Dentilla Lelej, 1980

Lelej, Arkady S. & Williams, Kevin A., 2023, Review of the tribe Smicromyrmini Bischoff, 1920 (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Zootaxa 5231 (2), pp. 101-140 : 111-112

5. Dentilla Lelej in Lelej & Kabakov, 1980

( Figs 11–16 , 111 )

Dentilla Lelej in Lelej & Kabakov, 1980: 195, ♁, ♀ (as subgenus of Smicromyrme Thomson ); Lelej 1985: 190, ♁, ♀; Lelej & Brothers 2008: 19; Brothers & Lelej 2017: 95, ♁, ♀; Pagliano et al. 2020: 170.

Type species. Mutilla erronea André, 1900 [1902], ♁, by original designation (junior subjective synonym of Mutilla curtiventris André, 1901 according to Pagliano & Strumia (2007: 69), resurrected to valid species by Lelej & Yildirim (2009: 15).

Diagnosis. MALE. Inner eye margin with weak notch. Mandible strongly widened apically, quadridentate, rarely tridenrtate, beneath with large subbasal tooth; preapical inner teeth equal to apical one or larger than it. Clypeus concave, anterior border usually with protruding medial part. Stigmatic cell 1.4 × distance between base of stigmatic cell and origin of base RS on Sc. T2 with long lateral felt lines, S2 with short (reduced) lateral felt lines. FEMALE. Head not widened posterad, posteriorly rounded. Pronotum with protruding humeral part, distinctly wider than propodeum. Scutellar scale more or less developed. T2 with one or three basal spots of pale setae, rarely with basal band of pale setae. Pygidial plate widely triangular, carinated laterally, surface with divergent striae.

Diversity and distribution. Twenty-three species (13 based on males only, nine on females only, and one known from both sexes) are recognized predominantly from the Palaearctic Region; there are six Afrotropical species (two of these penetrate from the Palaearctic); and Dentilla kompantsevi Lelej, 1995 and D. malinka ( Nurse, 1903) are Oriental.

Remarks. All but three of the species are dull brown in color and apparently nocturnal in their behavior. These nocturnal species are somewhat commonly encountered in arid habitats from North Africa east to India ( Lelej 2002, 2005). The more colorful diurnal species occur mainly in the Mediterranean ( Lelej, 2002). Lelej’s (1985) key includes about half of the currently recognized species.

Figures

FIGURES 7–16. 7–10. Ctenoceraea pectinella Nonveiller, 1993, ♁, holotype (7. Antenna, 8. Forewing, 9. Genitalia, dorsal view, 10. Genitalia, lateral view); 11–12. Dentilla rasnitsyni Lelej in Lelej & van Harten, 2011, ♁, paratype (11. Lateral habitus, 12. Head, face view); 13–16. D. curtiventris (André, 1901): 13. Dorsal habitus, ♀, 14. Lateral habitus, ♀, 15. Lateral habitus, ♁, 16. Head, face view. (Photographs by K. Williams, 7–10 from Nonveiller 1993).

FIGURES 110–115. Smicromyrmini, ♀, pygidial plate (T6). 110.Andreimyrme rong Williams in Okayasu et al., 2021, holotype; 111. Dentilla curtiventris (André, 1901); 112. Ephucilla thalia (Mickel, 1933); 113. Ephutomma fletcheri (Turner, 1911); 114. Karunaratnea palatupanae Lelej, 2005, paratype; 115. Nemka viduata (Pallas, 1773). (Photographs by K. Williams andA. Lelej (114)).