Heterozerconidae Berlese 1892

Klompen, Hans & Gerdeman, Beverly S., 2023, Genus-level revision of the Heterozerconoidea (Parasitiformes: Mesostigmata), Zootaxa 5322 (1), pp. 1-66 : 21

Heterozerconidae Berlese 1892

Heterozerconidae Berlese 1892: 97

[type genus: Heterozercon Berlese 1892 by monotypy].

Diagnosis. Movable digit of the chelicera in the female elongate (length> 6x basal width) (3); spermatodactyl present on fixed digit of the male (6); axial outgrowth of palp trochanter in female distinct and membranous (8); palp femur seta pd1 added (10); lateral lips enlarged to form a trough (19); distance from setae hyp3 to sc distinctly larger than distance from hyp3 to hyp2 (21.2, reversed in Narceoheterozercon , Maracazercon , many Heterozercon , and some Afroheterozercon ); setal base-like structure on hypostome present (25); opisthogastral suckers in adults present, posterior to ventral shield (63.1, reversed in Amyzozercon ); marginal opisthosomal setae all setiform (77.0); femora I seta av in male spine-like (104).

Remarks. The family is well characterized by a broad set of modifications of the female and male chelicera and hypostome and, possibly, by the presence of a pair of large ventral suckers posterior to the ventral shield (63 but see Amyzozercon ).

The grouping of Amyzozercon and Ecuazercon is supported by a few unusual characters: basal part of fixed digit in female elongate, length width ratio 4–6 ( Fig. 2 ) (1); posterior dorsal setae Z2–Z4 elongate (32); sternal setae st1 and lyrifissures iv 1 in female and males on separate shields or inserted in soft cuticle (36, 49); postero-marginal shields in female small, not extending lateral to opisthogastral suckers (80); femora I seta av in male large curved spine (104). This grouping is poorly supported in jackknife analyses with an arrangement of Amyzozercon as sistergroup to the remaining Heterozerconidae as the most common alternative option.

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. Chelicera females: 1, Discozerconidae, Discozercon derricki., female (OSAL 052739); 2, Heterozerconidae, Amyzozercon chocoensis, female (OSAL 106741); 3, Al. (Philippinozercon) makilingensis, female (OSAL 053222; blue arrow: brush like structure on inside movable digit). Abbreviations: pd: pilus dentilus. Red arrows: thin, strap-like extensions on the movable digit.