Smicromyrme helarctos Williams, 2019

Williams, Kevin A., Lelej, Arkady S., Okayasu, Juriya, Borkent, Christopher J., Malee, Rufeah, Thoawan, Kodeeyah & Thaochan, Narit, 2019, The female velvet ants (aka modkhong) of southern Thailand (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), with a key to the genera of southeast Asia, Zootaxa 4602 (1), pp. 1-69 : 27-28

15b. Smicromyrme helarctos Williams , sp. nov.

( Figs 104–106 )

Diagnosis. FEMALE. This species has unique coloration in Southeast Asia, wherein the mesosoma is black except for the orange-brown dorsal face. The head is entirely black, the legs are entirely orange, the metasoma is mostly black with a single basomedial spot on the T2 disc. The scutellar scale is broadly arcuate and the pygidium is elongate oval with sparse striae and the apex smooth. Body length 3.4 mm. MALE. Unknown.

Description. FEMALE. Body length 3.4 mm. Coloration. Head black-brown, except frons, mandible, clypeus, and antenna largely orange-brown. Mesosoma black-brown, except dorsum orange-brown and legs pale orange. Metasoma black, except T1, S1, T2 apically, T3, and S2–6 red-brown to yellow-brown. Body setae generally sparse and silvery, except vertex, mesosomal dorsum, T2, and T4–5 with blackish setae; and T1 apex, T2 basomedial spot, T2 apex, T3 entirely, and T6 basolaterally with dense whitish silver setae. Head. Width behind eye 0.95 × mesosoma width. Frons, vertex, and gena with separated punctures. Mandible apex obscurely tridentate. Clypeus with narrow transverse medially-emarginate lamella; basomedial portion with carinae forming acute triangle. Antennal scrobe without dorsal carina. Antennal tubercle smooth. Genal carina obliterated. F1 1.2 × pedicel length, F2 1.2 × pedicel length. Mesosoma. Length 0.95 × width. Dorsum of mesosoma with coarse confluent punctures. Side of mesosoma with scattered moderate punctures with long setae, interspaces mostly smooth, propodeal side with distinct reticulations posteriorly. Mesopleural lamella absent. Humeral carina simple, rounded dorsally. Ratio of width of humeral angle, anterior spiracle, narrowest point of mesonotum, propodeal spiracle, and midpoint of propodeum 42:46:45:46:45. Scutellar scale transverse arculate, ~9 punctures wide, with transverse wavy carina anterior and posterior to scale. Posterior propodeal face reticulate. Lateral and posterior propodeal faces not separated by carina. Metatibio-tarsal ratio 45:25:18:15:12:9. Metasoma. Terga 1–5 with small separated punctures, sparser on T1. S1 with simple longitudinal carina. T2 felt line 0.4 × T2 total length. T6 with long ovate pygidium; with parallel striae (16 at widest point), posterior quarter smooth. S6 posterior margin bidentate.

Material examined. Holotype ♀, THAILAND, Kanchanaburi, Mueang Kanchanaburi, Phalad waterfall, 14.24 o N 99.34 o E, 180 m, 21.V.2018, MKT (CSCA).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Thailand (Kanchanaburi).

Etymology. This species is named after the Sun Bear, Helarctos malayanus ( Raffles, 1821), one of two bear species native to Southeast Asia, and for all the other bears around the World. Treat as a noun in apposition.

Remarks. With its broad scutellar scale and pygidium shape and sculpture, this species is structurally similar to Mickelomyrme. We treat it as a member of Smicromyrme because T2 has only one medial setal spot. Discovery of the male could provide greater confidence in the genus placement.

Figures

FIGURES 95–106. Mutillinae: Smicromyrmini females V. 95–97. Nemka conjungenda; 98–100. Smicromyrme borkenti, sp. nov.; 101–103. S. lochius; 104–106. S. helarctos, sp. nov. 95, 98, 101, 104. Habitus, dorsal view; 96, 99, 102, 105. Habitus, lateral view; 97, 100, 103, 106. T6.