Trogaspidia pittsi 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 : 42-43

30a. Trogaspidia pittsi Williams , sp. nov.

( Figs 147–151 )

Diagnosis. FEMALE. This is the only Trogaspidia species with the felt line produced to form an ovate seta-filled pit ( Fig. 150 ). The following characters can aid in diagnosis: the legs are entirely black, the scutellar scale is obscurely rounded posteriorly and ~3 punctures wide, the T1 fringe is predominantly black, the T2 apex and T3 each have a medially-interrupted band of golden setae, T4 lacks a pale setal band, and the pygidium is sub-ovate with longitudinal wavy rugae basally and microreticulateapically. Body length 8–12 mm. MALE. Unknown.

Description. FEMALE. Body length 7.7 mm. Coloration. Head black, except antennal tubercle, mandible, and scape partly dark red-brown. Mesosoma orange-brown, legs black. Metasoma black. Body setae generally sparse and silvery, except frons and mesosomal dorsum with sub-erect golden, red-brown, and dark brown setae; T2 disc, T4, and T5 setae dense black; and vertex, T2 disc lateral spots, T2 apical band, T3 entirely, and T6 basal tuft with dense pale golden setae; T2 lateral spot diameter subequal to distance between spots; T2 apical band and T3 band interrupted medially with black setae. Head. Width behind eye 0.9 × mesosoma width. Frons, vertex, and gena punctures coarse confluent. Mandible apex apparently unidentate. Clypeus apically with two separated teeth; basomedial portion with obscure sharp tubercle. Antennal scrobe with distinct arcuate dorsal carina and straight lateral carina. Antennal tubercle with transverse ridges. Genal carina distinct anteriorly, obliterated posteriorly. F1 2.5 × pedicel length, F2 1.6 × pedicel length. Mesosoma. Length 1.05 × width. Dorsum of mesosoma with moderate confluent punctures; wavy carina separating dorsal and lateral faces of pronotum and mesonotum. Side of mesosoma with dense micropunctures and short setae. Mesopleural lamella a dorsally sharper carina. Humeral carina low complete, sub-angular at dorsal angle. Ratio of width of humeral angle, anterior spiracle, narrowest point of mesonotum, propodeal spiracle, and midpoint of propodeum 68:74:68:73:77. Scutellar scale sub-angular posteriorly, as wide as one puncture. Posterior propodeal face reticulate with many interspaces obliterated leaving apparent striae and scattered tubercles. Lateral and posterior propodeal faces separated by interrupted cariniform row of short teeth. Metatibio-tarsal ratio 65:27:18:13:11:13. Metasoma. T1 anterior face with separated punctures, posterior with confluent punctures. T2 disc with deep coarse pits, interspaces micropunctate and setose; with transverse depression in apical half. T3–5 and S3–5 with small dense punctures. S1 with longitudinal lamella, notched sub-anteriorly, highest posteriorly. S2 with sparse punctures, interspaces smooth. T2 felt line forming a deep ovate pit, 0.3 × T2 total length. T6 with long sub-ovate pygidium, widest sub-apically with lateral carina obliterated in posterior quarter; with distinct longitudinal rugae and apex with small punctures. S6 posterior margin bidentate.

Material examined. Holotype ♀, THAILAND, Phetchaburi, Kaeng Krachan, Baan Maka Nature Lodge , 12.840 o N 99.590 o E, 140 m, 16.V.2018, MKT (CSCA). Paratypes (4 ♀), LAOS, Bolikhamsay Province , Ban Phone Kham environs, 200–300 m, 18 o 19'N 104 o 0 8'E, 2317 o 20'N 101 o 20'E, 23–29.V.2011, M. Brancucci, M. Geiser, D. Hauck, Z. Kraus, A. Phantala, and E. Vongphachan (2♀ RHMB) . MYANMAR, S. Shan, Taunggyi , 1.VIII–22.IX.1934, Malaise trap (1♀ RMNH) ; THAILAND, Chiang Mai : Chiang Mai, 300 m, 18 o 47'N 98 o 59'E, 4.VII.1986, R. Hensen (1♀ RMNH) ; near Mae Saa, km 11 on Highway 1096, 600 m, 18 o 53'58"N 98 o 52'27"E, 24–25.V.2000, D. Yanega (1♀ UCRC) .

Distribution. Laos (Bolikhamsay), Myanmar (Shan), Thailand (Chiang Mai, Phetchaburi).

Etymology. This species is named in honor of mutillid researcher and mentor to KAW, James P. Pitts, and loosely references the pit-like felt line of this species.

Remarks. The felt line of this species ( Fig. 150 ) resembles that of many Oriental Odontomutilla species. The mesosomal shape and defined pygidium, however, clearly place this species in the Trogaspdiini. We chose to place it in Trogaspidia because that genus currently holds the greatest diversity and variability in the tribe, but the peculiarities of its felt line and pygidium ( Fig. 151 ) suggest that this placement is tenuous.

Figures

FIGURES 147–154. Mutillinae: Trogaspidiini females IV. 147–151. Trogaspidia pittsi, sp. nov.; 152–154. T. lingnani. 147, 152. Habitus, dorsal view; 148, 153. Habitus, lateral view; 149. Face view; 150. Felt line; 151, 154. T6.