Arch. Biol. Sci., Belgrade, 63 (4), 1265-1271, 2011 DOI:10.2298/ABS1104265K

1265

THE FIRST RECORD OF THE GENUS ODIELLUS (OPILIONES, PHALANGIIDAE) IN TURKEY WITH SOME SEM STUDIES ON ITS MORPHOLOGY

K. KURT1 and Ö. KÖKSAL ERMAN2

1 Gümüşhane University, Şiran Vocational School, TR-29700 Gümüşhane, Turkey 2 Atatürk University, Science and Arts Faculty, Department of Biology, TR-25240 Erzurum, Turkey

Abstract - The harvestmen species Odiellus lendli (Soerensen, 1894), with its genus Odiellus Roewer, 1923, was found in Anatolia. It represents a new record of Turkish harvestmen fauna. The characteristic features of this species are described and illustrated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies on the dorsal integument, ventral habitus, chelicerae, pedi-palpus, trident, the ocularium and legs of female specimens are also presented. Localities of the collecting sites are photo-graphed and plotted on a map.

Key words: Harvestmen, Opiliones, new record, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Odiellus lendli, Turkey.

UDC 595.44(560):591.9

INTRODUCTION

Knowledge of the harvestmen fauna of Turkey is poor and needs studying. So far, 61 species and 3 subspe-cies belonging to 7 families have been recorded from the country (Bayram et al., 2010; Kurt et al., 2010).

The genus Odiellus currently includes about 18 valid species, and is distributed all over the world (Hallan 2005, Martens 1978, Karaman, 2008). This genus is represented by five species on the Balkan Peninsula, Caucasus and Europe. These species are Odiellus spinosus (Bosc, 1792), O. lendli (Soerensen, 1894), O. granulatus (Canestrini, 1871), O. serbicus Karaman, 2008 and O. zecariensis Mkheidze, 1952 (Chemeris and Kovblyuk, 2005 and Karaman, 2008). No member of this genus was previously known from Turkey. We have found the first representative of the genus from Turkey, O. lendli (Soerensen, 1894).

This paper reports on the characteristic features of O. lendli and adds a genus and species to the har-vestmen fauna of Turkey.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study was carried out in different periods be-tween April and September 2008-2010 in the Gümüşhane and Bayburt provinces in Turkey. Har-vestmen specimens were collected using pitfall traps and manual collection from their habitats.

The examined specimens were preserved in 70% ethanol and deposited in the Organic Agriculture Department of Şiran Vocational School, Gümüşhane University. The identification of species was made by a ZX61 Olympus stereomicroscope. All measure-ments are in millimeters.

For SEM studies, specimens were kept in 70% ethyl alcohol before being photographed by SEM. They were dried at 37°C in an oven for 30 min for dehydration and were fixed on copper stubs which were covered by two-sided sticky carbon paper. Af-terwards, the specimens were coated with a thin layer of gold by a sputter coater in the electron microscopy unit of the University of Karadeniz Technical (Tra-

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bzon, Turkey). Finally, the specimens were photo-graphed by SEM (JSM 6400)

RESULTS

Odiellus lendli (Soerensen, 1894)

Odiellus lendlii: Martens, 1978: 339, 343-344, figs 642, 651-656.

Odiellus bieniaszi: Starega, 1966: 395-397, figs 9-11, 1978: 213, Chevrizov, 1979a: 84, 1979b: 18, figs 89-91, Snegovaya, 1999: 453-459, figs 14-18.

Odiellus bieniascii: Redikortsev, 1936: 1.

Odius bieniaszii: Roewer, 1912: 62.

Materials: Gümüşhane Province: Şiran District, Yukarıkulaca village, 18.VI.2008, (1♂, 2♀♀); Köse District, Köse Mountain, 15.VII.2008, (2♀♀); Kel-kit District, 10.VIII.2009, (2♂♂, 1♀); Torul District, Yalınkavak village, 09.VI.2010, (3♂♂, 2♀♀); Bayburt Province: Kop Mountain, 08.VIII.2010, (2♂♂, 3♀♀); Maden village,12.VII.2009, (1♂, 2♀♀); Aydınlar District, 22.VI.2009, (3♂♂, 2♀♀).

Description: Body (Figs. 1-3): Wide, rounded, oval, robust and matt silver gray, quite small legs. Long acute tubercles are situated on carapace and around

odoriferous glands. Openings of odoriferous glands rather inconspicuous. Abdomen is covered dorsally with transverse rows of numerous oval, tall and short tubercles. A robust trident which is formed by three nearly equal large teeth is situated in the middle of anterior carapace. Females are usually darker than males.

The ocularium (Figs 4): The ocularium which is dor-sally covered with 5-6 obtuse, spherical short silver gray tubercles on each side, is high.

Chelicerae (Figs 5): Normal, small and strong. Basal segment is covered dorsally with only hairs and ven-trally with a spur. Distal segment is covered with hairs.

Figs. 1-2. Female (1) and male (2) habitus of O. lendli (Soerens-en, 1894).

Fig. 3. (A). Dorsal view of O. lendli (30X) [Trident (Trd), Tuber ocularium (To), Short tubercles (Sht)], (B). Ventral view of O. lendli (70X) [Coxae (Cx), Trochanter (Tr), Small tubercles (Smt), Large tubercles (Lt)], (C). Ventral view of O. lendli (25X) [Coxae (Cx), Che-licerae (Ch), Pedipalpus (Pd), Trochanter (Tr), Genital operculum (Gop), Anal operculum (Aop)].

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Pedipalpus (Figs 6): Small, strong. Ventral surface of trochanter and femur are coated with short, spine-tipped tubercles, dorsally with hairs. Patella and tibia slightly swollen and covered with hair. Tarsus claw is smooth.

Legs (Figs 7): Small, strong and pentagonal. Ventral surface of coxae is coated with small tubercles and its lateral with large tubercles. Trochanters have spine-tipped tubercles on the surface. Femur, patellae, tibia, tarsus, and metatarsus are covered with setae. Femur I and II cylindrical, III and VI are slightly angular.

Penis (Figs 8): Corpus gradually extends to base,

glans with wing-shaped lateral keels on ear side.

World distribution: This species is spread through Central and Eastern Europe (Martens, 1978, Chemeris and Kovblyuk, 2005).

Habitat (Figs. 9): This species was collected from un-der stone and leaf in the forest.

Acknowledgements - We are very grateful to Lecturer Nazlı Uysal (Gümüşhane University) and Dr. Osman SEYYAR (Nigde University) for their advice and valuable comments. We also thank Dr. Nataly SNEGOVAYA (Institute of Zoology NAS of Azerbaijan) and Prof. Dr. Plamen MITOV (Depart-

Fig. 4. (A). Tuber ocularium view of O. lendli (180X) [Short tubercles (Sht), Simple eyes (se), Anterior (An)], (B). Trident view of O. lendli (200X) [Trident (Trd)].

Fig. 5. (A) (80X) - (B). (90X) Lateral view of O. lendli chelicerae [Setae (St), Distal segment (Ds), Basal segment (Bs), Ventral spur (Vs), Movable finger (Mf)], (C). Distal segment view of O. lendli chelicerae (170X) [Movable digit (Md), Fixed digit (Fd), Setae (St)]

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Fig. 6. (A). Lateral view of O. lendli pedipalpus (60X) [Trochanters (Tr), Femur (Fe), Patellae (Pt), Tibia (Tb), Tarsus (Ta), Claw (Cl)], (B). Tarsus view of O. lendli pedipalpus (200X) [Claw (Cl), Setae (St), Hairs (Hr)], (C). Lateral Femur view of O. lendli pedipalpus (120X) [Setae (St), Femur (Fe), Spine-tipped tubercles (Stt)], ( D). Tarsus view of O. lendli pedipalpus (600X) [Claw (Cl)], (E). Lateral femur view of O. lendli pedipalpus (120X) [Femur (Fe), Spine-tipped tubercles (Stt)].

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Figs. 7. (A). Lateral view of O.lendli legs (35X) [ Trochanters (Tr), Femur (Fe), Patellae (Pt), Tibia (Tb), Metatarsus (Mt), Tarsus (Ta), Claw (Cl)], (B). Lateral tibia view of O.lendli legs (100X) [ Setae (St), Denticles (Dt)], (C). Lateral tarsus view of O.lendli legs (350X) [ Claw (Cl), Setae (St), Hairs (Hr)].

Figs. 8: Chelicerae (3), pedipalp (4) and penis (5) of O. lendli (Soerensen, 1894).

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Figs. 9. Habitats from which O. lendli (Soerensen, 1894) were collected.

Fig. 10. Distribution of Odiellus lendli (Soerensen, 1894) in Turkey.

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ment of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Uni-versity of Sofia, Bulgaria) for their literature support, and the Mechanical Engineering Department of Karadeniz Technical University for laboratory work. This study is part of the doc-toral thesis of the first author.

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