A NEW SUBGENUS AND TWO NEW SPECIES OF THE FAMILY OPPIIDAE ( ACARINA : ORIBATIDA ) FROM INDIA

The members of the family Oppiidae are represented in India by 26 genera in which Aeroppia and Striatoppia are known by one and seven species respectively. The genus Aeroppia was first recorded from India by Sanyal (2000) from Tripura and of the seven species of Striatoppia four were reported from West Bengal (Chakraborti et al. 1973, Joy and Roy 1986, Sanyal 1992) and three others were known from Tripura of which two species were described as new to science (Subias and Sarkar 1983, Bhattacharya et al. 1985). The present work includes description of one new subgenus Paraeroppia and two new species Aeroppia (Paraeroppia) indiana and Striatoppia asiaticus from Tripura, India.


INTRODUCTION
The members of the family Oppiidae are represented in India by 26 genera in which Aeroppia and Striatoppia are known by one and seven species respectively.The genus Aeroppia was first recorded from India by Sanyal (2000) from Tripura and of the seven species of Striatoppia four were reported from West Bengal (Chakraborti et al. 1973, Joy and Roy 1986, Sanyal 1992) and three others were known from Tripura of which two species were described as new to science (Subias andSarkar 1983, Bhattacharya et al. 1985).The present work includes description of one new subgenus Paraeroppia and two new species Aeroppia (Paraeroppia) indiana and Striatoppia asiaticus from Tripura, India.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
The specimens studied here were collected from litter and soil samples through the standard method of extraction with the Tullgren funnel extraction apparatus.All measurements are given in micrometers (/lm).
Ventral plate with minute tubercles.
Type depositories : Holotype and 11 paratypes are deposited in the National Zoological Collection, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India.

Differential diagnosis :
The new species approaches close to Striatoppia similis Subias and Sarkar, 1983 from Tripura, India regarding nature of rostral, lamellar, interlamellar and notogastral setae, nature of sensillus and nature of epimeral setae (expect 4b).But it can be easily separated from Subias and Sarkar's species by the presence of fan shaped notogastral setae p, absence of granulation in notogaster, shape of prolamellar ridges and in having barbed aggenital and adanal setae.