Eotrogaspidia oryzae (Pagden, 1934), 2019

Williams, Kevin A., Lelej, Arkady S., Okayasu, Juriya, Borkent, Christopher J., Malee, Rufeah, Thoawan, Kodeeyah & Thaochan, Narit, 2019, The female velvet ants (aka modkhong) of southern Thailand (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), with a key to the genera of southeast Asia, Zootaxa 4602 (1), pp. 1-69 : 32-33

22b. Eotrogaspidia oryzae (Pagden, 1934) , status revised

( Figs 115–118 )

Timulla (Trogaspidia) oryzae Pagden 1934a: 426 , ♂, ♀, holotype ♂.

Timulla (Trogaspidia) oryzae: Mickel 1935: 236 , ♂, ♀.

Timulla (Trogaspidia) amans oryzae: Pagden 1949: 229 , ♂, ♀.

Eotrogaspidia amans oryzae: Lelej 2005: 78 .

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Eotrogaspidia amans ( André, 1909) and E. oryzae (Pagden, 1934) are recognized in the eastern Oriental Region by the sub-convex microreticulate pygidium ( Fig. 117 ). Other useful features include the entirely black legs (except the orange coxae, Fig. 116 ), the procoxa with a smooth rounded tubercle ( Fig. 118 ), the large size and sparse setae of the spots on the T2 disc, and the entire pale setal bands of T3 and T4 ( Fig. 115 ). Eotrogaspidia oryzae differs from E. amans by having the T2 spots obscurely defined and the lateral pygidial carinae sub-parallel apically (further explained below). Body length 5–7 mm. MALE. See Pagden (1934a) and Mickel (1935).

Material examined (5 ♀). THAILAND: Chiang Mai, 18.70 o N 98.78 o E, Mae Wand Dist., Ban Sop Huai Yao , 440 m, 16.VII.1996, agric. area (1 ♀ EMUS) ; Khon Kaen, Nampong , 11.X.1972, M. Sato (1♀ EUM) ; Prachaub Khiri Khan, Khao Sam Roi Yot NP: 102 o 9.02'N 99 o 58.30'E, Malaise trap, 15–22.II.2009, Yai Amnad , T4193 (1 ♀ QSBG) ; 102 o 8.75'N 99 o 57.94'E, Malaise trap, 17–24.V.2009, Yai Amnad , T4831 (1 ♀ QSBG) . VIETNAM, Hanoi, park, 8.X.1990, leg. S. Belokobylskij (1 ♀ IBSS) .

Distribution. Malaysia (Perak), Thailand * (Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Prachaub Khiri Khan), Vietnam * (Hanoi).

Remarks. Pagden (1949) treated E. oryzae as a subspecies of E. amans because he examined the male genitalia and could not find any differences, but he did not mention female traits. Mickel (1935) had separated these females based on the “distinctness” of the spots on the T2 disc, with the spots being described as distinct in E. amans ( André, 1909) and obsolete in E. oryzae . In actuality, this trait reflects a difference in the density and orientation of pale setae anterior and lateral to the setal spots. In E. amans from Java and surrounding islands in Indonesia, such pale setae are sparse, and all are erect, making the smooth cuticle easily observed in dorsal view. In E. oryzae from mainland Southeast Asia, these setae are moderately spaced, and most are sub-appressed, obscuring one’s view of the shining cuticle beneath. Further, although the pygidium of these species is similarly weakly defined and microreticulate, the pygidium of E. amans from Java has coarser microreticulationsand the lateral carinae convergent posteriorly, giving a sub-ovate appearance, while that of E. oryzae from mainland southeast Asia has finer microreticulationsthat are sometimes partially obliterated and the lateral pygidial carinae basically parallel-sided, giving the pygidium a sup-pentagonal shape ( Fig. 117 ). Subspecies are generally unnecessary in modern taxonomy; although these structural differences are difficult to define, and few specimens were available, we hypothesize that they do serve to differentiate the mainland E. oryzae from the Indonesian E. amans and therefore revise E. oryzae to the species level.

Figures

FIGURES 115–124. Mutillinae: Trogaspidiini females I. 115–118. Eotrogaspidia oryzae; 119–121. E. auroguttata; 122–124. Wallacidia oculata. 115, 119, 122. Habitus, dorsal view; 116, 120, 123. Habitus, lateral view; 117, 121, 124. T6; 118. Procoxal tubercles.