Brachioppiella (Brachioppiella) goblina Hugo-Coetzee, 2014, sp. nov.

Brachioppiella (Brachioppiella) goblina sp. nov.

(Fig. 5)

Diagnosis. Brachioppiella (B.) goblina can be distinguished from other Brachioppiella (B.) species by combination of the following characters: small size; very faint lamellar and translamellar lines on prodorsum; le, in, ex of similar length; setae la, h 3 antero-laterally to lm, lp respectively; c 2 represented by alveolus; hysterosoma, anterior to notogaster and posterior to bothridium, without tubercles.

Description. Measurements. Length: females (n=4) mean 216 (range 203–224), males (n=6) 204 (197–210). Width: females 104 (100–107), males 99 (97–101). Holotype (male): length 199, width 95.

Integument (Fig. 5 A, C). Body surface smooth; lateral side of prodorsum, exobothridial region between Pd I, Pd II granulated.

Prodorsum (Fig. 5 A, C). Rostrum rounded; ro (17) inserted dorsally, thickened, smooth; le, in, ex of similar length (13), smooth, setiform; ex inserted anterior of short lateral ridge; medial gray quadrangular field demarcated by very faint lamellar and translamellar lines, le, in within this field; postbothridial tubercle present; ss (42 measured without branches) with fusiform head, six to seven branches (longest branch 31, shortest branch 9); two short vertical-convex lines in interbothridial region, postero-medially to in.

Notogaster (Fig. 5 A, C). Nine pairs of smooth notogastral setae present, seta c 2 represented by alveolus, p 1–3 (7–13) shorter than other setae (18–20), seta la antero-laterally to lm, seta h 3 antero-laterally to lp; lyrifissure im barely visible, anterior of h 3, other lyrifissures indistinct.

Epimeral region (Fig. 5 B). Setae 1a, 1b, 2a, 3a, 3b, 4a shorter (4–6) than 1c, 3c, 4b, 4c (9–17), setae thin, smooth, except seta 3c barbed; discidium distally rounded.

Anogenital region (Fig. 5 B). All setae smooth, very thin; five pairs of genital setae (6–7), g 1 on anterior border of genital plate; ag (9), anal setae (6); adanal setae (4–6) near lateral border, ad 1 postanal, ad 2 posterior to iad, iad (7) inverse apoanal.

Legs. Morphology and leg setation similar to Brachioppiella dawidi sp. nov.; leg IV (148)> leg I (143)> leg III (118)> leg II (108).

Etymology. The sensillus of this species resembles a long-fingered hand. Therefore this species is named after goblins as described by J.K. Rowling (1997), since long fingers are one of their distinctive features.

Type material. The holotype and 10 paratypes were collected in Golden Gate Highlands National Park (28º30’S, 28º37’E) by C.M. Engelbrecht, 18.III.1986 from moist soil and decomposed plant material. The holotype (NMB 3462.27.1) and seven paratypes (NMB 3462.27) are deposited in the Acarology collection of the National Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa. Three paratypes (NMSA-Aca 20004, Type 4026) are stored in the collection of the KwaZulu-Natal Museum in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.

Remarks. Brachioppiella goblina sp. nov. is most similar to B. biseriata (Balogh & Mahunka, 1975) (Australia) and B. higginsi (Hammer, 1968) (New Zealand, Australia) in terms of the position of notogastral seta la relative to lm (la antero-laterally or directly anterior to lm). The species differ from each other in the following: body length (B. goblina 197–224, B. biseriata 425–440, B. higginsi 290); presence or absence of tubercle on hysterosma, behind bothridium (B. higginsi present, B. goblina, B. biseriata absent); shape of sensillus (B. goblina widely fusiform, B. biseriata, B. higginsi narrowly fusiform).