Zerconidae
Creators: name: Díaz-Aguilar, Irma
name: Ujvári, Zsolt
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Mesostigmata
Zerconidae

description: Key to the females of the Nearctic genera of Zerconidae
1. Peritrematal shield with a single pair of setae .....................................................................Monozercon Błaszak, 1984
- Peritrematal shield with more than one pair of setae.................................................................................................... 2
2. Peritrematal shield with two pairs of setae ................................................................................................................... 3
- Peritrematal shield with three pairs of setae ............................................................................................................... 18
3. Peritrematal shield posteriorly truncated ...................................................................................................................... 4
- Posterolateral ends of peritrematal shield expanded posteriorly .................................................................................. 8
4. Peritrematal setae p1 short and smooth, p2 elongate and pilose .................................................................................. 5
- Both peritrematal setae short and smooth..................................................................................................................... 6
5. Peritrematal shield narrowly separated from dorsal shield; adgenital sclerites absent.... Mixozercon Halašková, 1963
- Peritrematal shield widely separated from dorsal shield; adgenital sclerites present............ Zercon C. L. Koch, 1836
6. Ventri-anal shield divided into three lobes by a pair of deep lateral incisions .................. Macrozercon Błaszak, 1976
- Ventri-anal shield without lateral incisions................................................................................................................... 7
7. Peritrematal shield narrowly separated from dorsal shield; ventri-anal shield expanded anterolaterally; margin of opisthonotum with seven pairs of setae; dorsal cavities absent ............................................ Lindquistas Błaszak, 1981
- Peritrematal shield widely separated from dorsal shield; ventri-anal shield not expanded anterolaterally; margin of opisthonotum with eight pairs of setae; dorsal cavities present and conspicuous ................... Bledas Halašková, 1977
8. Peritrematal setae approximately uniform, both short and smooth .............................................................................. 9
- Peritrematal setae diverse in form .............................................................................................................................. 11
9. Posterolateral ends of peritrematal shield free ........................................................................... Bakeras Błaszak, 1984
- Posterolateral ends of peritrematal shield fused to ventri-anal shield ........................................................................ 10
10. Adgenital sclerites present, with two pores ........................................................ Blaszakiella Sikora & Skoracki, 2008
- Adgenital sclerites absent, only a single opening of gv2 present ....................................... Microzercon Błaszak, 1976
11. Peritrematal setae p1 pilose, p2 short and smooth...................................................................................................... 12
- Peritrematal setae p1 short and smooth, p2 longer ..................................................................................................... 15
12. Posterolateral ends of peritrematal shield connected to ventri-anal shield........................ Cosmozercon Błaszak, 1981
- Posterior ending of peritrematal shield free................................................................................................................ 13
13. Peritremes extremely long, reaching beyond the insertion of p2 ....................................... Echinozeron Błaszak, 1976
- Peritremes medium-sized, not reaching the level of p2.............................................................................................. 14
14. Posterolateral ends of peritrematal shield separated by a narrow slit, as a pair of free ventro-lateral shields; margin of opisthonotum with nine pairs of setae ...................................................................................... Krantzas Błaszak, 1981
- Free ventro-lateral shields absent; margin of opisthonotum with eight pairs of setae .......... Allozercon Błaszak, 1984
15. Margin of opisthonotum usually with 16 pairs of setae .................................................. Caurozercon Halašková, 1977
- Margin of opisthonotum with eight pairs of setae ...................................................................................................... 16
16. Adgenital sclerites present ................................................................................................... Hypozercon Błaszak, 1981
- Adgenital sclerites absent ........................................................................................................................................... 17
17. Peritrematal setae p2 smooth; one pair of adgenital gland openings present; ventri-anal shield with 17 setae (Vl1 present) ........................................................................................ Paleozercon Błaszak, Cokendolpher & Polyak, 1995
- Peritrematal setae p2 pilose; adgenital gland openings absent; ventri-anal shield with 15 setae (Vl1 absent) ............. .................................................................................................................................................... Boreozercon gen. nov.
18. Peritrematal shield posteriorly truncated .................................................................... Skeironozercon Halašková, 1977
- Posterolateral ends of peritrematal shield expanded posteriorly ................................................................................ 19
19. Setae p1 and p2 pilose; adgenital sclerites and gland openings absent .....................................Aspar Halašková, 1977
- Setae p1 and p2 smooth; 2–3 pairs of adgenital gland openings on conspicuous adgenital sclerites present............ 20
20. Posterior margin of opisthonotum with six pairs of setae .................................................. Parhozercon Błaszak, 1981
- Posterior margin of opisthonotum with seven pairs of setae .............................................. Parazercon Trägårdh, 1931
description: Published as part of Díaz-Aguilar, Irma & Ujvári, Zsolt, 2010, New zerconid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata: Zerconidae) from Canada, with a review of the genus Mixozercon Halašková, 1963, pp. 1-29 in Zootaxa 2555 on page 26, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.196913