Eosmicromyrmilla Lelej & Krombein, 2001

Lelej, Arkady S., Terine, Joshua B. & Kumar, Girish P., 2021, New species of Ticoplinae (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) from India, Zootaxa 5052 (4), pp. 567-578 : 569-571

Genus Eosmicromyrmilla Lelej & Krombein, 2001

Eosmicromyrmilla Lelej & Krombein 2001: 4 ; Lelej 2005: 22; Lelej & Brothers 2008: 21; Brothers & Lelej 2017: 93; Pagliano et al. 2020: 22.

Smicromyrmilla: Lelej et al 2007: 54 , ♂.

Type species Eosmicromyrmilla srilankiensis Lelej & Krombein, 2001 (♂, ♀; holotype is ♂), by original designation.

Diagnosis. MALE. Ratio of pedicel and F1-3 length 1.0:1.1:2.0:2.3. Mesoscutellum apex produced and overhanging metanotum, rounded or curved (not acuminate). Lateral and posterior propodeal faces separated by wavy carina or carina with teeth (in type species). S6 with deep median narrow emargination. Median longitudinal emargination of S8 (hypopygium) carinated laterally and narrowed basally with notch in mid part of carina; wide part of median emargination two thirds of S8 total length. Basal ring of genitalia (cupula, gonocardo) longer than paramere. Volsella lamellate. Body black or with mesosoma mostly red. FEMALE. Medial smooth shiny area of T6 reaching the base, laterally not carinated. Lateral propodeal face microsculptured, not reticulate. Mid and hind tibia with weak spines dorsally.

Gender. Feminine.

Sex association. The type species was described from both sexes ( Lelej & Krombein 2001).

Species included. Eosmicromyrmilla srilankiensis Lelej & Krombein, 2001 , ♂, ♀ ( Sri Lanka); E. chinensis Lelej in Lelej & Krombein, 2001, ♀ ( China: Yunnan); E. pulawskii Lelej, 2005 , ♀ ( India: Maharashtra); E. margalla ( Lelej & Ullah, 2007) , comb. nov., ♂ ( Pakistan: Islamabad). With the present description of two new species, Eosmicromyrmilla now includes six Oriental species. A key to known species is presented below. The re-analysis of Smicromyrmilla margalla shows that it differs from true Smicromrymilla in the following characters: lateral carina of median narrow longitudinal emargination of S8 with notch, S6 with median narrow emargination, and apex of mesoscutellum rounded. This is why S. margalla is here transferred to the genus Eosmicromyrmilla .

Natural history. Eosmicromyrmilla srilankiensis is an abundant and widespread species in Sri Lanka. The occurrence per months of 159 specimens collected in 1970, 1976-1981, 1993 are presented in Figure 1 . The species is widespread in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka, mostly at low elevations ( Fig. 2 ). One female and two males were collected in the leaf litter in Hambantota District .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Eosmicromyrmilla srilankiensis, cumulative monthly occurrence of the 159 specimens collected in Sri Lanka during eight non-consecutive years (Lelej & Krombein 2001).

FIGURE 2. Map of Sri Lankan Provinces (solid lines), Districts (dashed lines), and localities, where specimens of Eosmicromyrmilla srilankiensis have been collected (Lelej & Krombein 2001). District abbreviations follow those of Krombein & Pulawski (1994).