Zercon manisaensis Urhan, Duran and Karaca, 2021

Urhan, Raşit, Duran, Elif Hilal & Karaca, Mehmet, 2021, Three new species of Zercon C. L. Koch (Acari: Zerconidae) from the Coastal Aegean Section of Turkey, Journal of Natural History 54 (35 - 36), pp. 2323-2341 : 2329-2332

Zercon manisaensis Urhan, Duran and Karaca sp. nov.

( Figures 4 (a–d), 5(a–b))

Examined materials

Holotype (female), litter and moss samples under Turkish pine ( Pinus brutia ) and olive ( Olea europaea ), 39.137°N, 27.670°E, 231 m, ÖğeÇli neighbourhood, KırkağaÇ county, Manisa province, 7 January 2019. Paratypes: 22 females, 15 males, 10 deutonymphs and 4 protonymphs, same locality as holotype.

Diagnosis

Anterior margin of ventrianal shield with 2 pairs of setae. Setae j1 and r2–6 finely barbed,other podonotal setae smooth. Setae J1–5, Z1–3, S1–2 and R5–7 smooth. Setae Z5 and R1–4 finely barbed. Other opisthonotal setae needle-like. Seta J6, Z4 and S3–S4 elongated, apically finely barbed with hyaline endings almost the same length. Pores Po2 located between setae Z3 and S2, closer to Z3, Po3 lying on the line connecting setae Z4 and Z5, closer to Z4. Dorsal cavities well developed. Podonotum covered by reticulate pattern, opisthonotum covered with tilelike pattern in anterior region and punctate pattern in posterior region.

Descriptions

Female. Idiosoma ( Figure 4 (a)). Length and width in holotype 460 μm and 315 μm, respectively. Measurement of 10 paratypes; length 428–450 μm, width 295–328 μm. Shapes of idiosomal setae, pores and shields are illustrated in Figure 4 (a). Dorsal cavities are apparent, same size and well sclerotised.

Dorsum. ( Figure 4 (a)) 20 pairs of setae present on podonotum: j series with 6 pairs, z series with 2 pairs, s series with 6 pairs and r series with 6 pairs. Setae j1 and r2–r6 finely barbed. Seta r1 and remaining podonotal setae short, smooth and needle-like. 22 pairs of setae present on opisthonotum: J series with 6 pairs, Z series with 5 pairs, S series with 4 pairs and R series with 7 pairs. Setae J1–J5, Z1 –Z3, S1–S2 and R5–R7 smooth and needle-like. Setae J6, Z4 and S3–S4 elongated, apically finely barbed with hyaline endings. Setae Z5 and R1–R4 finely barbed without hyaline endings. None of the opisthonotal setae reach insertions of next setae in related rows. Setae S3 and S4 reach beyond opisthonotum. The interval between setae J6 and J6 is 111–120 μm, and setae Z5 and J6 are 20–23 μm apart.

Pores. ( Figure 4 (a)) Pores po1 are located on the line connecting setae j4–s1, closer to s1. Pores po2 are located above the line connecting setae j5–s3, closer to j5. Pores po3 are located on the line connecting setae z2–s5, closer to s5. Pores Po1 are located above the insertion of setae Z1. Pores Po2 are located on the line connecting setae Z3–S2, closer to Z3. Pores Po3 are located on the line connecting setae Z4 and Z5, closer to Z4, located above the outer pairs of dorsal cavities. Pores Po4 are located on the line connecting setae Z5–S4, closer to S4.

Venter. ( Figure 4 (b)) Chaetotaxy, poroidotaxy and shapes of sternal, peritremal, genital and ventroanal shields are characteristic for Zercon species. On peritremal shield, seta p1 short, smooth and needle-like, seta p2 elongated, finely barbed and without hyaline ending. Anterior margin of ventroanal shield with 4 setae. Adgenital shields present with 4 opening valves. All of setae on ventroanal shield smooth and needle-like.

Male. ( Figure 4 (c–d)) Length of idiosoma in 10 paratypes 336–355 μm, width 222– 258 μm. Chaetotaxy of idiosomal setae, location of pores on idiosoma and ornamentation of dorsal shields as in females. The interval between setae J6 and J6 is 88–96 μm, and setae Z5 and J6 are 14–24 μm apart.

Deutonymph. ( Figure 5 (a)) Length of idiosoma in 10 paratypes 282–366 μm, width 194– 256 μm. On podonotum, setae j1, r3 and r5–r6 finely barbed, remaining podonotal setae smooth and needle-like. Opisthonotal setae J1–J5, Z1–Z2, S1 and R3 – R7 short, smooth and needle-like . Setae J6, Z3–Z4 and S3–S4 elongated, apically finely barbed with hyaline endings. Setae Z5, S2 and R1 – R2 finely barbed without hyaline endings . The interval between setae J6 and J6 is 78–95 μm, and setae Z5 and J6 are 12–15 μm apart.

Protonymph. ( Figure 5 (b)) Length of idiosoma in 4 paratypes 275–298 μm, width 170– 195 μm. Podonotal setae j1, r3 and r6 finely barbed, remaining podonotal setae smooth and needle-like. Opisthonotal setae J1–J5, Z1–Z2, Z5 and R1 short, smooth and needle-like. Remaining setae in R series invisible. Setae J6, Z3 –Z4 and S1–S4 elongated, apically finely barbed with hyaline endings. The interval between setae J6 and J6 is 62–71 μm, and setae Z5 and J6 are 13–19 μm apart.

Etymology

The specific name manisaensis reflects the name of the city Manisa ( Turkey) where the new species was collected.

Mean lengths and ranges of opisthonotal setae are given in Table 3 for female, male, deutonymph and protonymph specimens. Zercon manisaensis sp. nov. is quite similar to Z. ignobilis Błaszak, 1979 , Z. inonuensis Urhan, 2007 , Z. lepurus Błaszak, 1979 , Z. separatus Urhan, 2001 , Z. serratus Urhan, 1999 , and Z. solenites HaarlØv, 1942 . The distinctive morphological features of these seven species are shown in Table 4. Comparisons are based on published descriptions and illustrations, not on the direct examination of specimens.

Figures

Figure 4. Drawings of adult specimens of Zercon manisaensis sp. nov. (a) Dorsal view of female; (b) ventral view of female; (c) dorsal view of male; (d) ventral view of male. Scale bars: 100 µm.

Figure 5. Drawings of nymph specimens of Zercon manisaensis sp. nov. (a) Dorsal view of deutonymph; (b) dorsal view of protonymph. Scale bar: 100 µm.