Lanceoppia (Lanceoppia) scytheae sp. nov.

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

Prodorsum (Fig. 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 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 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 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). 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.