Lanceoppia ( Lanceoppia ) scytheae, Hugo-Coetzee, Elizabeth A., 2014

Lanceoppia ( Lanceoppia) scytheae View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs 8 View FIGURE 8 , 9 View FIGURE 9 )

Diagnosis. Lanceoppia (L.) scytheae sp. nov. can be distinguished from other Lanceoppia ( L.) species by a combination of the following characters: the presence of a translamellar ridge and faint lamellar lines; the form of the sensillus (lanceolate, curving outwards and then sharply inwards); very short in; rostrum rounded; hysterosoma, anterior to notogaster and posterior to bothridium, without tubercles; seta c 2 represented by alveolus; setae lm and la in a transverse row; seta ad2 far posterior of lyrifissure iad.

Description. Measurements. Length: females (n=4) mean 322 (range 303–335), males (n=8) 304 (293–323). Width: females 168 (159–176), males 163 (150–173). Holotype (male): length 301, width 159.

Integument ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 A, C). Body surface smooth; lateral prodorsum, exobothridial region around Pd II strongly granulated.

Prodorsum ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 A, C). Rostrum rounded; ro inserted laterally, barbed, le, in, ex smooth; ro (27)> le (23)> ex (13)> in (5), ex inserted anteriorly on lateral ridge; faint lamellar lines running from le to bothridium, translamellar ridge present, le inserted at intercept of translamellar ridge and faint lamellar lines; two pairs of sigillae between in; postbothridial tubercle present; ss (83) narrowly lanceolate, with small distinct barbs, curving outwards, then sharply inwards, scythe-like.

Notogaster ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 A, C). Nine pairs of smooth notogastral setae present, seta c 2 represented by alveolus, p 1–3 shorter (8–10) than other setae (15–21), setae la, lm and lp, h 3 almost on the same transverse line; lyrifissure ia, im distinct (10), im antero-laterally to h 3.

Epimeral region ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 B) Setae 1c, 3c barbed; setae 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a shorter (5–6) than other setae (12–16); discidium well developed, distally triangular.

Anogenital region ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 B). All setae smooth, thin; six pairs of genital setae (4), g 1-4 in longitudinal row, g 5, g 6 on posterior edge; one pair of ag (11), two pairs of anal (9) and three pairs of adanal setae (9), ad 2 far posterior of iad, iad (12) inverse apoanal; internal structures in form of brackets ()() present halfway between genital and anal plates.

Legs ( Fig. 9 View FIGURE 9 ). Setation similar to South African Lanceoppiinae species, Drepanoppia falxa ( Kok, 1967) ; leg IV (215)> leg I (168)> leg III (150)> leg II (146); leg setation: leg I: 1-5-2(1)-4(2)-20(2), leg II: 1-5-2(1)-4(1)-14(2), leg III: 2-3-1(1)-3(1)-13, leg IV: 1-2-2-3(1)-10; all setae with barbs, except u on Ta I–IV and p on Ta I, ventral setae strongly barbed; solenidion φ on Ti II similar to other solenidia (in description of genus, solenidia on Ti II thick, blunt (Hammer 1962)).

Etymology. The species is named for the scythe-like form of the sensillus.

Type material. The holotype and 12 paratypes were collected in Golden Gate Highlands National Park ( 28º30’S, 28º37’E) by C.M. Engelbrecht, 19.III.1986 from moist soil and decomposed plant material. The holotype ( NMB 3472.9.1) and nine paratypes ( NMB 3472.9) are deposited in the Acarology collection of the National Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa. Three paratypes (NMSA-Aca 20006, Type 4028) are stored in the collection of the KwaZulu-Natal Museum in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.

Remarks. Lanceoppia scytheae sp. nov. is most similar to L. rigidiseta Hammer, 1968 ( New Zealand), L. microtrichoides ( Balogh & Mahunka, 1975) ( Australia) , L. tortile Mahunka, 1989 (Tasmania) and L. madagascarensis Mahunka, 2002 ( Madagascar) in terms of the following: notogastral seta c 2 absent, setae la and lm on transverse or nearly transverse line, tubercles on hysterosoma behind bothridium absent. However, L. scytheae differs from all these species by the form of its sensillus: long, narrow lanceolate, curving outwards then sharply inwards.