar appearance of Zercon sklari Balan, 1992 .