Prozercon yavuzi Urhan 1998
Creators: name: Keçeci, Büşra
name: Urhan, Raşit
name: Karaca, Mehmet
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Mesostigmata
Zerconidae
Prozercon
Prozercon yavuzi

description: Prozercon yavuzi Urhan, 1998
Materials examined: Three females: soil and litter samples under oak tree (Quercus sp.), 37°39.598' N, 27°6.434' D, 814 m a.s.l., vicinity of radar surveillance area of “ Naval Forces Command ”, 10 December 2018. Nine females: soil and litter samples under sage-leaved rock-rose (Cistus salviifolius), 37°44.784' N, 27°20.967' D, 200 m a.s.l., vicinity of Söke- Davutlar neighborhoods road, 14 May 2019. One female: soil and litter samples under Turkish pine (Pinus brutia), 37°38.899' N, 27°15.744' D, 10 m a.s.l., Yuvacaköy neighborhood, 14 May 2019. Four females and two males: soil and litter samples under olive tree (Olea europaea), 37°37.283' N, 27°11.763' D, 12 m a.s.l., vicinity of Tuzburgazı neighborhood, 14 May 2019. One female: soil and litter samples under oleaster-leafed pear (Pyrus elaeagrifolia), 37°41.121' N, 27°17.595' D, 892 m a.s.l., Dilek Mountain, 31 August 2019. One female: soil and litter samples under kermes oak (Quercus coccifera), 37°42.213' N, 27°17.990' D, 385 m a.s.l., vicinity of Kurşunlu Monastery, Davutlar neighborhood, 9 November 2019. Six females: soil and litter samples under holly oak (Quercus ilex), 37°42.624' N, 27°18.512' D, 277 m a.s.l., vicinity of Kurşunlu Monastery, Davutlar neighborhood, 9 November 2019. One female: moss samples, 37°41.798' N, 27°9.436' D, 21 m a.s.l., vicinity of Kavaklıburun Bay, 3 February 2020.
Turkish distribution: Aydın, Balıkesir, Denizli, İstanbul, Muğla (Karaca, 2015, 2021).
Known distribution: Turkey (Urhan, 1998), Crete, Greece (Ujvári, 2008, 2011).
Key to Prozercon species in the Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park
1 All marginal setae on opisthonotum pilose or plumose. Seta S4 present …….…………………………………………………..… 2
1′ All marginal setae on opisthonotum (except seta S1) short, smooth and needle-like. Seta S4 absent …….……………………………………………… P. yavuzi Urhan, 1998
2 Marginal setae on opisthonotum with seven pairs (S1 + R1–R6), seta Z5 situated as parallel to posterior margin of opisthonotum …………………………….… P. didimensis sp. nov.
2′ Marginal setae on opisthonotum with seven pairs (S1 + R1–R7), seta Z5 situated as vertically to posterior margin of opisthonotum …………………..… P. umidicola Urhan, 2002
Altitude preferences of Prozercon species in the Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park
All materials for the Prozercon species were collected from suitable forestland areas at the altitude from 0 to 1000 m a.s.l. All sampling areas were divided according to 50 meters elevation ranges. After identification processes in the laboratory, the altitudinal distribution results of the Prozercon species were marked in Table 3.
According to Table 3, P. didimensis sp. nov. occurs only at lower altitudes (50–100 m a.s.l.). In addition, P. umidicola was only found at 450–500 m a.s.l. zones. However, since P. yavuzi showed a wide range of occurrences from 100 to 850 m a.s.l., it has no clear preference in terms of altitudinal ranges, but can live in low to mid-land areas.
Habitat preferences of Prozercon species in the Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park
Samplings for Prozercon species were carried out in 97 different localities and the following 23 habitat types, mostly tree species, were noted: broom (Genista sp.), carob (Ceratonia siliqua), fern (Pteridium aquilinum), hawthorn (Crataegus sp.), juniper (Juniperus sp.), mastic (Pistacia sp.), moss (unspecified), mullein (Verbascum sp.), myrtle (Myrtus communis), oak (Quercus sp.), oleaster-leafed pear (Pyrus elaeagrifolia), olive (Olea europaea), pine (Pinus brutia and P. nigra), raspberry (Rubus sp.), rockrose (Cistus sp.), shrub (Daphne gnidioides), strawberry tree (Arbutus sp.), sycamore (Platanus orientalis), tamarisk (Tamarix sp.), thorn (Paliurus spinachristi), thorny burnet (Sarcopoterium spinosum) and walnut (Juglans regia). Habitat preferences of Prozercon species were marked in Table 4.
According to Table 4, all Prozercon specimens were found only in five different habitats (Olea europaea, Pistacia sp., Pinus brutia, P. nigra and Quercus sp.). In the remaining habitats, no specimens of Prozercon were found.
description: Published as part of Keçeci, Büşra, Urhan, Raşit & Karaca, Mehmet, 2021, Mites of the genus Prozercon (Acari: Zerconidae) in Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park (Turkey), with description of a new species, pp. 37-42 in Acarological Studies 3 (1) on pages 39-41, DOI: 10.47121/acarolstud.837286, http://zenodo.org/record/8150368