Prozercon gamzeae, Karaca, 2025

Prozercon gamzeae sp. nov.

Specimens examined. Holotype (♀): soil, litter and moss samples under oak ( Quercus sp. ), 41º21'N, 26º58'E, 31 m a.s.l., vicinity of Akarca and Kadriye villages, Pehlivanköy county (Kırklareli province), 23.03.2014 GoogleMaps . Paratypes: (1 ♀, 1 DN) same data as holotype GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. On podonotum, setae j2–6, z2, z4–5, s1 and s4 smooth, other podonotal setae plumose with various lenghts. On opisthonotum, marginal setae R1–7 smooth and thorn-like, other opisthonotal setae plumose with various lenghts. Gland pore gdS2 located on the line connecting setae Z2 and S2, closer to S2, gdZ3 located on the line connecting setae J4 and Z4, closer to Z4. Dorsal cavities weakly developed. Podonotum covered by reticulate pattern, opisthonotum with tile-like pattern in anterior parts, alveolar pits and irregular dots in middle and posterior parts.

Description

Female (n=2)

( Fig. 9 View FIGURES 6–9 )

Dorsal idiosoma. Length (without gnathosoma) and width in holotype 372 and 266, respectively. Measurement of one paratype: length 357, width 257. Ornamentation of idiosomal shields were illustrated in Fig. 9 View FIGURES 6–9 . Dorsal cavities uniform, outer pair is slightly larger than inner pair, saddle-like and weakly sclerotized. Podonotal shields with 20 pairs of setae, including six pairs in j row (j1–6), five pairs in z row (z2–6), six pairs in s row (s1–6), and three pairs in r row (r2 and r4–5). Setae r1 and r3 inserted ventrally, on peritrematal shields. Setae j1, z3, r4–5, s3 and s6 markedly elongate, densely plumose, brush-like and apically rounded. Setae j2–6, z2, z4–5, s1 and s4 short, smooth and thorn-like. Setae z6, s2, s5 and r2 partly short, but plumose. Seta z6 reaching the margin of posterior part of podonotum. All smooth podonotal setae about the same size. Podonotal shield covered with reticulate pattern with irregular pits in the crossing points on its central and posterocentral surface. Opisthonotal shields with 22 pairs of setae, including five pairs in J row (J1–5), five pairs in Z row (Z1–5), five pairs in S row (S1–5), and seven pairs in R row (R1–7). All opisthonotal setae (except marginal) located on enlarged raised bases. The bases of the setae J3–5 and Z4 are especially enlarged. Except setae R1–7, all the others bilateral plumose. Setae J1–5, Z1–4 and S1–3 similar in appearance and length. Setae Z5 and S4–5 densely plumose, brush-like and apically rounded. In the marginal row, only seta S1 plumose and longer than the others. Setae R1–7 short, smooth and thorn-like. None of setae reaching the insertions of the following seta in J, Z and S rows. Setae Z5 and S4–5 reaching beyond margin of opisthonotum. The range between Z5–Z5 76–80 and Z5–JV5 27–31, respectively. Opisthonotal shield covered with tile-like pattern in anterior parts, relatively large alveolar pits in the middle parts and irregular dots in the remaining parts ( Fig. 9 View FIGURES 6–9 ). Gland pore gds1 located on the line connecting setae s1 and j3, closer to s1, gdj4 located on the line connecting setae j4 and z4, closer to z4, gds4 located on the line connecting setae s4 and s5, gdZ1 located above the insertion of seta Z1, gdS2 located on the line connecting setae Z2 and S2, closer to S2, gdZ3 located on the line connecting setae J4 and Z4, closer to Z4, gdS5 located below the insertion of seta S5 ( Fig. 9 View FIGURES 6–9 ). All opisthonotal gland pores about the same size.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 2 View FIGURES 2–5 ). Posterolateral tips of peritrematal shield reaching the level of setae R1–2. Chaetotaxy and ornamentation of peritrematal shield characteristical for Prozercon species. Peritrematal shield with two pairs of setae (r1 and r3), both short, smooth and needle-like. Peritreme slightly twisted anteriorly, and gland pore gv1 located closer to anterior part of peritreme. Sternal shield with three pairs of setae (st1–3). Epigynal shield with one pair of setae (st5). Setae st4 present between posterior part of sternal shield and anterior part of epigynal shield. All the above-mentioned setae (st1–5) short, smooth and needle-like or thorn-like. Gland pore gv2 absent between posterior part of epigynal shield and anterior part of ventrianal shield. Ventrianal shield with nine pairs of short, smooth and needle-like setae (JV1–5, ZV2–4, Ad), postanal longest, one pair of gland pore, and one single postanal seta (Pa). Seta JV5 similar to opisthonotal setae Z5 and S 4–5 in terms of shape, but shorter them. Anterior margin of ventrianal shield with one pair of setae (JV1 present, ZV1 absent). Gland pore gv3 located closer to the insertions of adanal setae. Anterior part of ventrianal shield covered with squamous pattern, continuously extending the insertions of setae JV3 and ZV3–4.

Deutonymph. ( Fig. 10 View FIGURES 10–12 ).

Length and width of idiosoma 273 and 223, respectively. Dorsal cavities uniform, equal in size and weakly sclerotised. Podonotal setae j2–6, z2, z4–6, s1–2, s4–5 and r2 short, smooth and needle-like or thorn-like. Other podonotal setae plumose with various lengths. Setae j1, z3, s3 and s6 markedly elongate, densely plumose, brush-like and apically rounded. Setae r4–5 plumose, but shorter than other plumose setae on podonotum. All gland pores visible on podonotum. Gland pore gds1 located closer to insertion of seta s1, gdj4 located closer to insertion of seta z4, gds4 located closer to insertion of seta s4. On opisthonotum, only marginal setae R1–5 short, smooth and thorn-like. Unlike female specimens, setae R6–7 invisible. All the others setae plumose with various lengths on opisthonotum. Setae J1–5, Z1–4 and S1–3 similar in appearance and length. Setae Z5 and S4–5 markedly elongate, densely plumose, brush-like and apically rounded, all of them reaching beyond margin of opisthonotum. Setae J4 and S3 reaching the insertions of the following seta in the same row. Setae J5 and Z4 reaching beyond margin of opisthonotum. Three pairs of gland pore visible on opisthonotum, gdZ1 located above the insertion of seta Z1, gdS2 located on the line connecting setae Z2 and S2, gdZ3 located on the line connecting setae J5 and Z4, closer to J5. Gland pore gdS5 invisible. The range between Z5–Z5 63 and Z5–JV5 31, respectively. Podonotum covered by reticulate pattern, opisthonotum with tile-like pattern in anterior parts, alveolar pits in the middle parts and irregular dots in the remaining parts.

Lengths and ranges of opisthonotal setae are given in Table 5 for the female and deutonymph specimens.

Male, protonymph and larva. Not found.

Etymology. The name of the new species is dedicated to Gamze Karaca, my wife and also the mother of my beloved children Miraç and Miray.

Remarks. Prozercon gamzeae sp. nov. is quite similar to P. martae Ujvári, 2010 , P. morazae Ujvári, 2011 and P. yavuzi Urhan, 1998 . These species have common morphological features as follows: podonotal seta j5 smooth, all marginal setae (z3, s2–3, s6, r2, r4–5) on podonotum plumose, opisthonotal seta S1 plumose, big majority of marginal R setae on opisthonotum smooth (except P. martae ), gland pore gdS2 located closer to the insertions of setae Z1–2 or S2, gland pore gdZ3 located between J and Z setal rows (except for P. martae , located between S and R setal rows), none of setae in Z and S rows reaching the insertions of the following setae in the same rows, seta JV5 plumose, dorsal cavities equal in size and parallel to transverse axis. On the other hand, the distinctive morphological features of these four species are shown in Table 6, where all species are compared in terms of shapes of some setae and locations of some gland pores on the podonotal and opisthonotal regions. Most of the opisthonotal setae of the new species are plumose with various lengths. However, some podonotal setae (j2–6, s1, s4, z2 and z4–5) and all marginal setae in R row (R1–7) are smooth, and their shape looks needle-like or thorn-like. Comparing the other species in Table 6, the absence of opisthonotal seta S4 is an important distinguishing character for P. yavuzi in contrary of the remaining species.

When all 70 species in the genus were evaluated in terms of the shape of the marginal setae on opistonotum, it was understood that only in 14 species the seta S1 plumose and other R setae smooth. It is possible to collect these species in four different categories according to their type localities and compare each group within itself. The first group is the species originating from Türkiye ( P. balikesirensis , P. esati sp. nov., P. gamzeae sp. nov., P. giresunensis , and P. yavuzi ). For the first group, only two species ( P. gamzeae sp. nov. and P. giresunensis ) have the full complementary setae in S series. Except these species, in the P. balikesirensis , P. esati sp. nov. and P. yavuzi , opisthonotal seta S4 absent. For the two species with seta S4, in the P. gamzeae sp. nov. opisthonotal seta S3 not reaching the margin of opisthonotum and seta JV5 smooth, while in the P. giresunensis seta S3 reaching beyond the margin of opisthonotum and seta JV5 plumose. The second group is the species originating from Iran ( P. caspiansis , P. dominiaki , and P. iranensis ). In all of these species, setae in the J- series on opisthonotum are elongated and reach the base of the next seta. In the P. gamzeae sp. nov., none of the setae in J- series reach the base of the next seta. The third group is the species originating from Balkan Peninsula ( P. bulgariensis , P. dramaensis , P. morazae , and P. norae ). All of these species have been described from Bulgaria and Greece, all the species have the full complementary setae in S series. However, opisthonotal seta S3 reaching beyond the margin of opisthonotum in P. bulgariensis , P. dramaensis and P. norae , this seta not reaching the margin of opisthonotum in P. gamzeae sp. nov. and P. morazae . In the P. gamzeae sp. nov., setae z6 and s5 plumose and all other setae smooth on podonotum, while in P. morazae , seta j5 smooth and all other setae plumose. The last group is the species originating from Europe ( P. kunsti and P. lutulentus ). The opisthonotal seta S2 smooth in P. lutulentus , however it is plumose in P. gamzeae sp. nov. and P. kunsti . While seta S3 reaching beyond the margin of opisthonotum in P. lutulentus and P. kunsti , it is not reaching the margin of opisthonotum in P. gamzeae sp. nov. Additionally, gland pore gdZ3 located between setae J4 and Z 4 in P. gamzeae sp. nov., it is located between setae Z4 and S 4 in P. kunsti and P. lutulentus . In light of this data, P. gamzeae sp. nov. was presented as a new species in this study.