Aglaotilla lathronymphos Taylor, Murphy, Hitchen & Brothers, 2019

Taylor, Christopher K., Murphy, Mark V., Hitchen, Yvette & Brothers, Denis J., 2019, Four new species of Australian velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae, Aglaotilla) reared from bee and wasp nests, with a review of Australian mutillid host records, Zootaxa 4609 (2), pp. 201-224 : 208-211

Aglaotilla lathronymphos Taylor, Murphy, Hitchen & Brothers , sp. nov.

Figs 4–5 .

Diagnosis. Females can be distinguished by their combination of a red ground coloration on head, mesosoma and legs with metallic purple gloss, largely metallic purple metasoma with band of white setae on posterior margin of T1 without prominent spots on other tergites, head not much extended behind eyes, T2 without prominent depressions, and antenna with F1 slightly longer than F2. Males are evenly metallic dark blue with no purple gloss, predominantly white setae on clypeus, head not much extended behind eyes, humeral angle distinct but not acute, tegula evenly rounded posteriorly, and genitalia with slender parameres bearing short, pale setae only.

Description. Female (fig. 3). Total length 6.75 mm; mesosoma length 2.39 mm. Integument of head and mesosoma red with metallic purple gloss; metasomal segments dark metallic purple; legs red with metallic purple gloss, appearing dark metallic purple on femur (except base) and tibia; mandible mostly orange with end black; tibial spurs white. Head in frontal view subtrapezoidal, 1.3 as wide as long; width of head behind eyes 0.9 width of mesosoma; head densely punctate. Occipital carina well developed, continuing on to postgenal carina. Sides of head behind eyes converging, rear of head convex. Eye ovate, hemispherical, margins entire; maximum diameter of eye 4.8 distance between top of eye and rear margin of head; minimum frons width 0.6 head width. Frons and vertex with white semi-decumbent simple setae and black erect, sparsely brachyplumose setae, with white erect brachyplumose setae present at lowermost margin of frons and above occipital carina. Dorsal margin of antennal scrobe with transverse carina approaching lower margin of eye. Antennal tubercle simple, smooth, closely placed medially. Malar space in frontal view 0.5 eye height; gena moderately covered with white elongate, semi-decumbent brachyplumose setae; genal carina weak, postgenal carina well developed. Clypeus densely covered with white, erect, densely brachyplumose setae; raised area between antennal tubercles triangular in frontal view, flat in lateral view. Antenna with scape evenly curved, with prominent anteroproximal longitudinal carina, bearing white long densely brachyplumose setae. Pedicel as long as wide, 0.6 as long as F1; F1 1.5 as long as wide, 1.2 as long as F2. Mandible tapering with subapical inner tooth. Mesosoma pyriform in dorsal view, length 1.6 maximum width; sides diverging slightly to behind prothoracic spiracle and then converging towards propodeum. Dorsal profile convex, propodeum rounding into posterior declivity; dorsal sculpture coarsely punctate-reticulate; boundaries of mesonotum and propodeum obscured by sculpture. Dorsum of mesosoma with black erect simple setae, with intermixed white erect brachyplumose setae in marginal regions; sides and venter of mesosoma with white erect densely brachyplumose setae. Anterior margin of mesosoma (excluding pronotal collar) weakly convex; humeral angles slightly produced, acute. Dorsal face of pronotum laterally margined by strong carina; pronotal-mesopleural boundary indistinct below prothoracic spiracle; lateral face of pronotum weakly punctate dorsally, becoming smooth ventrally. Anterior face of mesopleuron smooth; posterior face of mesopleuron coarsely punctate-reticulate, reticules becoming larger ventrally. Anterior face of metapleuron smooth; posterior face of metapleuron coarsely punctate-reticulate; metapleural-propodeal boundary marked by strong sulcus. Legs: Fore leg with tarsal comb. Mid and hind tibiae each with two strong spines in longitudinal row on outer margin. Metasoma: T1 about as wide as long; sides diverging from base, minimal constriction around apical margin, T1 0.5 width of T2. Setae on T1 white, erect, mostly brachyplumose except some plumose setae close to base. T2 broadly convex, slightly flattened dorsally, moderately punctate; with black erect, sparsely brachyplumose setae medially and white erect, brachyplumose setae in marginal areas; posterior margin of T2 with medial expansion of narrow posterior fringe of white setae to form weak spot overlying patch of slightly more reddish integument than on remainder of tergite; felt line short, 0.1 lateral length of T2. T3–T6 weakly punctate; setation mostly black, erect, brachyplumose, with some white erect brachyplumose setae on each segment, primarily in marginal areas. S1 with well-developed median carina. S 2 in profile with steep anterior face in front of produced anterior mound, followed by slight concavity along greater length; S2 moderately punctate with white erect, brachyplumose setae; short felt line present, 1.3 length of felt line on T2. S3–S5 weakly punctate, metallic purple, with white erect, brachyplumose setae. S6 with black erect, brachyplumose setae anteriorly, with shorter white brachyplumose setae posteriorly.

Male (fig. 5). Total length 7.05–8.47 mm; mesosoma length 2.86–3.21 mm. Integument mostly metallic medium blue, appearing slightly greenish in certain lights; dark brown antennal flagellum and tarsi; tibial spurs white. Head in frontal view ovate, 1.5 as wide as long; width of head behind eyes 0.8 width of mesosoma; head densely punctate. Occipital carina well developed dorsally. Sides of head behind eyes shortly parallel, rear of head straight, rear corners of head square but rounded. Eye ovate, strongly protruding, margins entire; maximum eye diameter 6.9 distance between top of eye and rear of head; minimum frons width 0.6 head width. Vertex convex, ocellar triangle slightly elevated. Frons and vertex with intermixed shorter white semi-erect, brachyplumose setae and longer black erect, brachyplumose setae; long white, erect brachyplumose setae present above occipital carina. Median ocellus lidded, 0.08 width of head; distance between posterior ocelli subequal to distance between posterior ocellus and eye; distance between median and posterior ocelli 0.6 distance between posterior ocelli. Antennal scrobe rounded, extending halfway to lower margin of eye, outer margin of scrobe with distinct subcircular flange. Antennal tubercle simple, basally punctate, distally smooth, adjacent medially. Malar space in frontal view 0.3 eye height; gena densely covered with white semi-decumbent to erect, brachyplumose setae; genal and postgenal carinae indistinct. Clypeus with ventral margin slightly sinuate. Antenna with scape simple, evenly curved, punctate, bearing white long densely brachyplumose setae. Pedicel 0.5 as long as wide, 0.5 as long as F1; F1 as long as wide, 0.7 as long as F2 (0.24). Mesosoma mostly densely punctate; metapleuron dorsally smooth, ventrally punctate-reticulate; propodeum coarsely punctate-reticulate. Propodeum evenly rounded in lateral view, disc merging into declivity. Pronotum and scutellum with mixed erect, black and white brachyplumose setae; mesoscutum with black erect, brachyplumose setae; propodeum and sides and venter of mesosoma with white erect, brachyplumose setae. Anterior margin of pronotum (excluding pronotal collar) weakly concave; humeral angle rounded. Length of pronotal midline about 0.6 distance between anteriormost point of mesoscutum and level of tegula. Mesoscutum with strongly marked notaulus on posterior half, extending slightly anterior to level of tegula, broadening posteriorly; parapsidal line reduced to short groove alongside anterior half of notaulus, not extending forward of level of tegula. Tegula subcircular; mostly smooth, evenly convex; posterior margin convex, not noticeably produced, rearmost point slightly behind level of mesoscutal-scutellar boundary. Axilla produced into strong rearward-directed lateral tooth, extending to about midlength of scutellum. Scutellum and metanotum both convex medially, excavated laterally, with median section narrowing posteriorly; metanotum with boundary between median and lateral sections forming distinct carina. Fore wing with distally acute pterostigma, pterostigma 3.3 as long as wide; marginal cell distally truncate, 2.3 as long as wide, with stub of distal spur vein present; three closed submarginal cells present, with distal veins of third submarginal cell weak. Legs: Mid and hind tibiae without dorsal spines. Metasoma: T1 about as wide as long, sides diverging evenly with slight constriction apically; maximum width of T1 0.5 width of T2; sculpture densely punctate with white erect, brachyplumose setae. T2 slightly flattened dorsally; densely punctate; setation mostly white erect, brachyplumose setae, with fringe of strong black simple setae along posterior margin; felt line 0.3 lateral length of T2. T3–T6 densely punctate, with mixture of white and black erect setae. T7 with pygidial area indistinct. S1 with low median carina. S 2 in profile with steep anterior face to produced anterior mound, followed by slight concavity along greater length; S2–S6 moderately punctate with white erect, brachyplumose setae; S2 with short felt line present laterally, 0.7 length of felt line on T2. S7 with black erect, brachyplumose setae anteriorly, with shorter white brachyplumose setae posteriorly. Genitalia with paramere moderately elongate, narrowly acuminate, bearing short pale setae only (no elongate setae); parapenial lobe extending to slightly behind tip of penis valve, straight, rounded terminally; cuspis of moderate length, very densely setose, extending beyond penis valve to about two-thirds length of paramere as narrow ventral finger, dorsal lobe (paracuspis) not extending beyond penis valve, ventral lobe not extended; digitus extending slightly beyond penis valve, sharply directed dorsad, extending slightly above dorsal margin of paramere; penis valve with sharp corner between dorsal and apical margins, apical margin almost vertical with few medium-length setae dorsally.

Holotype, ♀. Western Australia: 14 km E Narrogin , 3255’ S 11719 ’E, from nest of Pison cf. rufipes , 14 January 2014, M. Murphy (1♀, WAM E 101571; GAN: MK 618683 ).

Paratypes, 1♀, 2♂♂. Western Australia: 25 km NW Corrigin , 3208’ S 11746 ’E, from nest of Pison fenestratum , 17 January 2014, M. Murphy (2♂♂, WAM E 101572, E 101579; GAN: MK 618704 , MK 618705 ); 21 km S Nar- rogin, 3307’ S 11709 ’E, from nest of Pison strenuum , 11 February 2014, M. Murphy (1♀, WAM E 101581; GAN: MK 618694 ) .

Other material (not preserved). Western Australia: 17 km SE Wagin, 3327’ S 11715 ’E, from nest of an undescribed Pison species near P. fenestratum Smith, 1869 , 12 February 2014, M. Murphy (1 larva, specimen sequenced but not examined morphologically, GAN: MK618688 ); 18 km E Wickepin, 3246’ S 11741 ’E, from nest of P. cf. inconspicuum , 11 April 2014, M. Murphy (remains of 1 cocoon, specimen sequenced but not examined morphologically, GAN: MK618702 ).

Comments. The females of A. lathronymphos sp. nov. share the uncommon characteristic of having the mesosoma reddish-brown with two described species, A. discolor Brothers, 2018 and A. picturata ( Turner, 1914) , as well as with A. micra sp. nov. (see below); they differ from all three in having the head similar in colour to the mesosoma (instead of blackish) and from the first two in having a purple sheen on the mesosoma (lacking in the other two), amongst other differences. The males seem to be most similar to A. mira ( André, 1895) but differ in being entirely dark blue (head and mesosoma greenish blue and metasoma blue with T2 tinged with violet in A. mira ); the latter species is from Queensland, so is also unlikely to be conspecific since species distributions in the genus appear generally to be rather limited. The males of this species also closely resemble the description of Ephutomorpha subelegans Rayment, 1933b , with the main difference between the two as described being that E. subelegans has the wings suffused with black. Examination of a type specimen of E. subelegans in ANIC (collection number 111488; fig. 6), designated as the lectotype herein, shows that it also differs in having the head squarely produced behind the eyes, the mandibles stouter, no notauli on the mesoscutum, and T1 relatively broader. Ephutomorpha subelegans almost certainly belongs to a genus different from Aglaotilla .

The specimen selected herein as lectotype of E. subelegans is the only one in the collection which houses Rayment’s specimens that could possibly be a type. Rayment (1933b) did not specify the number of specimens he had and only gave an approximate size, so it is possible that he had a series of specimens but only one has survived. Although the specimen has no date of collection and is labelled as from Port Phillip rather than SAndréingham as specified in the description, it does bear Rayment’s type label (SAndréingham, now within the city limits of Melbourne, is on Port Phillip Bay, so the discrepancy in the locality is more apparent than real). Accordingly, DJB is convinced that this specimen is at least a syntype, and hereby formally designates it as the lectotype to eliminate possible future confusion in the application of the name should additional syntypes be found.

A male specimen collected 34 km southwest of Kulin (3254’ S 11754 ’E, from nest of P. fenestratum , 24 January 2013, M. Murphy) closely resembles A. lathronymphos sp. nov. externally but was indicated by DNA barcoding as a distinct species (A. “species 5, WAM E 101587; GAN: MK618685 ). Its genitalia also differ from A. lathronymphos sp. nov. in that the cuspis is distinctly more slender. As this species was represented only by a single, partially intact adult specimen and a larva (20 km SW Pingelly, 3241’ S 11657 ’E, from nest of P. cf. rufipes , 10 February 2014, M. Murphy, GAN: MK618697 ), no detailed description is provided herein.

Etymology. Species name an unlatinized adjective, from the Greek lathronymphos , secretly married, in reference to this species’ strong sexual dimorphism.

Host Records. Species identified from wasp nests of the genus Pison ( Hymenoptera : Crabronidae ) of the species P. fenestratum Smith, 1869 , P. cf. inconspicuum Turner, 1916b , P. cf. rufipes Shuckard, 1838 , P. strenuum Turner, 1916b , and an undescribed Pison species near P. fenestratum Smith, 1869 .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Aglaotilla lathronymphos sp. nov., ♀, holotype. A: facial view; B: lateral view; C: mesosoma, dorsal view; D: metasoma, dorsal view.

FIGURE 5. Aglaotilla lathronymphos sp. nov., ♂, paratype, from nest of Pison fenestratum, 25 km NW Corrigin, 17 January 2014. A: facial view; B: lateral view; C: dorsal view; D: genitalia, dorsal view; E: genitalia, ventral view.