Timulla ocellaria Mickel, 1937

Waldren, George C., 2024, Taxonomic notes on velvet ants of the genus Timulla Ashmead, 1899 (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) in the United States of America and Canada, Insecta Mundi 2024 (55), pp. 1-10 : 11

Timulla ocellaria Mickel, 1937

Timulla (Timulla) ocellaria ocellaria Mickel 1937a: 91 . Holotype ♂ (UMSP).

Timulla (Timulla) ocellaria rufidorsa Mickel 1937a: 93 , pl. III, fig. 14. Holotype ♂ (NMNH). New synonym.

Remarks. Mickel (1937a) described the male-based subspecies Timulla ocellaria rufidorsa Mickel, 1937 and in the remarks for it noted: “Exactly like ocellaria subsp. ocellaria except the prothorax and the mesonotum ferruginous with pale pubescence, and the tegulae dark ferruginous.” I have been unable to find any structural differences between these two subspecies either. Further, they both occur in the central/mid-eastern United States, and there is no geographic distinction between them. Both subspecies have been collected at the same time and location in Fort Knox, Kentucky and Tuttle, Oklahoma by the same collectors. Based on their identical morphology and overlap in geographic distribution, Timulla ocellaria rufidorsa Mickel, 1937 is here considered a new synonym of Timulla ocellaria Mickel, 1937 .

Timulla ocellaria is one of the few nocturnal species of Timulla and males have very large ocelli ( Mickel 1937a; pers. obs.). Remarkably, I have not seen any mating pairs of T. ocellaria among collections despite examining more than 900 males collected at lights.

Material examined ( Timulla ocellaria ocellaria ) (5 ♂). Non-type (s): USA: Kentucky: Hardin Co.: Fort Knox , 03.Jul.1953, R.D. Alexander (2♂ – OSUC – OSUC 0098506 , OSUC 0098509 ; 1♂ – UAIC; 1♂ – UMMZ). Oklahoma: Grady Co. : Tuttle, 02.Jul.2006, B. Baldwin, “UV Light” (1♂ – EMUS) .

Material examined ( Timulla ocellaria rufidorsa ) ( 20 ♂). Holotype: USA: Oklahoma: Bryan Co.: Durant, 01.Jul.1910, Hunter , “at light” (1♂ – NMNH – USNMENT 01545802 ). Non-type(s): USA: Kentucky: Hardin Co. : Fort Knox , 03.Jul.1953, R.D. Alexander (1♂ – OSUC – OSUC 0098523 ; 1♂ – UMMZ). Oklahoma: Grady Co. : Tuttle, 02.Jul.2006, B. Baldwin, “UV Light” (17♂ – EMUS).

In total, 944♂ and 0 ♀ of Timulla ocellaria Mickel, 1937 were examined ( AMNH, CASC, CNC, CSCA, CSUC, CUIC, DGMC, EMEC, EMUS, FHSM, FMNH, FSCA, GCWC, INHS, LSAM, MCZ, MEM, MSUC, NMNH, OMNH, OSAC, OSEC, OSUC, PMNH, PERC, SEMC, TAMU, UAAM, UAIC, UCDC, UCMC, UCRC, UGCA, UKIC, UMMZ, UMRM, WIRC).