Pherotilla brothersi Zhou, Lelej & Xu

Zhou, Hu-Ting, Lelej, Arkady S. & Xu, Zai-Fu, 2017, Discovery of the subfamily Rhopalomutillinae (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) in China and description of Pherotilla brothersi sp. nov., Zootaxa 4273 (4), pp. 587-594 : 588-591

Pherotilla brothersi Zhou, Lelej & Xu , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–25 )

Type material. Holotype, ♂, pinned, with genitalia and apical tergum and sternum in a separate micro vial, attached to the same pin, China: Yunnan, Xishuangbanna, Nabanhe National Nature Reserve, 19–23.vii.2011, yellow pan trap, Na-sen Wei & Zai-fu Xu et al., No. 2015000584 ( SCAU) . Paratype: China: 1♂, glued on card, with genitalia and apical tergum and sternum in a separate micro vial, attached to the same pin, Yunnan, Baoshan, Mangkuan, 18.vii.2006, Zeng Jie , No. 2016000140 ( IBSS) .

Diagnosis. Body entirely black, with whitish setae. Clypeus rugulose, submarginally polished and impunctate, with four blunt teeth on anterior margin and median submarginal tubercle. Scape subcarinate beneath on distal onethird. Metasomal tergum 1 with two short longitudinal lateral carinae on each side. Metasomal sternum 6 with posterior margin deeply notched on each side and with prominent pair sublateral processes on each side. Hypopygium (sternum 8) strongly sculptured, with lateral peg-like process, and broadly and unevenly emarginate posteriorly; lateral process with four strong setae mixed with shorter ones; median emargination with a pair of strong setae on each side. Paramere with long dense thin setae, without few slightly stronger long setae near base.

Description. Holotype. Male ( Fig. 1 ). Body length 7.6–9.8 mm. Forewing length 6.2–7.7 mm. Body black except apicoventral spot on scape, fore spurs piceous, mid- and hind spurs whitish. Wing infuscate on distal half. Body and legs with whitish setae. Scape with longer, pedicel and flagellum with shorter whitish setae ( Fig. 2 ).

Head. Relative width of head and mesosoma including tegulae = 9.8:10.4. Head densely and coarsely punctate ( Figs 3–5 ). The ratio of postocellar (interocellar) distance: ocellocular distance: distance between inner edges of posterior ocellus and anterior ocellus: diameter of anterior ocellus (paratype in brackets) = 23(15):75(42):18(11):21(14). Transverse with vertex slightly rounded, and without elevation behind posterior ocelli ( Fig. 4 ). Posterodorsal margin of head slightly curved in frontal view ( Fig. 4 ). Scape subcarinate beneath on distal one third. Relative proportion of length to width of antennal segment as follows: scape (108:21), pedicel (21:18), F1(20:18), F2(25:21), F3(26:23), F4(28:24), F5(28:24), F6(26:24), F7(24:23), F8(20:23), F9(19:22), F10(21:19), F11(42:17) ( Fig. 2 ). Mandible tridentate, with subapical tooth smaller than other two ( Fig. 3 ); ventral basal lamella gradually narrowed apicad without any tooth or tubercle. Clypeus rugulose, submarginally polished and impunctate, with four blunt teeth on anterior margin and median submarginal tubercle. Genal carina absent. Postgena plain. Antennal scrobes above with transverse carina. Occipital carina well developed dorsally.

Mesosoma. Pronotum, mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely and coarsely punctate ( Fig. 5 ). Tegula mostly smooth and shining, slightly recurved posteriorly ( Fig. 5 ). Mesonotum without anteromedian lines or longitudinal ridge. Notaulus short, incomplete anteriorly, one quarter of mesoscutum length, ( Fig. 5 ). Parapsidal line incomplete anteriorly and posteriorly, shorter and shallower than notaulus ( Fig. 5 ). Mesoscutellum evenly convex, not projected posterad, with dense whitish setae along lateral margin ( Fig. 5 ). Mesopleuron mostly coarsely and densely punctate, with dense whitish setae ( Fig. 6 ). Mesopleuron along promesopleural suture longitudinally striate, along mesometapleural suture smooth. Metapleuron and propodeum laterally smooth and shining ( Fig. 6 ). Propodeum with whitish setae and reticulate rugose on dorsal and posterior surfaces ( Fig. 9 ); with sparse whitish setae, and shining, transverse shallow depression on lateral surfaces ( Fig. 6 ).

Legs. Whitish setae denser on tibiae and tarsi than that on femora. Mid- and hind tibia without preapical dorsal or lateral spines. Fore, mid- and hind tibia with strong tibial spurs.

Wings. Forewing with elongate sclerotized pterostigma; first and second submarginal and first medial cells closed, vein Rs 2, 3r-m and 2m-cu nebulous; first submarginal cell 0.85 × as long as marginal cell ( Fig. 7 ).

Metasoma. Metasomal segment 1 densely and coarsely punctate, other segments moderately punctate, each segment fringed apically with longer and denser, whitish setae ( Figs 10–12 ). Metasomal segment 1 three-quarters as long as hind femur; with two short basal longitudinal lateral carinae on each side of tergum 1; sternum roof like without carina. Metasomal sternum 6 with posterior margin deeply notched on each side and with prominent pair sublateral processes on each side. Pygidium (tergum 7) with median, subgibbose, smooth longitudinal area ending before apex on area length, with apical margin rounded, preapical area smooth, other part of tergum with small punctures mixed with twice larger but sparser ones ( Fig. 13 ). Hypopygium (sternum 8) strongly sculptured with lateral peg-like process and broadly and unevenly emarginate posteriorly; lateral process with four strong setae mixed with shorter ones; median emargination with pair strong setae on each side ( Figs 14–16 ).

Genitalia. Basal ring moderate. Paramere with narrow apex slightly upcurved; with long dense thin setae, without few slightly thicker long setae near base. Penis valves asymmetrical, right valve longer than left, without setae ( Figs 17–19 ). Volsella somewhat swollen with microsetae dorsally.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Remarks. The male of P. brothersi is similar to that of P. oceanica, but differs in having body entirely black (at least antenna, mandible, tegula and legs partly reddish-brown in P. oceanica); paramere with dense long setae, without longer thicker setae along basodorsal margin (with dense short setae, and one longer thicker setae along basodorsal margin in P. oceanica).

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to Denis J. Brothers, the world authority in Mutillidae , who recently revised the subfamily Rhopalomutillinae .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Pherotilla brothersi sp. nov., ♂, holotype, habitus, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.9 mm.

FIGURES 2 – 8. Pherotilla brothersi sp. nov., ♂, holotype. 2. Antenna; 3. Head, frontal view; 4. Head, dorsal view; 5. Head and mesosoma, dorsal view; 6. Head and mesosoma, lateral view; 7. Fore wing; 8. Hind wing. Scale bars = 0.3 mm for 2, 0.4 mm for 3, 0.45 mm for 4, 0.7 mm for 5, 0.9 mm for 6 and 7, and 1.1 mm for 8.

FIGURES 9 – 12. Pherotilla brothersi sp. nov., ♂, holotype. 9. Propodeum, dorsal view; 10 – 12. Metasoma: 10. Lateral view; 11. Dorsal view; 12. Ventral view. Scale bars = 0.5 mm for 9, 0.7 mm for 10, 0.8 mm for 11 and 12.

FIGURES 13 – 19. Pherotilla brothersi sp. nov., ♂, holotype. 13. Metasomal tergum 7, dorsal view; 14 – 16. Hypopygium: 14. Ventral view, anterior to left; 15. Lateral view, anterior to left; 16. Posterior view; 17 – 19. Genitalia: 17. Dorsal view; 18. Lateral view; 19. Ventral view.

FIGURES 20 – 25. Pherotilla brothersi sp. nov., ♂, holotype. 20 – 22. Hypopygium: 20. Lateral view, anterior to left; 21. Ventral view, anterior to left; 22. Posterior view. 23 – 25. Genitalia: 23. Dorsal view; 24. Left volsella, externolateral view; 25. Sagittal view, penis valves and right paramere (right volsella not shown).