Prozercon banazensis sp. nov. (Acari: Mesostigmata: Zerconidae),a new species of zerconid mite from Turkey, with a new record

Abstract

Introduction Zerconid mites are important members of the soil fauna and they colonize various soil substrates (Karaca and Urhan, 2015a). They are free-living and mostly associated with humus, soil, decomposed litter, leaf mold, plant parts, and mosses (Urhan, 2010a). These small predatory mites feed on the eggs, larvae, and nymphs of other mites and springtails (Shereef et al., 1984). At present, approximately 40 genera comprising more than 400 species are known worldwide. Only two genera, Prozercon and Zercon, have been recorded from Turkey. The genus Prozercon, based on the number of species in Turkey and worldwide, is the second richest genus in the family Zerconidae. To date, more than 60 species of this genus have been recorded from the West Palearctic. Of these, 29 species were known from Turkey (Karaca and Urhan, 2015b). With the new species and new record of zerconid mites, the number of recorded Prozercon species from Turkey has risen from 29 to 31. Previously, P. morazae was described by Ujvári (2011) on the basis of materials collected from Arkadia, Greece. The aim of this study is to contribute to the knowledge of the Turkish zerconid fauna. 2. Materials and methods Litter, moss, and soil samples taken from Kütahya and Uşak provinces were brought to the laboratory in plastic bags. Mites were extracted using a Berlese funnel apparatus. They were then cleared with lactic acid and mounted in glycerin. Measurements and illustrations were made using a standard light microscope equipped with a drawing attachment (Olympus CX41 and DP25 camera). Finally, mites were