Promecilla decora ( Smith, 1879 )

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 : 25

13a. Promecilla decora ( Smith, 1879)

( Figs 12 , 65–67 )

Mutilla decora Smith 1879: 200 , ♀; Magretti, 1892: 213, ♀; Zavattari 1910: 9.

Smicromyrme decora: Pagden 1934a: 465 , ♂, ♀; Mickel 1935: 288, ♀; Pagden, 1949: 222, ♀, ♂;

Sinotilla decora: Lelej 1995b: 19 ; 2005: 55; Okayasu 2017: 166.

Promecilla decora: Brothers & Lelej 2017: 57 , ♀, ♂.

Diagnosis. FEMALE. This species can be recognized by having the dorsal face of the pronotum with a lateral tooth, T2 with a basomedial whitish spot, having the sculpture of T2 with dense small punctures, and the metasoma dark metallic blue. Body length 4–7 mm. MALE. See Pagden (1949).

Material examined (9 ♀). MALAYSIA, Kelantan, 12 km E border Kelantan-Perak , 24.VII.1992, C.W. and L.B. O’Brien (1♀ CASC) . THAILAND: Krabi, 14 km NNE Krabi, Phnom Bencha Mountain Resort, 8.208 o N 98.937 o E, 80 m, 2.IV.2017, MKT (2♀ CSCA) ; Nakhon Si Thammarat, 4.4 km N Hin Tok, Mountainside rubber farm, 8.303 o N 99.849 o E, 7.IV.2017, MKT (1♀ CSCA) ; Phatthalung, 2.4 km S Ban Na, Farm , 7.543 o N 99.883 o E, 50 m, 5.IV.2017, MKT (2♀ CSCA QSBG) ; Phetchabun, Khao Kho National Park , 16 o 39.549'N 101 o 0 8.198'E, 168 m, 9-10.I.2007, pan trap, S. Chachumnan and S. Singtong, T1387 (1♀ QSBG) ; Phetchaburi, Kaeng Krachan, Baan Maka Nature Lodge , 12.840 o N 99.590 o E, 140 m, 22–23.V.2018, MKT (1♀ CSCA) ; Surat Thani, Khlong Sok, Khao Sok Jungle Huts , 8.909 o N 99.526 o E, 70 m, 14.V.2018, MKT (1♀ CSCA) .

Distribution. China (Yunnan), Thailand (Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Phetchabun, Phetchaburi, and Surat Thani), Myanmar, Malaysia (Kelantan, Pulau Pinang, Kuala Lumpur), and Indonesia (Java).

Host. Reared from nests of a widely distributed, mud-daubing solitary wasp Pison argentatum Shuckard, 1838 ( Hymenoptera : Crabronidae ) (Pagden 1934b), which is also known as a hunter of both web-building and non-webbuilding spiders of Salticidae , Araneidae , Lycosidae and Oxyopidae ( Starr 2004) . Pagden (1934b) mentioned that this species probably attacks other species of Pison as well.

Remarks. The metallic blue metasomal color is less distinct than in Sinotilla cyaneiventris . The evenly convex T2 with smaller and finer punctures is useful for separating this species from S. belokobylskiji .

Figures

FIGURES 1–28. Mutillidae, dorsal habitus of females. Scale bars represent actual specimen length.

FIGURES 56–67. Mutillinae: Smicromyrmini females I. 56–58. Nordeniella maleeae, sp. nov.; 59–61. Sinotilla belokobylskiji; 62–64. S. cyaneiventris; 65–67. Promecilla decora. 56, 59, 62, 65. Habitus, dorsal view; 57, 60, 63, 66. Habitus, lateral view; 58, 61, 64, 67. Face view.