Mites of the family Zerconidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Southwestern Turkey, with description of three new species

Abstract

The diversity of zerconid mites was examined in the Marmaris National Park, which is located in Muğla province at southwestern Turkey, for a period of twelve months between May 2020 and April 2021. Ten Zerconidae species were found in the study area, three of which belonging to the genus Prozercon and remaining seven species belonging to the genus Zercon. Among them, three new species of the genus Zercon, Z. dogani sp. nov., Z. marmarisensis sp. nov. and Z. muglaensis sp. nov. were described and illustrated. Also, altitute and habitat preferences of all zerconid mites collected from the study area were presented and a key to the species was given.