Six new species of Prozercon Sellnick, 1943 (Acari, Mesostigmata, Zerconidae) from Greece, with remarks on the genus

The taxonomic histroy of the genus Prozercon Sellnick, 1943 is summarised. A diagnosis of the genus is given, with remarks on variability of certain characters. The genus Rafas Blaszak, 1979b, which was defined earlier on the basis of its divided sternal shield, is proposed as junior synonym of Prozercon, which results in the following new combinations: P. bisternalis (Blaszak, 1979b) comb. nov. and P. blaszaki (Urhan & Ayyildiz, 1996d) comb. nov. Prozercon changbaiensis Bei et al., 2002 is transferred to Mesozercon Blaszak, 1976 as Mesozercon changbaiensis (Bei et al., 2002) comb. nov., on the basis of the presence of the adgenital gland openings and ventrianal setae ZV1. Prozercon willmanni Schweizer, 1948 was synonymised earlier with a former variety of P. kochi Sellnick, 1944, but is here regarded as a valid species since there are several important characters distinguishing the two species. Prozercon masani Moraza, 2006 is proposed as junior synonym of P. cambriensis Skorupski & Luxton, 1996 since no convincing differences exist between the two species. Six new species, P. achaeanus sp. nov., P. bulbiferus sp. nov., P. dramaensis sp. nov., P. graceus sp. nov., P. morazae sp. nov. and P. norae sp. nov., are described from Greece, and P. carpathofimbriatus and P. carsticus are recorded for the first time from the country. Detailed descriptions of the female and the previously unknown deutonymph are of P. yavuzi Urhan, 1998a also presented, as the Greek specimens differ from the Turkish ones by important characters. A key to the known species of Prozercon is provided.