Kokoppia mandelai, Hugo-Coetzee, Elizabeth A., 2014

Hugo-Coetzee, Elizabeth A., 2014, New Oppiidae (Acari: Oribatida) from the Golden Gate Highlands National Park in South Africa, Zootaxa 3884 (6), pp. 533-552 : 543

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3884.6.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DFBFF523-8236-40AE-B676-20B4E9FD4109
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6144323
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03AC2866-FFC2-6359-FF04-99B780EFF810
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Kokoppia mandelai
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Kokoppia mandelai sp. nov.

( Figs 6 View FIGURE 6 , 7 View FIGURE 7 )

Diagnosis. Kokoppia mandelai sp. nov. can be distinguished from other Kokoppia species by a combination of the following characters: seta lm antero-medial to la; seta c 2 represented by alveolus; sensillus fusiform with eight to nine branches.

Description. Measurements. Length: females (n=5) mean 303 (range 283–314), males (n=5) 289 (265–302). Width: females 139 (130–146), males 137 (123–153). Holotype (male): length 303, width 139.

Integument ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 A, C). Body surface smooth; lateral side of prodorsum, exobothridial region above Pd II granulated.

Prodorsum ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 A, C). Rostrum rounded, ro (26) barbed, inserted laterally in dorsal view, le (18) smooth, in (24) barbed, ex (17) smooth, inserted on tubercle; light quadrangular field demarcated by indistinct lamellar and translamellar lines, le, in within this field; ss (49 measured without branches) fusiform with eight to nine branches of various sizes (longest branch 35), two shortest branches proximally, followed by the longest branch, whereafter branches gradually shorten; postbothridial tubercle present; posteriorly directed tubercle present in interbothridial region, posterior to in.

Notogaster ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 A, C). Nine pairs of smooth notogastral setae, medium length, la, lm, lp, h 1, h 2, h 3, p 2 ~ 23–28, p 1, p 3 ~ 19–20; seta lm antero-medially to la, seta lp, h 2 slightly antero-medially to h 3, p 3 respectively, seta c 2 represented by small alveolus, seta p 2 curving downwards; lyrifissure ia (5) thin, im (7) distinct, anterior to seta h 3.

Epimeral region ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 B). Setae 3c barbed, 1c, 3b, 3c, 4b (13–16)> 1a, 1b, 2a, 4a, 4c (8–9)> 3a (5); discidium distally triangular.

Anogenital region ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 B, C). Six pairs of smooth, short genital setae (3), g 1 on anterior border of genital plates; ag (10), anal setae (10) smooth; adanal setae smooth (15–18), ad 3 postero-laterally to ag, ad 1 postanal, ad 2 lateral to iad, iad (7) inverse apoanal.

Legs ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ). Leg IV (220)> leg I (181)> leg III (177)> leg II (143); 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; ventral setae well barbed, other setae lightly barbed, except p on Ta I and u on Ta I–IV, l” on Ge I–II, d on Ge IV smooth; solenidion φ on Ti II, Ti III of medium length, on Ti IV long.

Etymology. This species is named in honor of the late Mr Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa. He wrote about the Free State (in which Golden Gate is situated) in his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, the following: “The province of the Orange Free State has always had a magical effect on me….the Free State’s landscape gladdens my heart no matter what my mood. When I am there, I feel that nothing can shut me in, that my thoughts can roam as far and wide as the horizons” ( Mandela 1994).

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 under Leucosidea plants. The holotype ( NMB 3454.5.1) and seven paratypes ( NMB 3454.5) are deposited in the Acarology collection of the National Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa. Three paratypes (NMSA-Aca 20005, Type 4027) are stored in the collection of the KwaZulu-Natal Museum in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.

Remarks. Kokoppia mandelai sp. nov. is most similar to K. euramosa ( Balogh & Mahunka, 1969) (Neotropial) and K. rafalski ( Hammer, 1968) ( New Zealand) in that notogastral seta lm is antero-medially to la. However, they differ in the following: presence or absence of seta c 2 ( K. mandelai absent, K. euramosa , K. rafalski present); small tubercle on hysterosoma posterior to bothridium present or absent ( K. rafalski present, K. euramosa , K. mandelai absent); interbothridial tubercle behind seta in present or absent ( K. mandelai , K. euramosa present, K. rafalski absent).