Sinotilla jambar Okayasu, 2020

Okayasu, Juriya, 2020, Velvet ants of the tribe Smicromyrmini Bischoff (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) of Japan, Zootaxa 4723 (1), pp. 1-110 : 89-93

Sinotilla jambar Okayasu , sp. nov.

( Figs 46 , 47A )

Diagnosis. MALE. Clypeus with a pair of subapical rounded tubercles. Mandible with weak lobe on ventral margin. Tegula weakly projecting postero-laterally, slightly protruding beyond mesoscuto-scutellar articulation. Metasoma with bluish metallic luster; T2 abruptly convex medially; T1–T3 with apical fringe of sparse pale golden setae. Volsellar cuspis robust; apical lobe of parapenial lobe robust, not constricted. FEMALE. Unknown.

Description. MALE (n = 25). Body length: 7.12 mm– 11.9 mm (average: 9.52 mm; holotype: 10.1 mm); fore wing length: 5.66 mm– 7.66 mm (average: 6.57 mm; holotype: 6.88 mm).

Color and setae. Head including clypeus black except antennal tubercle dark brown; frons with dense long recumbent and sparser long erect pale golden setae; vertex (except posterior margin) with very sparse short recumbent and sparser long erect pale golden setae; posterior margin of vertex with sparse long recumbent pale golden setae; eye dorsally edged with long erect black setae; gena with sparse short recumbent and sparse long erect pale golden setae; setae on malar space appressed; gena above hypostomal carina with very sparse short recumbent pale golden setae; antennal scrobe glabrous; clypeus with sparse long recumbent (laterally appressed) pale golden setae. Mandible black except median 1/6–1/4 dark brown with sparse long erect pale golden setae, basally recumbent. Prementum and stipes black with sparse short recumbent pale golden setae; palpi yellow to yellowish brown with sparse extremely short erect pale golden setae. Antenna dark brown to black except ventral face of F1 usually brownish tinged; scape with sparse long recumbent and sparser long erect pale golden setae; pedicel and flagellum with dense extremely short erect pale golden to black setae.

Mesosoma including tegula yellowish red except propleuron, scutellum, axilla, metascutellum, metanotal trough, mesopleuron, metapleuron and propodeum black; axilla and metanotal trough usually more or less yellowish red tinged; pronotal collar with sparse short erect pale golden setae; dorsum of pronotum with sparse short recumbent and sparser short erect pale golden setae; mesoscutum with sparse short recumbent and sparse short erect pale golden to black setae; tegula with sparse short recumbent pale golden to black setae; scutellum with sparse long erect pale golden setae; metascutellum with sparse extremely short recumbent and sparse long erect pale golden setae; axilla and metanotal trough with dense short appressed pale golden setae; dorsal propodeal face with sparse short recumbent and sparser long erect pale golden setae; propleuron with sparse extremely short appressed pale golden setae; lateral face of pronotum with sparse long appressed pale golden setae; lateral face of mesopleuron, ventral half of metapleuron and lateral propodeal face with sparse short appressed and sparser long recumbent pale golden setae; ventral face of mesopleuron with sparse long recumbent pale golden setae; dorsal half of metapleuron with sparse short appressed pale golden setae.

Legs dark brown to black; pro- and mesotrochanters yellowish tinged; protibial spur pale brown; meso- and metatibial spurs yellowish white; procoxa with dense long appressed and sparse long erect pale golden setae; meso- and metacoxa with dense (on mesocoxa) or sparse (on metacoxa) long appressed, laterally recumbent, pale golden setae; trochanters with sparse short recumbent pale golden setae; femora and tibiae with sparse long recumbent and sparser long erect pale golden setae; tarsi with dense long appressed pale golden setae.

Wings pale brown, with sparse short erect black, regularly distributed setae.

Metasoma black with bluish metallic luster on T1–T7; T1–T4 and S1 with sparse long erect pale golden setae; S2 with sparse short recumbent and sparser short erect pale golden setae; T5–T7 with sparse short recumbent and sparser long erect black setae, laterally mixed with few pale golden setae; S3–S7 with sparse short erect pale golden setae; S8 with sparse short recumbent and sparser short erect pale golden to black setae; T1–T3 and S2–S7 with apical fringe of sparse long pale golden setae; T4 with apical long black setae; segment 2 with lateral golden felt line on T and shorter on S.

Structure. Head 1.47–1.61 (average: 1.56; holotype: 1.59) times wider than long; lateral margins strongly convergent posteriorly behind eye in dorsal view; vertex elevated posteriorly; POL/OOL = 0.70–0.83 (average: 0.76; holotype: 0.72); OL:MOD:LOD (average in parentheses) = 1.0 0:0.64–1.00 (0.79):0.53–0.85 (0.63), 1.00:1.00: 0.85 in holotype; GOI = 1.30–2.00 (average: 1.56; holotype: 1.50); each ocelli posteriorly with long sharp carina not reaching posterior margin of vertex; lateral ocellus anteriorly with wide carina; lower frons with deep median longitudinal groove; antennal scrobe with weak dorsal carina reaching inner eye margin; frons and vertex longitudinally striate, intervals with minute dense punctures on frons and with small elongate dense punctures on vertex; inner notch of eye with small rounded dense punctures; posterior margin of vertex with small dense punctures; gena with small dense punctures. Clypeus convex, basomedially elevated, with a pair of subapical rounded tubercles; anterior margin medially widely protruding, without median emargination; surface of clypeus with minute sparse punctures. Mandible narrowed to apex, without dorsal crook, apically pointed and bidentate; inner denticle little smaller than apex; ventral margin of mandible not excised, with basal weak lobe; surface of mandible with minute sparse punctures. Scape bending medially, with two parallel carinae beneath; surface of scape with small sparse puncture; F1 length 0.68–0.90 (average: 0.80; holotype: 0.68) × its width, 0.45–0.65 (average: 0.55; holotype: 0.45) × F2 length; F2–F11 almost same in width; length of F2–F10 each little longer than the following segment; F11 as long as F2, conical, weakly compressed; surface of pedicel and flagellum with minute dense punctures.

Mesosoma broadest at mesonotum including tegulae; ratio between head width:humeral width:pronotal width: mesonotal width (average in parentheses) = 74–88 (81):60–72 (66):76–90 (84):100, 85:67:90: 100 in holotype; humeral angle weakly angulate; propodeum abruptly convergent posteriorly; mesoscutal width 1.05–1.23 (average: 1.10; holotype: 1.11) × its length, 0.60–0.70 (average: 0.65; holotype: 0.70) × mesonotal width; tegula weakly projecting postero-laterally, slightly protruding beyond mesoscuto-scutellar articulation, 1.44–1.70 (average: 1.55; holotype: 1.49) times longer than wide; mesoscutum slightly convex; notauli long, reaching about posterior 1/2–3/5 of mesoscutum, slightly convergent posteriorly; parapsidal line short; parascutal carina absent; scutellum weakly convex without carina or impunctate line; mesopleuron without transverse mesopleural suture, beneath weakly concave with short longitudinal precoxal impunctate line; dorsum of pronotum, lateral face of pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum with large dense punctures; metascutellum with small confluent punctures; tegula with minute sparse, regularly distributed punctures; dorsal propodeal face areolate, with elongate triangular to tongue-like basomedial cell; anterior half of mesopleuron, dorsal half of metapleuron and ventral half of lateral propodeal face with minute sparse punctures; posterior half and ventral face of mesopleuron, ventral half of metapleuron and dorsal half of lateral propodeal face with large confluent punctures.

Coxae, trochanters and femora with minute sparse punctures; tibiae and tarsi with minute dense punctures; metacoxa with weak inner carina throughout; tibiae without outer spines; claws simple, without inner denticles.

T1 without distinct dorsum and with dorso-lateral subbasal rounded tubercle; T2 abruptly convex, 1.11–1.44 (average: 1.26; holotype: 1.25) times wider than long; S1 with straight median longitudinal carina with its outer margin weakly emarginate medially, forming distinct angle posteriorly; S2 with basomedial short inconspicuous longitudinal carina; T1 on basal half and S3–S8 with small sparse punctures; T1 on apical half except posterior margin, T2 disc and S1–S2 with large sparse punctures; T1 on apical margin with minute dense punctures; T2 around discal area with large dense punctures; T3–T7 with small dense punctures except T7 with narrow elongate median impunctate line. Paramere down-curved without inner protuberance; inner face of paramere dorsally with long appressed golden setae on basal half; parapenial lobe bifurcate, with robust apical and basal lobes; volsella without basal external lobe; cuspis short oval, compressed, straight in ventral view; inner face of cuspis with developed golden setal bunch on subapical deep depression; dorsal margin of cuspis basally with few erect golden setae little longer than cuspis length; ventral margin of cuspis and inner face of cuspis ventrally with minute dense punctures and dense long erect golden setae, basally longer, at most little shorter than cuspis length; digitus short robust, apically with few erect golden setae at least little longer than digitus length; penis valve with apical pointed and subapical rounded lobes.

FEMALE. Unknown.

Type materials. Holotype: Japan: [Okinawa Islands] ♂ ( Figs 46 , 47A ), Ôkuni Forest road [KḆđû], Yona [ḩď], Kunigami [ḆḀ], Okinawa-jima Island , 300 m alt., 26.75°N 128.24°E, 3.VII.2016, Yôto Komeda leg. [ ELKU] . Paratypes: 24♂. Japan : 24♂: [Okinawa Islands] 8♂, 11 years forest, Uka [Ŧá], Kunigami Village [ ḆḀIJ], Okinawa-jima Island , 22.VIII.2002, Hiroshi Makihara leg., MST [ TPM] ; 2♂, Oku [ĸ], Kunigami Village, Okinawa-jima Island , 26.IX.2002, Hiroshi Makihara leg., MST [ TPM] ; 1♂, same place, 10.X.2002, Hi- roshi Makihara leg., MST [ TPM] ; 3♂, same place, 24.X.2002, Hiroshi Makihara leg., MST [ TPM] ; 7♂, same place, 10.VII.2003, Hiroshi Makihara leg., MST [ TPM] ; 2♂, same place, 24.VII.2003, Hiroshi Makihara leg., MST [ TPM] ; 1♂, same place, 14.IX.2003, Hiroshi Makihara leg., MST [ TPM] .

Distribution. Japan: Okinawa Islands (Okinawa-jima Island).

Occurrence in Japan. July–October.

Biology. Unknown.

Etymology. This new species is named after an Okinawa endemic long-armed scarab Cheirotonus jambar Kurosawa ( Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae ). The specific name jambar is derived from Yambaru, a popular name of the northern part of Okinawa-jima Island where the type locality of Si. jambar sp. nov. is located. Yambaru is known for its rich natural environment ( Itô et al. 2000). Unfortunately, the wilderness there is now threatened by dam and road construction, deforestation, alien creatures and roadkill. Treat as a noun in apposition.

Comparison. The male of this new species is similar to that of Si. serpa serpa and its subspecies Si. serpa columnata in having the clypeus with subapical tubercles, the mandible with a weak ventral lobe, T2 abruptly convex medially and the digitus robust, but differs in having the tegula postero-laterally projecting slightly beyond the mesoscuto-scutellar articulation ( Fig. 47A ; posteriorly projecting and reaching half of scutellum in Si. serpa : Figs 47 B–C), the scutellum and metascutellum black (yellowish red in Si. serpa columnata ), the metasoma with distinct bluish metallic luster (at most with weak bluish metallic luster in Si. s. serpa ; black in Si. s. columnata) and T1–T3 with sparse pale setal fringes (with dense fringes in Si. serpa ). The following specimens of Si. serpa were examined for comparison: Si. serpa serpa : lectotype, ♂, Dalin , Chiayi, Taiwan, VIII.1909, Hans Sauter leg. [ ZMHB] ; 1♂ ( Fig. 47B ), Lienhuachih , Nantou, Taiwan, 650 m alt., VI.1984, K. S. Lin & K. C. Chou leg., MST [ TARI] ; 1♂, same place, VII.1984, K. S. Lin & K. C. Chou leg., MST [ TARI] ; 1♂, Wanfeng Hill , Taichung, Taiwan, VII.1984, K. S. Lin & K. C. Chou leg., MST [ TARI] ; 1♂, Gaoshi , Mudan, Pingtung, Taiwan, 300 m alt., 22°7′59″N 120°51′2″E, 12.V.2016, S. Shimizu leg., SW [ NIAES]; Si. serpa columnata : holotype, ♂, Guling , Lushan, Jiangxi, China, 21.IX.1934, O. Piel leg. [ TARI] ; paratype, 1♂, same place, 17.IX.1934, O. Piel leg. [ TARI] ; paratype, 1♂, same place, 18.IX.1934, O. Piel leg. [ TARI] ; paratype, 1♂ ( Fig. 47C ), Chien-Men , Kwangtseh, Fujian, China, 22–23.VIII.1943, T. C. Maa leg. [ TARI] .

Remarks. This new species is similar to Si. serpa serpa from Taiwan and Si. serpa columnata from mainland China. The mesosomal color of Si. jambar matches that of the Si. s. serpa . This implies a Taiwanese origin for Si. jambar .

Figures

FIGURE 46. Sinotilla jambar sp. nov., ♂, holotype.A. habitus, dorsal view; B. habitus, lateral view; C. mesosoma, dorsal view; D. metasoma, dorsal view; E. head, dorsal view; F. head, lateral view; G. head, frontal view; H. wings; I. male genitalia, inner view; J. penis valve.

FIGURE 47. Sinotilla spp., ♂, tegula. A. Holotype, Si. jambar sp. nov.; B. Si. serpa serpa (Zavattari); C. paratype, Si. serpa columnata (Chen).