Traumatomutilla andrei ( Cresson, 1902 )

Bartholomay, Pedro R., Williams, Kevin A., Cambra, Roberto A. & Oliveira, Marcio L., 2021, Revision of the Traumatomutilla gemella species-group (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae) with the description of its hitherto unknown males, Zoosystema 43 (1), pp. 1-28 : 3-5

Traumatomutilla andrei ( Cresson, 1902)

( Fig. 1 )

Muitlla andrei Cresson, 1902: 55 .

Ephuta (Traumatomutilla) andrei – André 1902: 54.

Traumatomutilla andrei – André 1904: 40.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. Brazil • ♀; [Mato Grosso], Chapada [dos Guimarães ]; CMNH (examined).

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Brazil • 1 ♀; Maranhão, São Luis, Floresta Sacavem , CAEMA [Companhia de Água e Esgoto do Maranhão]; 30.IX.1992; R. Cambra & D. Quintero leg.; MIUP • 1♀; Bahia, Portello Machado [Machado Portela]; 19.VI.2015; USNM .

DIAGNOSIS. — Female. T2 marked with a pair of narrow longitudinal yellowish stripes abruptly curved outward posteriorly in dorsal view. Male. Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION. — Brazil (Bahia, Maranhão, Mato Grosso).

DESCRIPTION

Female

Body length. 12 mm.

Head ( Fig.1 ). Posterior margin almost straight.Occipital carina conspicuously swollen and smoothly curved dorso-laterally. Vertex width 0.9 × pronotal width. Eye almost circular, its height in frontal view 1.1 × distance from its ventral margin to mandibular condyle. Head densely and coarsely foveolatepunctate to areolate-punctate, intervals aligned so as to form a vestigial longitudinal carina medially starting at middle of front and extending into vertex. Mandible with conspicuous subapical tooth. Dorsal scrobal carina well-defined, separated from antennal tubercles; lateral scrobal carina virtually absent. Antennal tubercle finely and irregularly rugose. Flagellomere 1: 2.2 × pedicel length; flagellomere 2: 2.0 × pedicel length.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 1 ). Dorsal thoracic length slightly shorter than mesosomal width. Mesosomal dorsum densely and coarsely areolate-punctate to foveolate-punctate, with conspicuous medial longitudinal carina extending from anterior margin of mesonotum to posterior margin of dorsal face of propodeum; carina less defined on propodeum, sinuous, irregular; integument adjacent to longitudinal carina on mesonotum devoid of areolations, simply densely punctate. Anterior face of pronotum defined, short, its height equal to pronotal collar length, vestigially and coarsely striated longitudinally with interspersed scattered punctures; dorsal face roundly angulate into anterior face in lateral view. Humeral carina well-defined, broadly separated from well-defined raised, subangulate epaulet, anterolateral corners of pronotum subangulate in dorsal view. Pronotal spiracle slightly projected from lateral margin of pronotum, rounded. Lateral face of pronotum sparsely punctate with sparse interspersed micropunctures; mesopleuron sculpture mostly concealed by dense setation, micropunctate anteriorly and foveolate-punctate along mesopleural ridge where visible; metapleuron sculpture mostly concealed by dense setation, except dorsal third asetose, smooth, unsculptured. Lateral face of propodeum densely, coarsely and homogeneously areolate-punctate throughout. Ratios of widths of mesosoma at humeral angles, pronotal spiracles, widest point of mesonotum, narrowest point of mesonotum and propodeum immediately posterior to propodeal spiracles: 73:86:68:67:64. Lateral margin of mesonotum simply divergent anterior to propodeal spiracle, slightly diverging anterad. Propodeal spiracle almost flat against lateral margin of mesosoma; post-spiracular area absent. Scutellar scale and anterolateral carinae absent; scabrous intervals absent on scutellar area. Propodeum conspicuously elongate, dorsal face much longer than and well differentiated from posterior face.

Metasoma ( Fig. 1 ). Ratios of width of T1, width of T2 and length of T2, 30:73:75. Disc of T2 densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate with dense interspersed micropunctures; foveolae sparser and micropunctures absent laterally and over integumental spots; foveolae less defined to virtually absent posteromedially. T3–5 sculpture predominantly concealed by dense setation, densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate to simply punctate with dense interspersed micropunctures where visible; T6, except pygidial plate, densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate. Pygidial plate broadly subpyriform, defined by strong, projected, flange-like lateral carinae at apical fourth of plate; surface mostly irregularly and confusedly rugose on apical half, interstices apparently granulose; basal half of pygidial plate simply granulose. S1 sparsely punctured, surface wedge-like, ending anteriorly in a rounded longitudinal carina, conspicuously higher anteriorly. S2 sparsely foveolatepunctate, foveolae sparser and smaller anterad and mediad; anteromedial crest-fold vestigial. S3–4 densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate with sparse micropunctures; S5–6 densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate.

Male

Unknown.

Coloration and variations

Female ( Fig. 1 ). Integument black, except mandible and antennal flagellum reddish-brown ventrally, and T2 with a pair of longitudinal yellowish integumental stripes abruptly curved outward at posterior third. Body setae predominantly silvery-white varying in density except for the following areas with black setae varying in density: head (except ventral surface), mesosomal dorsum medially, dorsal half of lateral face of propodeum and mesopleuron, femora apicodorsally, T1 medially, disc of T2 (except integumental stripes), fringe of T2–4 sublaterally, fringe of T5–6 medially, fringe of S4, and S5–6.

Male. Unknown.

REMARKS

The unique coloration of this species is, presently, the most reliable means of distinguishing it from other species in the group. This pattern ( Fig. 1 ), with longitudinal yellowish integumental stripes on T2, though rare, is not exclusive to T. andrei . It is also known in T. rectilineata ( André, 1898) — T. trochanterata species-group — and T. ipanema ( Cresson, 1902) — T. inermis species-group — which also occur in Chapada do Guimarães. Although there are no consistent structural characters to separate T. andrei from its relatives in the T. gemella species-group, no variations or intermediate color forms have been recorded so far.The rarity of this species contrasts with its apparent wide distribution in Brazil, spanning from Mato Grosso in the Midwest, to Bahia in the East and Maranhão in the Northeast. No males of the T. gemella species-group have been recorded from the same localities as the three females examined, despite the fact that many of these areas are relatively well sampled in Brazil (PRB pers. obs.). This is further evidence for the rarity of this species-group.

Figures

FIG. 1. — Traumatomutilla andrei (Cresson, 1902), female, holotype, Brazil, CMNH: A, dorsal habitus; B, lateral habitus. Scale bars: 2 mm. Photos: K. A. Williams.