Physetopoda Schuster, 1949

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 : 23

Genus 12. Physetopoda Schuster, 1949

Diagnosis. FEMALE. This genus is recognized by having a distinct scutellar scale and having the pygidium sides narrowed basally. In other features, this widespread and diverse genus shows considerable variation. MALE. See Lelej (1995b).

Diversity and Distribution. Roughly 50 species are known, mostly from the Palaearctic, though many of the Afrotropical members of Smicromyrme Thomson, 1870 will likely be transferred to Physetopoda in the future. Physeotopoda thai Lelej, 1995 is the only species known from southeast Asia.

Remarks. The only eastern Oriental species in this genus is P. thai Lelej, 1995 . Its color pattern, with four setal spots on T2, is similar to P. punctata ( Latreille, 1792) and some other Palaearctic species. Two species that we treat below in Smicromyrme , S. lochius and S. borkenti , have a similar pygidium to Physetopoda ( Figs 82, 85 ), but have the scutellar scale reduced or obliterated. As yet, no males of Physetopoda are known from Thailand. Discovery of sex associations or molecular phylogenetics will be vital for confirming the genus placement of P. thai , S. lochius , and S. borkenti .

Figures

FIGURES 77–85. Mutillinae: Smicromyrmini females III. 77–81. Mickelomyrme athalia; 82–83. M. kuznetsovi. 84–85. Mickelomyrme pusillaeformis, comb. nov.; 77, 78, 82, 84. Habitus, dorsal view; 79, 83, 85. Habitus, lateral view; 80. Face view; 81. T6.