Brachioppiella (Gressittoppia) martinezi, Hugo-Coetzee, 2017

Hugo-Coetzee, Elizabeth A., 2017, New Oppiidae (Acari: Oribatida) from Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve, South Africa, Zootaxa 4311 (2), pp. 211-232 : 224

Brachioppiella (Gressittoppia) martinezi sp. nov.

( Figs 8 , 9 )

Diagnosis. Adult: body size 229–253 × 111–124; smooth lamellar and exobothridial setae; a pair of tubercles in interbothridial region; a tubercle present posterior to bothridium in dorsosejugal region; notogastral setae c 2 absent, nine pairs smooth, medium sized notogastral setae, setae lm slightly antero-medially to la, h 3 posterior to lyrifissure im; adanal setae ad 2 posterior to lyrifissure iad.

Description. Measurements. Length: females (n = 5) mean 245 (range 238–253), males (n = 5) 232 (229–236). width: females 117 (112–124), males 113 (111–117). Holotype (female): length 245, width 115.

Integument ( Fig. 8 A, C). Body surface smooth; exobothridial region granulated.

Prodorsum ( Fig. 8 A, C). Rostrum rounded; rostral seta (18–26) located dorsally, thickened, weakly barbed, exobothridial (11–15) seta thin, smooth, inserted on tubercle, anterior to bothridium, lamellar (11–15), interlamellar (18–25) seta weakly barbed; lamellar seta closer to interlamellar than to rostral seta; quadrangular field (between lamellar and bothridial region) weakly demarcated (in some paratypes a very weak translamella can be observed), lamellar and interlamellar setae inserted in this field; bothridial seta (37–49 without branches) fusiform, pectinate with seven to ten branches, distal two branches merged, shortest branches proximally and distally; tubercle present posterior to bothridium in dorsosejugal region (best seen in lateral view); tubercle postero-laterally to insertion of interlamellar seta, directed posteriorly; muscle sigillae could not be observed; pedotectum I typical for genus.

Notogaster ( Fig. 8 A, C). Nine pairs of smooth notogastral setae, all of similar length (13–21), lm, la, h 2 longest, seta c2 absent, represented by alveolus, seta lm slightly antero-medially to la, setae lp, h 3 almost on a transverse line, h3 posterior to lyrifissure im; ia, im distinct (4–8), other lyrifissures not visible.

Gnathosoma and epimeral region ( Fig. 8 B, C). Setae a, h (8–14) thin, smooth, m (8–15) thin, weakly barbed; all epimeral setae thin, smooth, except seta 3c, 4c weakly barbed; 1c, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4c (10–18)> 1a, 1b, 2a, 3a, 4b (4– 10); discidium weakly triangular distally.

Anogenital region ( Fig. 8 B, C). All setae thin, smooth; four pairs of genital setae (4–7), g 1 on anterior border of genital plate; one pair of aggenital (10–11), two pairs of anal (7–9), three pairs of adanal (10–17) setae, ad 2 posterior to iad; iad (7–11) thin, curved, inverse apoanal to almost horizontal.

Legs ( Fig. 9 A–D). Leg IV (151–160)> leg I (133–145)> leg III (99–122)> leg II (96–109); leg setation (see Table 2 for details): 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 barbed, except smooth setae (it), (p), s on Ta I, (u) on Ta I–IV, l” on Ge I, II, l’ on Ge III, IV, d on Ge IV and v” on Ti IV; a” on Ti II, a”, pv” on Ti III, IV more heavily barbed distally than other setae; l” on Ge I, II, l’ on Ge III thin, short; v” on Ti IV thick, short; v’ on Ti I, II and v” on Ti III slightly stronger than accompanying setae v; tooth-like setae (p) on Ta II–IV not observed; solenidia ω1 on Ta I, ω1, ω2 on Ta II, σ on Ge III thick, blunt-ended.

Etymology. The new species is named in honour of Dr Pablo Martínez, Departamento de Biología, Unversidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Argentina, for his contribution to oribatid taxonomy.

Type material. The holotype and 10 paratypes were collected in Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve, KwaZulu- Natal (3017.165’S, 3035.150’E) by D.J. Kok, 31.III.1983 from soil and decomposed plant material. The holotype ( NMB 3302.72.1) and seven paratypes ( NMB 3302.72.2) are deposited in the Acarology collection of the National Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa . Three paratypes ( SMNG, DNR 56551) are stored in Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde, Görlitz, Germany .

Remarks. Brachioppiella (G.) martinezi sp. nov. is most similar to B. (G.) corallifera from South Africa and Brachioppiella (G.) usheri ( Balogh, 1988) from the Falkland Islands in having notogastral seta lm slightly anteromedially to la. The new species differ from them in the presence or absence of lamellar and translamellar costulae ( B. martinezi sp. nov., B. corallifera absent; B. usheri present), form of the bothridial seta ( G. martinezi sp. nov. fusiform with seven to ten branches; G. corallifera slightly thickened with three long and two short branches; B. usheri fusiform with two distal cilia), notogastral setae smooth or ciliate ( B. martinezi sp. nov., B. usheri smooth; B. corallifera ciliate). For differentiation from other South African species, see Remarks of B. (G.) ricknuttalli sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Brachioppiella (Gressittoppia) martinezi sp. nov. (legs removed) A. Dorsal view; B. ventral view; C. lateral view (some ventral setae not shown).

FIGURE 9. Brachioppiella (Gressittoppia) martinezi sp. nov. A. Leg I, right, antiaxial view; B. leg II, left, antiaxial view; C. leg III, left, paraxial view; D. leg IV, right, antiaxial view.