Ephucilla naja ( Zavattari, 1913 )

Okayasu, Juriya, 2020, Velvet ants of the tribe Smicromyrmini Bischoff (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) of Japan, Zootaxa 4723 (1), pp. 1-110 : 83-84

Ephucilla naja ( Zavattari, 1913)

( Figs 32 G–H, 34G–H, 35F, 36J–L, 37D, 38G–H)

Mutilla naja Zavattari, 1913: 38 , ♂, lectotype ♂ (“Taihorin” [Dalin], Chiayi, Taiwan) [SDEI, designated by Mickel (1933)], examined.

Smicromyrme naja: Mickel 1933: 417 , ♂; Mickel 1935: 275, ♂; Chen 1957: 202, ♂, examined; Tsuneki 1972c: 19, ♂; Tsuneki 1993a: 39, ♂.

Ephucilla naja: Lelej 1995b: 11 , ♂, in part, examined; Lelej 2005: 40; Lo Cascio 2015: 548, in part.

Diagnosis. MALE. Vertex elevated posteriorly; frons and vertex longitudinally striate; OL:MOD:LOD (average in parenthesis) = 1:1.00-1.46 (1.11):0.67–1.31 (0.96); median ocellus with posterior longitudinal carina; clypeus convex. Mandible tridentate, without dorsal crook; second inner subapical inner denticle reduced. F1 length equal to its width. Mesosoma yellowish red except propleuron, ventral half of mesopleuron, metapleuron and propodeum black; parapsidal line long; tegula postero-laterally projecting, reaching mesoscuto-scutellar articulation, 1.54–1.92 (average: 1.73) times longer than wide; mesopleuron beneath with short longitudinal precoxal impunctate line; lateral margins of propodeum abruptly convergent posteriorly. Metasoma with bluish metallic luster; T2–T3 with dense pale setal fringe on apical margin; parapenial lobe with small lobe on outer margin; volsellar cuspis wide, with distinct ventral face. FEMALE. Unknown.

Type materials examined. Mutilla naja Zavattari : lectotype, ♂ (metasoma missing), Dalin, Chiayi, Taiwan, 7.VIII.1911, Hans Sauter leg. [ SDEI (DEI-GISHym 16746)]; paralectotype, 1♂ ( Figs 32 G–H, 34G–H, 35F, 36J–L, 38G–H), same data [ SDEI].

Other materials examined. 39♂. Taiwan : 39♂: 1♂, Fengshan , Kaohsiung, IV.1910, H. Sauter leg., B. Pe- tersen det. 1981 as Smicromyrme naja (Zavattari) [ ZMUC] ; 1♂, Dalin , Chiayi, VIII.1909, H. Sauter leg., B. Pe- tersen det. 1981 as Smicromyrme naja (Zavattari) [ ZMUC] ; 1♂, same place, IX.1909, H. Sauter leg., B. Petersen det. 1981 as Smicromyrme naja (Zavattari) [ ZMUC] ; 1♂, same place, XI.1909, H. Sauter leg., B. Petersen det. 1981 as Smicromyrme naja (Zavattari) [ ZMUC] ; 1♂, Hogan , IV.1918, T. Shiraki leg., T. Shiraki det. as Mutilla naja Zavattari [ TARI] ; 1♂, Hengchun , 25.IV–25.V.1918, J. Sonan, K. Miyake & M. Yoshino leg. [ TARI] ; 1♂, Wushe, Ren’ai , Nantou, 18.V–15.VI.1919, T. Okuni, J. Sonan, K. Miyake & M. Yoshino leg. [ TARI] ; 1♂, Kueitzuchi- ao, Hengchun , 13.X.1926, J. Sonan leg. [ TARI] ; 1♂, Kaushirei , 20.XI.1926, J. Sonan leg. [ TARI] ; 1♂, Baibara , 25.IV.1929, K. Sato leg., A. S. Lelej det. 1995 as Ephucilla naja (Zavattari) [ NSMT] ; 1♂, Hori , 28.IV.1929, K. Sato leg., A. S. Lelej det. 1995 as Ephucilla naja (Zavattari) [ NSMT] ; 1♂, Tucheng , 19.VII.1935, J. Sonan leg. [ TARI] ; 2♂, Kaoshih , 16.IV.1937, T. Shiraki & M. Chujo leg. [ TARI] ; 1♂, Kaoshih , 16.VI.1937, T. Shiraki & M. Chujo leg. [ TARI] ; 1♂, Kuantyling , 11.IV.1941, Nitobe leg., T. Shiraki det. as Mutilla naja Zavattari [ TARI] ; 1♂, Changkou , 23.IV.1941, Nitobe leg. [ TARI] ; 1♂, Changkou , 23.V.1941, collector unknown [ TARI] ; 1♂, Maling , 10.VI.1941, J. Sonan leg. [ TARI] ; 1♂, Pen-pu Hsi, Puli , Nantou, 600 m alt., 11.VIII.1968, K. Tsuneki leg. [ NMNH] ; 2♂, same place, 26.VIII.1968, K. Tsuneki leg., K. Tsuneki det. 1972, 1973 as Smicromyrme naja (Zavattari) [ ZMUC] ; 1♂, Yangmingshan , Taipei, 25.X.1965, K. H. Chang leg. [ TARI] ; 1♂, Kenting Park , Pingtung, 22.VI.1970, Y. Hori leg. [ EUM] ; 1♂, Juisui , Hualien, 1.V.1980, Sk. Yamane leg., B. Petersen det. 1988 as Smicromyrme cyaneiventris naja (Zavattari) [ ZMUC] ; 1♂, Kenting , Pingtung, 22–26.III.1982, T. Lin & S. C. Lin leg. [ TARI] ; 1♂, Chilushui , Ping- tung, 4.VIII.1982, K. C. Chou & C. N. Lin leg. [ TARI] ; 1♂, Mushe , Nantou, 1150 m alt., 21–23.VI.1983, K. S. Lin & S. C. Lin leg. [ TARI] ; 2♂, Tungpu , Nantou, 1200 m alt., 23–27.VII.1984, K. C. Chou & C. H. Yang leg. [ TARI] ; 1♂, Liukei , Kaohsiung, 29.VII.1985, H. Takizawa leg. [ HUM] ; 1♂, Tungpu , Nantou, 1200 m alt., IX.1985, K. S. Lin leg., MST [ TARI] ; 1♂, Paolai, Liukuei , 21.III.1995, H. Takizawa leg. [ HUM] ; 1♂, Colors Butterfly Valley , Li- ouguei, Kaohsiung, 25–27.V.2006, T. Tsuru leg. [ HUM] ; 1♂, Pen-pu Hsi, Puli , Nantou, 700 m alt., 24.00N 121.06E, 2.V.2012, Y. Komeda leg. [ ELKU] ; 1♂, Mt. Tangmadan-shan, Lieng , Taichung, 24°09′N 120°57′E, 22.X.2017, K. Narita leg. [ EUM] ; 1♂ ( Fig. 37D ), same place, 1.XI.2017, J. Okayasu leg. [ EUM] ; 1♂, Dongmao-shan, Heping , Taichung, 24°10’N 120°58’E, 1.XI.2017, K. Narita leg. [ EUM] ; 1♂, Kueitzuchiao, Hengchun , 21.III, J. Yoshioka collection [ NSMT] .

Confirmed distribution. Taiwan.

Other localities in the literature. All the known distributional records are confirmed by the present study.

Remarks. This species is distributed in Taiwan only. One male was collected flying 30 cm– 50 cm above the dry evergreen broadleaf forest floor at Mt. Tangmadan-shan ( Fig. 45A ) at 2: 40 p. m. on November 1st, 2017. One female of E. thalia was also collected by my fellow coleopterist at same mountain on October 28th, 2017 from a pine tree hollow on the mountain ridge at night ( Fig. 45B ; see Comparison section of E. yoshitakei also). Judging from this record and the female morphology of Japanese Ephucilla species, E. thalia is most likely the female of E. naja .

Figures

FIGURE 32. Ephucilla spp., ♂, habitus. A–B. Holotype, E. yoshitakei sp. nov.; C–D. holotype, E. suginoi sp. nov.; E–F. holotype, E. brevitegula sp. nov.; G–H. paralectotype, E. naja (Zavattari); A, C, E, G. dorsal view; B, D, F, H. lateral view.

FIGURE 37. Ephucilla spp., ♂, wings. A. Holotype, E. yoshitakei sp. nov.; B. holotype, E. suginoi sp. nov.; C. holotype, E. brevitegula sp. nov.; D. E. naja (Zavattari).

FIGURE 45. Mt. Tangmadan-shan in Taiwan. A. Dry evergreen broadleaf forest floor where Ephucilla naja was collected; B. a hollow of a pine tree on the mountain ridge where E. thalia was collected.