Kurzenkotilla cicatricifera (André, 1894) Lelej & Williams & Terine & Okayasu & Parikh & Kumar, 2023

Lelej, Arkady S., Williams, Kevin A., Terine, Joshua B., Okayasu, Juriya, Parikh, Grishma R. & Kumar, Girish P., 2023, Review of the tribe Mutillini (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) from the Oriental Region, Zootaxa 5228 (4), pp. 455-476 : 463

Kurzenkotilla cicatricifera (André, 1894) , comb. nov.

( Figs 21–28 )

Mutilla cicatricifera André, 1894: 466 , 477, ♀, holotype, type locality: “Kanara” [ India: Karnataka], Wroughton leg. [MNHN]; André 1902: 38, ♀, India; photographs examined

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Head and mesosoma ferruginous, rugoso-punctate, mandible apically and basally black, middle portion ferruginous, clypeus with tuft of suberect golden setae. T1 apically with fringe of golden setae at postero-lateral edges, T2 basally with two conjugended spots of golden setae, not reaching lateral edge of T2, T2 laterally with long felt line of golden setae, T2 apically with fringe of golden setae, T3 with band of golden setae, T6 with tuft of erect long golden setae around pygidial plate, metasoma laterally with long erect golden setae, S1 to S6 with fringe of golden setae. MALE. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype. INDIA, Karnataka, Kodagu district, Bettathur , 12.417675°N, 75.666364°E, 958 m, 23.XII.2019, P. Girish Kumar & Party, ♀ ZSI/WGRC/IR/INV.21260 [ ZSIK]. INDIA, Kerala, Kannur district, Kottiyoor, 11.900077°N, 75.887628°E, 882 m, 12.IV.2022, Siva K. leg., ♀ ZSI/WGRC/IR/INV.21261 [ ZSIK].

Description. FEMALE. Body length 18.1–18.9 mm. Body stout, large-sized, moderately convex, slightly broadest at metasoma. Head oval, somewhat flattened, rugoso-punctate, posterior margin curved, genal carina well developed; eyes small, oval; longitudinal eye diameter in fronto-lateral view, 1.86 × distance between eyes. Clypeus straight, with medial deep emargination; mandible pointed towards the apex, bidentate; lower half of gena bordered beneath by a carina; hypostomal carina well developed. Mesosoma rectangular, with slightly concave laterally; rugoso-punctate as in head, lateral margin crenulated, propodeum posteriorly abrupt; propleuron rugoso-punctate as in head; metapleuron and allied lateral propodeal face smooth; mid and hind tibia with two rows of spines, one row with four and other one with six spines. T1 wide, slightly narrower than T2; T2 with long lateral felt line, 0.75 × T2; pygidium rugose with some small punctures.

Coloration and setation. Antennae, head, clypeus, legs and mesosoma ferruginous with lateral margin darker than mesosoma dorsal; mandible apically and basally black, middle portion ferruginous; tibial spine dark brown; vertex with sparse suberect dark brown setae, towards lateral and frons with golden setae; clypeus with tuft of suberect golden setae; scape with golden setae and flagellomeres with short golden setae; mesosoma dorsally with dark brown setae throughout, apically towards propodeum with long erect golden setae; legs with long golden setae throughout, tarsomeres with dense dark brown setae; metasoma black, T1 apically with golden fringe at posterolateral edges, T2 basally with two conjoined spots of golden setae, not reaching lateral edge of T2, T2 laterally with long felt line of golden setae, T2 apically with fringe of golden setae, T3 with band of golden setae, T6 with tuft of erect long golden setae around pygidial plate, metasoma laterally with long erect golden setae, S1–6 with fringe of golden setae.

Measurements. Ratio of pedicel length, F1 length, F2 length, and F3 length, 0.22:0.49:0.24:0.29; longitudinal eye diameter in fronto-lateral view: 1.18 mm, mesosoma maximal width in dorsal view: 3.51 mm, mesosoma length in dorsal view: 4.19 mm.

MALE (unknown).

Distribution. India (Karnataka, Kerala).

Remarks. The female from Kerala differs by having slightly lighter golden setae, the genal carina not developed, the mesosoma dorsally with irregular dark patches, and the mesopleuron darker. Other than K. visrara , whose apparently erroneous type locality is Sri Lanka (see below), this is the southwesternmost representative of the genus Kurzenkotilla . Based on its southern distribution and broadly transverse band on T2, we initially thought it may actually belong in the genus Storozhenkotilla . Furthermore, this seems to be the only Kurzenkotilla species with a sculptured apparent pygidial plate. The species seems to fit more closely with Kurzenkotilla , however, based on the moderately large head and eye, the weakly defined genal carina, and the black T1 fringe. Furthermore, the transverse setal band on T2 more closely resembles two coalescent spots, due to the black triangular patch of setae basomesally. This band is also more centrally located on the T2 disc than that seen in Storozhenkotilla , in K. cicatricifera , the T2 band extends posteriorly to the midpoint of T2, while the band is restricted to the basal quarter of T 2 in the genus Storozhenkotilla .

Figures

FIGURES 21–28. Kurzenkotilla cicatricifera, ♀. 21. Habitus, lateral view; 22.Head and mesosoma, dorsal view; 23.Metasoma, dorsal view.; 24. Metasoma, dorso-posterior view; 25. Pygidial plate; 26. Head, face view; 27. Clypeus. 28. Head, lateral view. (Photographs by J. Terine).