Zercon karacasuensis Bulut & Urhan & Karaca 2021, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Bulut, Davut Rıza
name: Urhan, Raşit
name: Karaca, Mehmet
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Mesostigmata
Zerconidae
Zercon
Zercon karacasuensis

description: Zercon karacasuensis sp. nov. (Figures 1-4)   
Zoobank: http:/zoobank.org/ 361001AE-0C37-4BB0- 8A61-ECEB1B52D081  
 Type material. Holotype (female), soil and litter samples under Turkish pine tree (Pinus brutia), 37°47'15.90'' N, 28°37'39.30'' E, 459 m a.s.l., vicinity of Dereköy and GÜzelköy neighorboods, Karacasu County, Aydın Province, 7 October 2020. Paratypes: One female, one male, same data as holotype.   
 Diagnosis. Anterior margin of ventrianal shield with one pair of setae (JV 1). All podonotal setae short, smooth and needle-like (except seta j1). Seta j1 slightly elongated, finely barbed apically. Great majority of opisthonotal setae short, smooth and needle-like. Setae Z5 and S5 longer than other opisthonotal setae, finely barbed with hyaline endings. Pores gdS2 located between setae Z2 and S3, gdZ3 located between setae J4 and Z4. Dorsal cavities distinct and strongly developed. Podonotum and anterior margin of opisthonotum covered with tile-like pattern, mid-area to posterior margin of opisthonotum covered by irregular punctate pattern.   
Female (Figs 1, 2) (n= 2). Lenghts (without gnathosoma) 437–460 and widths 310–330.  
 Dorsal side (Fig. 1). Twenty pairs of setae present on podonotum: setae in j series with six pairs, z series with five pairs, s series with six pairs and r series with three pairs. All of them short, equal in size, smooth and needle-like (except seta j1). Setae j1 slightly elongated, finely barbed apically. Twenty one pairs of setae present on opisthonotum: setae in J series with five pairs, Z series with five pairs, S series with five pairs and R series with six pairs. Most of opisthonotal setae short, smooth and needle-like (except setae J5, Z4–5 and S5). Setae J5 and Z4 short, but hyaline endings without finely barbed. Setae Z5 and S5 longer than others, finely barbed with hyaline endings and reaching to beyond of opisthonotum. None of setae in J, Z and S series reaching the bases of the following seta. Seta JV5 similar in length and shape to marginal R setae. All marginal setae (S1 + R 1– R 6) situated as vertically to lateral margin of opisthonotum. The intervals between setae Z5 and Z5 101–107, setae Z5 and JV5 26–29, respectively. Lengths of the opisthonotal setae and distances between setal bases within longitudinal J, Z and S rows are given in Table 1 for female and male specimens.   
 Pores (Fig. 1). On podonotum, pores gdj2 located on the line connecting setae j3–s1, closer to s1. Pores gdj4 located on the line connecting setae j4–z4, closer to z4. Pores gds4 located on the line connecting setae s4–s5, closer to s4. On opisthonotum, pores gdZ1 located above the insertions of setae Z1. Pores gdS2 located on the line connecting setae Z2–S3. Pores gdZ3 located on the line connecting setae J4–Z4, closer to J4. Pores gdS5 located below to the insertions of setae S5.   
 Ventral side (Fig. 2). Chaetotaxy and shape of the peritrematal shields normal for the genus Zercon. Posterolateral tips of peritrematal shield reaching the level of setae S1– R 1. Peritrematal shield with two pairs of setae (r1 and r3), seta r1 short, smooth and needle-like, seta r3 elongated and finely barbed apically. Peritremes similar to reverse comma. Sternal shield with three pairs of setae (st1–st3), epigynal shield with one pair of setae (st5), and one seta (st4) located between sternal and epigynal shields; all of them (st1–st5) short, smooth and needle-like. Glands gv2 present between posterior section of epigynal shield and anterior section of ventrianal shield. Ventrianal shield with nine pairs of setae (JV1–JV5, ZV2–ZV4 and Ad) and one single postanal seta (Pa); all of them short, smooth and needle-like. Seta ZV1 absent. Postanal seta as the longest on the ventrianal shield. Anterior margin of ventrianal shield with one pair of setae (JV 1).   
 Male (Figs 3, 4) (n= 1). Lenght (without gnathosoma) 334 and width 228. Chaetotaxy of idiosoma, location of pores on idiosoma and ornamentation of dorsal shields similar to the females (except opisthonotal setae J5 and Z4). Although these setae are hyaline endings without finely barbed in female specimens, they are smooth and needle-like in male specimen. The intervals between setae Z5 and Z5 88, setae Z5 and JV5 20, respectively.   
Immature stages. Not found.  
 Etymology. The specific epithet ‘ karacasuensis ’ refers to the Karacasu County (Aydın Province) where the new species was collected.   
 Remarks. Zercon karacasuensis sp. nov. is quite similar to Z. hispanicus Sellnick, 1958, Z. kastamonuensis Urhan and Karaca, 2019 and Z. lepurus Błazsak, 1979. The morphological distinguishing characters of these four species were given in Table 2.
description: Published as part of Bulut, Davut Rıza, Urhan, Raşit & Karaca, Mehmet, 2021, Zerconid mites (Acari, Zerconidae) from eastern parts of Aydın Province (Turkey), with description of Zercon karacasuensis sp. nov., pp. 73-81 in Acarological Studies 3 (2) on page 77, DOI: 10.47121/acarolstud.911415, http://zenodo.org/record/10831007