Nordeniella maleeae 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 : 23

11a. Nordeniella maleeae Williams , sp. nov.

( Figs 10 , 56–58 )

Diagnosis. FEMALE. This species has the head and metasoma black, without any metallic hue; the mesosoma parallel-sided and having a dark streak on the posterior face; T2 disc with a well-defined white setal patch basomedially; and T3 entirely clothed with white setae. Body length 3–4.5 mm. MALE. Unknown.

Description. FEMALE. Body length 4.5 mm. Coloration. Head black, except antennal tubercle, mandible, scape, and pedicel largely orange-brown. Mesosoma, coxae, and femoral bases orange-brown, except mesopleuron, posterior propodeal face, femoral apices, tibiae, and tarsi brown to black. Metasoma black, except S1 reddened and T2–3 yellow-brown beneath white setal markings. Body setae generally sparse and silvery, except vertex and mesosomal dorsum with scattered silver and erect blackish setae; T2 disc, T4, and T5 setae dense black; and T2 basomedial spot, T2 apex, T3 entirely, and T6 basal tuft with dense whitish silver setae. Head. Width behind eye 1.1 × mesosoma width. Frons, vertex, and gena punctures dense to confluent. Mandible apex tridentate. Clypeus with transverse truncate lamella; basomedial portion convex, densely punctate, with obscure longitudinal carina basally. Antennal scrobe with dorsal carina. Antennal tubercle smooth. Genal carina obscure, forming raised tooth with hypostomal carina. F1 1.4 × pedicel length, F2 1.4 × pedicel length. Mesosoma. Length 1.1 × width. Dorsum of mesosoma with coarse confluent punctures. Side of mesosoma with scattered micropunctures with short setae, ventral portion of meso- and metapleuron weakly transverse striate, posterior portion of propodeal side with obscure reticulations. Mesopleural lamella absent. Humeral carina distinct, arcuate. Ratio of width of humeral angle, anterior spiracle, narrowest point of mesonotum, propodeal spiracle, and widest point of propodeum 55:58:54:57:57. Scutellar scale obliterated. Posterior propodeal face reticulate. Lateral and posterior propodeal faces separated by interrupted wavy carina. Metatibio-tarsal ratio 80:37:23:17:11:9. Metasoma. Terga 1–5 with small dense punctures, sparser on T1, confluent on T2. S1 with long simple longitudinal carina. T2 felt line 0.2 × T2 total length. T6 convex, mostly smooth. S6 posterior margin bidentate.

Material examined. Holotype ♀ , THAILAND, Songkhla, Hat Yai, Prince of Songkhla University , forest edge, 7.008 o N 100.508 o E, 40 m, 11–12.IV.2017, MKT ( CSCA) . Paratypes (2 ♀), Phetchaburi, Kaeng Krachan, Baan Maka Nature Lodge , 12.840 o N 99.590 o E, 140 m, 16.V.2018, MKT (1♀ CSCA) ; Songkhla, Hat Yai, Prince of Songkhla University , forest edge, 7.008 o N 100.508 o E, 40 m, 11–12.IV.2017, MKT (1♀ CSCA) .

Distribution. Thailand (Phetchaburi, Songkhla)

Etymology. KAW is happy to name this species for co-author and type collector, Rufeah Malee. Treat as a noun in apposition.

Remarks. The occurrence of this genus in Thailand is initially surprising, as it was formerly known from India and Sri Lanka only. Other mutillid genera ( Eosmicromyrmilla , Kurzenkotilla , Orientilla ), however, are diverse and predominantly found in India and Sri Lanka, but have one or two species reaching mainland Southeast Asia.

Figures

FIGURES 1–28. Mutillidae, dorsal habitus of females. Scale bars represent actual specimen length.

FIGURES 56–67. Mutillinae: Smicromyrmini females I. 56–58. Nordeniella maleeae, sp. nov.; 59–61. Sinotilla belokobylskiji; 62–64. S. cyaneiventris; 65–67. Promecilla decora. 56, 59, 62, 65. Habitus, dorsal view; 57, 60, 63, 66. Habitus, lateral view; 58, 61, 64, 67. Face view.