Tobantilla montonera Casal, 1965

Williams, Kevin A., Brothers, Denis J. & Pitts, James P., 2011, New species of Tobantilla Casal, 1965 and a new genus and species, Gogoltilla chichikovi gen. et sp. nov., from Argentina (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Zootaxa 3064, pp. 41-68 : 58-59

Tobantilla montonera Casal, 1965

( Figs 6 , 12 )

Tobantilla montonera Casal, 1965 . Rev. Soc. Mex. Hist. Nat. 25: 211. Holotype female, Argentina, Salta, Güemes, XII-1956, M. A. Fritz (AMNH).

Diagnosis. FEMALE. The mesosoma is longer than broad ( Fig. 6 ); the mesosomal dorsum is clothed with concolorous pale golden setae, except the mesonotum has some black setae medially; the scutellar scale is separated from the dorsal propodeal carina; T2 has both an anterior and posterior pair of yellow integumental spots that may be confluent; and T4 is clothed entirely with silver setae.

Description. FEMALE. Body length 3–5 mm. Coloration. Body and appendages pale brown; T2 with two pairs of yellow spots, anterior and posterior spots typically confluent. Tibial spurs white. Head and mesosoma clothed with fairly dense decumbent pale golden or silvery lanceolate setae, except setae sparser medially on mesosoma, dorsum of head and mesosoma with scattered erect long brachyplumose brown setae, and area directly anterior to scutellar scale with decumbent dark brown setae; posterior face of propodeum with moderately dense decumbent pale golden setae. T2 clothed with dark brown decumbent lanceolate setae between spots and along apical margin, lateral thirds and integumental spots with sparse silver decumbent and erect setae. T3 entirely clothed with decumbent dark brown lanceolate setae. T1, T4–5 and S1–5 clothed with silvery white decumbent and erect setae. T6 and S6 with erect brown setae. Head. Rounded posteriorly, with occipital carina stronger laterally from base of weak narrowly triangular glabrous tubercle on posterolateral margin. Head width 1.1 × pronotal width. Eye almost circular. Front, vertex and gena reticulate. Genal carina produced, extending anteriorly to hypostomal carina. Mandible oblique, tapering, bidentate apically but preapical inner tooth minute and usually obliterated, unarmed ventrally. Antennal scrobe with distinct lateral vertical carina but no dorsal carina. Antennal tubercle finely and sparsely punctate basally. Scape simply punctate. Flagellomere 1 2.0 × pedicel length; flagellomere 2 1.5 × pedicel length. Mesosoma. Mesosomal length 1.15 × width; pronotum 1.05 × as wide as mesothorax. Mesosomal dorsum reticulate. Humeral carina well developed. Lateral face of pronotum and mesopleuron micropunctate, dull, mesopleural ridge coarsely reticulate; clothed with fine recumbent setae. Metapleuron dorsal to endophragmal pit and dorsal two-thirds of lateral face of propodeum glabrous, smooth; ventral regions of metapleuron and lateral face of propodeum micropunctate and clothed with fine recumbent setae. In dorsal view, mesosoma gradually narrowed posterior to pronotum, lateral margin of mesothorax weakly sinuate anterior to propodeal spiracle. Scutellar scale narrow and highly raised, with broadly w-shaped transverse carina anterior to it. Strong transverse carina separating dorsal and posterior propodeal faces on each side. Dorsal propodeal face parallel-sided posterior to spiracle, posterolateral angle nearly perpendicular, posterior face virtually flat, vertical, reticulate and clothed with moderately dense decumbent lanceolate setae on dorsal half. Metasoma. T1 narrow and petiolate, somewhat cylindrical, 0.4 × as wide as T2. T2 1.1 × longer than wide, with maximum width situated posteriorly. Disc of T2 with moderate-sized longitudinally ovate contiguous punctures, except yellow spots sparsely punctate with interspaces wider than punctures; T3–5 densely punctate. S1 with low longitudinal carina, S1–5 moderately punctate, punctures smaller and denser on S3–5. Pygidium well defined by continuous lateral and apical carinae, posterior margin broadly convex, surface weakly convex with about 8 irregular longitudinal striae almost reaching apical margin, spaces between striae irregularly granulate.

MALE. Unknown.

Host. Unknown.

Material examined. Type material: Holotype, Ƥ, ARGENTINA: Salta, Güemes, XII.1956, M. A. Fritz ( AMNH); Paratype, 1 Ƥ, ARGENTINA, Salta, Tartagal, 6.iii.1961, O.H. Casal ( AMNH). Other material. ARGENTINA: Jujuy, San Pedro, 1Ƥ, 21.II.1971, M.A. Fritz & A. Martinez ( EMUS); Salta, Alemania, 1Ƥ, II.1983, M.A. Fritz ( EMUS); Santiago del Estero, Tintina, 2Ƥ, 15.XII.1971 D.J. Brothers ( DJBC); 50 km NE Santiago del Estero, 3Ƥ, 16.XII.1971 D.J. Brothers (2 DJBC, 1 EMUS).

Distribution. Argentina (Jujuy, Salta, Santiago del Estero).

Remarks. This species has only been recorded from northwestern Argentina. Both Argentinean species known from males are found in Salta; one of those is likely to be conspecific with T. montonera .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Tobantilla species, females, habitus, dorsal view. 1. T. aleatrix sp. nov.; holotype; 2. T. charrasca Casal; 3. T. frigidula (Cresson); 4. T. kolasma sp. nov., holotype; 5. T. krima sp. nov., holotype; 6. T. montonera Casal.

FIGURES 7 – 14. Tobantilla species, females. 7 - 12. Habitus, lateral view. 7. T. aleatrix sp. nov., holotype; 8. T. charrasca Casal; 9. T. frigidula (Cresson); 10. T. kolasma sp. nov., holotype; 11. T. krima sp. nov., holotype; 12. T. montonera Casal. 13, 14. Pygidium (T 6). 13. T. frigidula; 14. T. aleatrix.