Two new species of the genus Longicheles Valle, 1953 from the Kelkit Valley, Turkey, with redescription Longicheles lagrecai (Valle, 1963) (Acari: Macrochelidae) Author Özbek, Hasan Hüseyin Author Bal, Durmuş Ali Author Doğan, Salih text Zootaxa 2013 3709 5 461 472 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.3709.5.4 499e78ff-2ee1-41b0-b69b-95598f7d579a 1175-5326 222263 2900E016-B72F-40F7-B707-0C76D9826498 Longicheles ayyildizi sp. nov. ( Figures 12–17 , 31–33 ) Diagnosis. Dorsal setae j5 , j6 , z1 , z5 , z6 , J2 and J5 smooth, other setae pilose; bases of j1 separated from each other; anterior ends of peritremes surpassing bases of setae z1 ; ventri-anal shield wider than long, length of pre-anal setae Jv1 , 25–30, Jv2 , about 45, Jv3 , 35–50, Zv1 , 55–60, Zv2 , 50–65. Specimens examined. Holotype female, Turkey , Tokat, Niksar, 40° 32' 03'' N , 36° 53' 08'' E , alt. 408 m , 27 April 2011 , from litter. Paratypes . one female, Turkey , Sivas, Suşehri, 40° 24' 25'' N , 37° 13' 02'' E , alt. 451 m , 0 1 November 2008 , from litter under Ulmus sp ; one female, Turkey , Tokat, Niksar, 40° 25' 44'' N , 37° 07' 47'' E , alt. 494 m , 10 June 2011 , from litter; one female, Turkey , Köse, 40° 16' 59'' N , 39° 37' 52'' E , alt. 1869 m , 0 1 May 2012 , from litter under Pinus sp.; one female, Turkey , Köse, 40° 04' 46'' N , 39° 02' 39'' E , alt. 1329 m , 0 1 May 2012 , from litter under Coryllus sp.; one female, Turkey , Giresun, Alucra-Çamoluk, 40° 15' 15'' N , 38° 49' 48'' E , alt. 1825 m , 0 1 May 2012 , from moss. Description. Female. Dorsum ( Fig. 12 ). Dorsal shield 840–980 long, 470–490 wide at the level of setae r4 , oblong, covered with punctate ornamentation, posteriorly also reticulate; setae j5 , j6 , z1 , z5 , z6 , J2 and J5 aciculate or needle-like, other setae pilose; bases of j1 separate from each other, anterior end of peritremes surpassing bases of setae z1 ; length of setae: j1 , 35–40; j5 , 85–90; j6 , 70–75; z1 , 110–115; z5 , 60–70; z6 , 55–75; J2 , 80–95; J5 , 75– 85. Venter ( Fig. 13 ). Sternal shield 180–190 long, 170–190 wide at the level of coxae II, ornamented with punctate and sculptured polygonal pattern; carrying three pairs of smooth setae, st1 (60–75) longest, st2 (about 50) longer than st3 ( Fig. 32 ). Metasternal shields free, each with a smooth seta and a pore. Genital shield 160–170 long, 230– 250 wide, ornamented with punctate-reticulate pattern, with a pair of smooth setae. Ventri-anal shield ( Fig. 33 ) wider than long, 350–400 long, 370–410 wide, ornamented with polygonal pattern; with five pairs of pre-anal setae, a pair of para-anal setae and a post-anal seta; setae Zv2 pilose, other pre-anal setae smooth; length of pre-anal setae; Jv1 , 25–30; Jv2 , about 45; Jv3 , 35–50; Zv1 , 55–60; Zv2 , 50–65. FIGURES 12 – 17. Longicheles ayyildizi sp. nov. , female. 12. dorsal shield; 13. ventral shields; 14. gnathosoma; 15. epistome; 16. chelicera; 17. tarsus II. Scale bar=200 µm for 12 and 13, 100 µm for 14–17. Gnathosoma . Four pairs of hypostomal setae present, all smooth and needle-like; deutosternal grove with five rows of denticles. Corniculi slender and long, not reaching base of palp genu ( Fig. 14 ). Palp apotele 3-tined. Epistome 100 long in holotype , median process with lateral outgrowth at base, narrowed and bifurcate apically ( Fig. 15 ). Fixed digit of chelicerae 120–130 long at level of dorsal seta, dorsal seta smooth and blade-like; moveable digit about 170 long with 6–7 small teeth and one large subterminal tooth. Arthrodial brush short ( Figs 16 , 31 ). Legs . Chaetotaxy normal for the genus Longicheles . Coxae I with a pair of smooth setae, coxae II and III with a pair of pilose setae, coxae IV with a pilose seta. Tarsus II as in Fig. 17 . Etymology. The species is named for Turkish acarologist Dr. Nusret Ayyildiz of Erciyes University, Kayseri. Notes . This species has been found inn litter under Pinus sp. and Coryllus sp., and in moss and litter at altitudes between 408 and 1869 m . Longicheles ayyildizi is clearly separated from other species of L . mandibularis , L . hortorum , L . longulus , L . bulgaricus , L . longisetosus , L . ilvana and L . ozkani , but it is similar to L . lagrecai , L . bianchii , L . ranzii . It differs from L . lagrecai by the short pre-anal setae, ventri-anal shield wider than long, ornamentation of the sternal shield, dentition of the cheliceral digits, and the shape of the epistome. Also, L . ayyildizi is easily separated from L . ranzii and L . bianchii by with setae j2 pilose, J5 needle-like (pilose for L . ranzii ), z1 110–115 long (about 80 for L . ranzii and L . bianchii ), different dentition of the cheliceral digits, and the shape of the epistome.