Traumatomutilla pilkingtoni Bartholomay and Williams, 2019

Bartholomay, Pedro R., Williams, Kevin A., Luz, David R., Cambra, Roberto A. & Oliveira, Márcio Luiz de, 2019, Traumatomutilla André miscellanea: Revision of the bellica, bifurca, diabolica, and vitelligera species groups, and a new group for the new species T. pilkingtoni Bartholomay and Williams (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae: Sphaeropthalminae: Dasymutillini), Insecta Mundi 709 (709), pp. 1-37 : 33-35

Traumatomutilla pilkingtoni Bartholomay and Williams , sp. nov.

( Fig. 66–69 )

Diagnosis. Female. In addition to the structural characters referenced in the species groups diagnosis, T. pilkingtoni can be defined by its orange-red head, T2 with a pair of longitudinally sub-ovate orangered integumental spots, and fringes of T2–4 mostly clothed with black setae.

Description. Female. Body length 5–8 mm. Head. Posterior margin nearly straight. Head width nearly equal to pronotal width. Eye length in frontal view 1.3 × distance from its ventral margin to mandibular condyle. Front vertex and gena densely foveolate, more sparsely so on transition area between front and vertex. Mandible unidentate. Dorsal scrobal carina well defined, narrowly separated from antennal tubercles; lateral scrobal carina virtually absent. Antennal tubercle shallowly and irregularly rugose. F1 1.85 × pedicel length; F2 virtually as long as pedicel. Genal carina present, broadly separated from gular carina and hypostomal carina. Occipital carina slightly swollen dorsolaterally. Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.1 × as long as wide. Pronotum slightly wider than mesothorax. Mesosomal dorsum densely areolatepunctate, slightly denser posterad. Humeral carina present, disconnected from low rounded epaulet, slightly produced apically, antero-lateral corners of pronotum slightly angulate in dorsal view. Pronotal spiracle virtually flat against lateral margin of pronotum. Sculpture of lateral face of pronotum and mesosomal pleurae obscured by dense setae, except dorsal fourth of metapleuron asetose and impunctate. Lateral face of propodeum virtually impunctate, smooth, shinning with scattered small shallow punctures. Ratios of width of humeral angles, pronotal spiracles, widest point of mesonotum, narrowest point of mesonotum and propodeum posterior to propodeal spiracles, 75:78:76:66:57. Lateral margin of mesosoma not emarginated anterior to propodeal spiracle, smoothly diverging anterad. Propodeal spiracle slightly projected from lateral margin of mesosoma; post-spiracular area absent. Scutellar scale present, welldeveloped, arcuate in posterior view, as wide as and separated from conspicuous anterolateral carinae; anterolateral carinae connected to each other. Scabrous intervals absent on scutellar area. Posterior face of propodeum longer than dorsal face. Metasoma. T1 sub-nodose 0.4 × as wide as T2. T2 slightly longer than wide, with maximum width posterior to midlength. Disc of T2 densely foveolate to densely punctate mediad; sculpture sparser and larger posterolaterally and over integumental spots. T3–6, except pygidium, dense foveolate-punctate to dense punctate. S1 with conspicuous blunt longitudinal carina, slightly higher anteriorly. S2 sparse foveolate, sculpture smaller anterad; subapical transverse slope present, less conspicuous medially; antero-medial crest-fold absent. S3–6 dense coarse foveolate. Pygidium sub-ovate, defined by lateral carinae throughout its extension, except basal margin; surface irregularly rugose; rugae longitudinally interrupted, wavy; interstice apparently impunctate, smooth.

Coloration and variations. Head, mesosoma, T1 and appendages orange-brown, darker on legs and antennal flagellomeres partially. Metasoma except T1 brownish-black with a pair of large longitudinally sub-ovate orange integumental spots on T2, nearly confluent medially. Body setae predominantly silverywhite to silvery-golden, except for black to reddish-black setae on the following: medial spot on vertex, mesosomal dorsum medially, T2 medially (except over integumental spots), T3–4 nearly entirely, and small areas on T5 posterolaterally. No conspicuous color or setae variations were observed for any of the females examined.

Distribution. Argentina (Tucuman, Cordoba and Santiago del Estero provinces).

Material examined. (35♀) Type material. Holotype, ♀, ARGENTINA, Cordova, Balnearia, ii.1971, Fritz ( AMNH). Paratypes, ARGENTINA, Gran Chaco, 1♀ ( MNHN) ; Tucumán, 11km N Cadillal , 1♀, 03.iii.1990, J.G. Rozen & A. Roig ( AMNH); 1♀, 25.iii.1990, J.G. Rozen & A. Roig ; Santiago del Estero, 1♀, Muséum Paris, E. R. Wagner 1935 ( MNHN) ; Añatuya. 6♀, iii.1979, Fritz ( AMNH) ; Barrancas, Bañados de Rio Dulce , 60km O D’Icaño, 3♀, 1909, E. R. Wagner ( MNHN) ; Outskirts of Icaño, Mistol Paso , 1♀, janvier juin [i–vi?] 1912, E. R. Wagner ( MNHN) ; 1♀, 1918, E. R. Wagner ( MNHN) ; Banks of the Salado River , 1♀, xii.1910, E. R. Wagner ( MNHN) ; Chaco, Rio Salado , 1♀, avril [iv?] ( MNHN) ; Cordoba, Balnearia , 16♀, ii.1971, Fritz ( AMNH) ; 1♀, ii.1971, Fritz ( CSCA) .

Etymology: This remarkable species, is named in honor of the British philosopher, comedian, radio personality, presenter, author, and actor Karl Pilkington due to its rounded orange head.

Remarks. The reddish/orange head integument, silvery white setae patterns of the mesosoma, and integumental markings of the metasoma of T. pilkingtoni are remarkably similar to other species from the same area, such as Cephalomutilla haematodes ( Gerstaecker, 1874) .

Figures

Figures 66–69. Traumatomutilla pilkingtoni Bartholomay and Williams, sp. nov., ♀, holotype. 66) Dorsal habitus, line 2mm. 67) Lateral habitus, line 2mm. 68) Head, frontal view. 69) T6 (pygidium), posterior view.