Zercon filiformis Karaca & Urhan, 2016, sp. nov.

Zercon filiformis sp. nov.

Materials examined. Holotype (female), soil and litter samples under beech trees (Fagus sp.), 41°50' N, 27°28' E, 514 m, vicinity of Armutveren and Çukurpınar villages, centre of Kırklareli province, March 2014; Paratypes: 16 females and 12 males, same data as holotype. 1 female, soil, litter and moss samples under oak trees (Quercus sp.) and beech trees (Fagus sp.), 41°48' N, 27°44' E, 527 m, vicinity of Pınarhisar village, Demirköy district (Kırklareli province), September 2013; 11 females and 5 males, soil and litter samples under beech trees (Fagus sp.), 41°45' N, 27°50' E, 490 m, vicinity of Demirköy village, Demirköy district (Kırklareli province), March 2014; 3 females, 1 males and 3 deutonymphs, soil, litter and moss samples under beech trees (Fagus sp.), 41°58' N, 27°55' E, 109 m, vicinity of Sislioba village, Demirköy district (Kırklareli province), March 2014; 7 females and 6 males, soil, litter and moss samples under beech trees (Fagus sp.), 41°57' N, 27°54' E, 44 m, Sislioba village, Demirköy district (Kırklareli province), March 2014; 2 females and 1 deutonymph, soil, litter and moss samples under oak trees (Quercus sp.), 41°55' N, 27°55' E, 87 m, Sislioba village, Demirköy district (Kırklareli province), March 2014; 6 females, 4males, 1 deutonymph and 2 protonymphs, soil, litter and moss samples under beech trees (Fagus sp.), 41°54' N, 27°56' E, 32 m, Sislioba village, Demirköy district (Kırklareli province), March 2014; 4 females, 3 males and 5 deutonymphs, soil and litter samples under beech trees (Fagus sp.), 41°53' N, 27°49' E, 322 m, vicinity of Avcılar and Hamdibey villages, Demirköy district (Kırklareli province), March 2014; 1 deutonymph, soil and litter samples under scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), 41°52' N, 27°43' E, 428 m, vicinity of Yeşilce village, Demirköy district (Kırklareli province), March 2014; 11 females and 3 males, soil, litter and moss samples under beech trees (Fagus sp.), 41°53' N, 27°41' E, 372 m, vicinity of Yeşilce village, Demirköy district (Kırklareli province), March 2014; 17 females and 5 males, soil and litter samples under oak trees (Quercus sp.) and beech trees (Fagus sp.), 41°52' N, 27°35' E, 410 m, vicinity of Sarpdere village, Demirköy district (Kırklareli province), March 2014; 2 females, soil and litter samples under oak trees (Quercus sp.), 41°43' N, 27°50' E, 421 m, vicinity of Kızılağaç and Sivriler villages, Vize district (Kırklareli province), March 2014;

Female (Figure 4). Length of idiosoma in holotype 461, width 309. Measurements in female paratypes: mean length 458 (447–469), mean width 309 (298–309) (n =10).

Dorsum (Figure 4). Nineteen pairs of setae present on podonotum: j-row with six pairs, z-row with two pairs, s-row with five pairs and r-row with six pairs. All setae on podonotum smooth. Seta s1 absent. Setae in r series slightly longer than other setae on podonotum. Twenty-two pairs of setae present on opisthonotum: J-row with six pairs, Z-row with five pairs, S-row with four pairs and R-row with seven pairs. All setae on opisthonotum smooth. Only setae J4 and J5 reach beyond base of following setae in the series. Seta Z3 reach to base of seta Z4, seta Z4 reach beyond base of seta Z5. Seta S2 reach to edge of opisthonotum, seta S3 reach beyond opisthonotum. Podonotum and opisthonotum covered with indistinct pattern. Dorsal cavities distinct, equal in size, well sclerotised, axes parallel to that of the body.

Pores (Figure 4). Pore po1 located on line connecting setae j2-s2, pore po2 inside line connecting setae j4-s4 (closer to seta s4) and pore po3 outside of line connecting setae j5-s6 (closer to seta j5) on podonotum. Pore Po1 above the base of seta Z1, pore Po2 outside line connecting setae Z2-S1 (closer to seta Z2), pore Po3 located on line connecting setae J4-Z4, pore Po4 above the base of seta Z5 on opisthonotum.

Venter. Shapes of ventral shields and peritremes, chaetotaxy are typical for genus Zercon. Two pairs of setae present on ventral side of podosoma. Setae p1 short, smooth and needle-like, seta p2 markedly elongated and smooth (not finely barbed, without hyaline ending). Peritremes slightly bent. Lateral ends of peritremal shields reach seta R1. Adgenital shields present (with 3–5 opening valves). Ventrianal shield with nine pairs of setae. Anterior margin of ventrianal shield with four setae and unpaired postanal seta, all short, smooth and needle-like.

Male (Figure 5). Mean length of idiosoma 376 (371–382), mean width 243 (236–248) (n = 10). Dorsal side, ventral side, shape of setae on idiosoma, sculpture of podonotum and opisthonotum, size and appearance of dorsal cavities basically similar to those of female.

Deutonymph. Mean length of idiosoma 403 (392–412), mean width 252 (243–265) (n = 10). All setae smooth on podonotum and opisthonotum.

Protonymph. Mean length of idiosoma 326 (316–336), mean width 195 (187–202) (n = 2). All setae smooth on podonotum and opisthonotum.

Remarks. Average lengths of opisthonotal setae and distances between setae within longitudinal rows of females, males, deutonymphs and protonymphs specimens: see Table 1. Zercon filiformis sp. nov. is closely related to Z. bulgaricus Balogh, Z. cabylus Athias-Henriot and Z. bercziki Ujvári. The distinguishing characters of these four species are shown in Table 2.

Etymology. The name of this new species, filiformis, refers to the shapes of the setae on the opisthonotum.