Chelonuropoda cheloniforma sp. n.

(Figs 20–25)

Diagnosis: Ventral shield without perigenital and preanal line. Peritreme Ushaped. Ventral, marginal and dorsal setae setiform. Marginal shield on anterior part very wide, ventral aspect with a characteristic ornamentation. Genital shield of female large, scutiform. St1 lanceolate. Several phylliform setae under coxae 4 on well-sclerotised lines.

Description: Female. Length of idiosoma 1530 µm, width (in the middle of idiosoma) 1200 µm (n=1). Shape oval, posterior margin rounded.

Dorsal side (Fig. 20): Dorsal shield and marginal shield with many smooth, setiform setae on strong base (Fig. 21). Marginal shield wide on anterior part of the idiosoma. Dorsal and marginal shield without ornamentation. Two well sclerotised half rings on latero-central part of dorsal shield.

Ventral side (Fig. 22): Sternal and ventral shield without ornamentation. First sternal setae (St1) short and lanceolate, other (St2-St5) short, smooth and filiform. Postcoxal region with well-sclerotised line and several phylliform setae. Ventral setae short, smooth and filiform. Anterior and lateral part of marginal shield with a characteristic ornamentation. Peritreme U-shaped (Fig. 23).

Genital shield between coxae 2 and 4, it is large, scutiform and without ornamentation.

Gnathosoma (Fig. 24): Corniculi horn-like, laciniae subdivided into several branches. Ventral side of gnathosoma with 4 pairs of coxal setae. h1 and h3 long, smooth and setiform, h2 and h4 long, setiform, with serrated apical part. Tritosternum with three branches, each with serrated margin (Fig. 25). Base of epistome not clearly visible, anterior part with long hairs. Chelicerae not clearly visible.

Male, deuteronymph, protonymph and larva unknown.

Material examined: holotype: female, Angola, Dundo, foret R. Casulo May 1980. leg. SZABÓ, paratypes: 4 females, Angola, Dundo, foret R. Casulo 25. January 1962. leg. MACHADO .

Etymology: This species is named after its body shape.

Remarks: Four other species were known from this genus of which one ( Oplitis athiase ZIRNGIEBL- NICOL & HIRSCHMANN, 1973) occurs in Africa. The new species is similar to the other species of the genus, but it differs in having strong bases to the dorsal setae and by the shape of its peritreme.