Bischoffiella Brothers & Nonveiller, 2015

Brothers, Denis J., 2015, Revision of the Rhopalomutillinae (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae): 1, generic review with descriptions of three new genera, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 46, pp. 1-24 : 13-18

Bischoffiella Brothers & Nonveiller gen. n.

Figs 2 , 27-30 , 38 , 46

Type species.

Mutilla cristata Bingham, 1912: 536, male.

Diagnosis.

MALE. Entirely black. Head transverse with vertex curved or medially protuberant in anterior view; genal carina present or absent; mandible tridentate; scutellum pulvinate, evenly swollen; S6 with posterior margin deeply notched laterally; S8 strongly sculptured with prominent rounded peg-like process laterally and posterior margin broadly and unevenly emarginate or weakly produced; penis valves symmetrical (rarely weakly asymmetrical with right valve scarcely larger than left), each elongate without any setae along posterodorsal margin, outer surface with dentate to lamellate protuberance; paramere with cluster of very strong setae arising under a flange dorsobasally. FEMALE. Head rounded in anterodorsal view, about as wide as long; mesosoma squat, lateral margin fairly smooth, strongly convex anteriorly, with strong concave narrowing between metathoracic spiracle and propodeal spiracle, lateral margins of propodeum weakly diverging posteriorly; disc of propodeum posteriorly indistinct, with a very strong median longitudinal ridge elevated and broadened posteriorly and ending abruptly in a vertical face (appearing as an enlarged but narrow scutellar scale) and with a very strong tooth at lateral angle; metasoma slightly elongate with T1 broad; pygidial plate oval, longitudinally sculptured, bounded by carina laterally, surface covered by dense semirecumbent setae, posterior margin convex between rounded extremities of lateral carinae.

Description.

MALE. Body black; wings moderately infuscated but hyaline on about basal third. Head: vertex ending abruptly posteriorly, posterodorsal margin of head in anterior view evenly rounded or medially protuberant; antennal scrobe with irregular convex dorsal carina more or less continuous with weak lateral secretory tubercle; clypeus with median area flattened, sometimes with dorsal tubercle; genal carina absent or strong, postgena convex to concave; postmandibular carina evident only laterally; pleurostomal carina distinct; mandible apically tridentate, with middle apical tooth smaller than other two, ventral basal lamella poorly developed. Mesosoma: mesoscutum with anteroadmedian lines shallow, separated by a longitudinal ridge; notaulus deep and broad on posterior half, absent anteriorly; parapsidal line a broad short longitudinal scar distant from posterior border; tegula evenly convex, more or less evenly and finely punctate, punctures coarser anteriorly than posteriorly with a restricted smooth area anteromedially; scutellum with reticulate punctation finer than that on scutum; metanotal dorsellum rectangular to trapezoidal; propodeum with disc and declivity abruptly differentiated; lateral face of pronotum tapered, anteroventral margin blunt, continuous with anteroventral tooth (sometimes tooth absent); mesepisternum with transverse depression almost indistinguishable; mesosternum with a short crenulate transverse carina on each side about halfway between anterior margin and mid coxa. Legs: tarsal claws with basal lamella separated from acute apex by a deep cleft; fore tibia with an obliquely oval preapical pore on inner (anterior) surface; mid and hind tibiae with preapical dorsolateral spines difficult to distinguish. Metasoma: fairly slender; T2 widest posterior to midpoint; T2 and S2 with inconspicuous dispersed traces of linear felt lines; pygidium (T7) with apical margin weakly convex, edges scarcely recurved (sometimes not recurved); S1 with a distinct paired longitudinal carina diverging posteriorly; S6 with posterior margin deeply notched on each side and posteriorly expanded medially; hypopygium (S8) strongly sculptured with prominent apically broadly rounded peg-like process laterally and posterior margin broadly and unevenly emarginate to medially produced. Genitalia: basal ring moderate; paramere curved with narrow apex, with cluster of differentiated very strong setae obliquely oriented and arising below flange on inner basodorsal margin; penis valves symmetrical (rarely weakly asymmetrical with right valve scarcely larger than left), without any setae, with rounded tooth or lamellate lobe on outer surface.

FEMALE. Head: rounded in anterodorsal view but vertex slightly longitudinally raised in the middle posteriorly, sides behind eyes weakly convex and somewhat converging posteriorly, produced more than twice length of eye, well differentiated from posterodorsal margin of head; posterodorsal margin convex medially; clypeus with very strong acute median tooth above small acute tooth flanked by a small acute tooth on each side at dorsomedial extremity of fairly strong dorsolateral bounding carina of smooth obtusely triangular depressed area, a strong acute lamellate tooth at ventrolateral extremity of carina; gena broad, without any genal carina; postmandibular carina moderate and fairly regular running from mandibular base to level somewhat posterior to posterior margin of oral fossa; pleurostomal carina forming a fairly distinct straight ridge from posterior mandibular articulation to margin of oral fossa at about one-third its length; mandible apically very weakly bidentate, inner margin expanded into a weak very obtuse long triangular lamella about one-third length from base; maxillary palpus two-segmented, basal segment elongate and weakly broadened apically, apical segment much narrower and cylindrical; labial palpus two-segmented, basal segment short and cylindrical; antennal scape with a lamellate narrowly rounded tooth posterolaterally, flattened anteromesal surface delimited dorsally by a weak carina over about basal third; pedicel without any ventral tuft of fine setae. Mesosoma: weakly elongate; anterodorsal margin extremely indistinct with long anterior face smoothly merging at a very obtuse angle with dorsal face; humeral angle rounded; lateral margin uneven but fairly smooth, anteriorly rounded, diverging from humeral angle to rounded protuberance just anterior to prothoracic spiracle then angled and convex, then converging and margin angled and strongly concave and converging to base of propodeum, lateral margin of propodeum concave and converging then diverging to posterolateral angle with a very strong acute flattened tooth; propodeal disc fairly long, with a very strong median longitudinal ridge elevated and broadened posteriorly and ending abruptly in a vertical face (appearing as an enlarged but narrow scutellar scale); posterior face of propodeum strongly oblique; lateral face of pronotum without any anterior oblique carina, anteroventral extremity narrowly rounded; mesepisternum strongly convex with a weak short vertical ridge immediately anterodorsal to mid coxa. Legs: fore leg with femur flattened below, tibia with preapical oval secretory pore on inner (anterior) surface, calcar with blade smooth on margin; mid and hind femora distinctly longitudinally concave below, each with a very broad preapical lamella anteroventrally; mid and hind tibiae preapically with a few strong dorsal spines easy to distinguish, a few (several on mid tibia) lateral spines fairly easy to distinguish. Metasoma: fairly slender; T1 with anterior face weakly concave, meeting dorsal face at a fairly narrowly rounded angle, dorsal face very broad and transverse, more than half as long as wide, almost as wide and more than half as long as T2, sides convex and diverging posteriorly; T2 about as long as T3-T6, with broad deep basal depression strongly convex posteriorly, sides beyond basal depression somewhat diverging then converging, small indefinite felt-line patch anterolaterally; T3 with posterior margin very weakly concave medially; T5 without any tuft of setae at posterolateral angle; pygidium (T6) with pygidial plate broadly oval, with a strong lateral bounding carina along most of ventral height, sculpture somewhat concealed by dense semirecumbent setae, apical margin strongly convex between rounded extremities of lateral carinae; S1 with a short simple median elevation anterior to a broad flattened pentagonal area bounded by moderate irregular ridges and elevated anteriorly, narrow lateral marginal depression on each side over posterior half; S4 with a very weak tuft (sometimes absent) of fine setae at posterolateral angle which is very slightly produced; S5 with posterolateral angle produced and with a tuft of bent setae laterally; S6 slightly convex but with a longitudinal median ridge posteriorly, apex acute, sides carinate, no flattened strong setae.

Species included.

Bischoffiella cristata (Bingham, 1912), male & female, comb. n.; two undescribed species, both male & female.

Distribution.

Eastern and southern Africa (Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe).

Etymology.

Named, at the suggestion of the late Guido Nonveiller, in recognition of the fundamental contributions of Hans Bischoff (Berlin) to the study of African Mutillidae , and validating this name which was found attached to a female specimen (misidentified as Rh. clavicornis by Bischoff) in the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium by J. Chester Bradley who had recognized that it represented a different genus (see Bradley and Bequaert 1923: 216-7).

Comments.

The type species is the only one yet described, from the male only; both sexes are known for all three included species, however.

Figures

Figures 1 - 2. Rhopalomutillinae, mating pairs, male above. 1 Pherotilla rufitincta (Hammer) 2 Bischoffiella cristata (Bingham). Scales = 1 mm.

Figures 27 - 30. Bischoffiella cristata (Bingham). 27 - 28 male, dorsal & lateral views 29 - 30 female, lateral & dorsal views 29 - 32. Scales = 1 mm.

Figures 31 - 38. Rhopalomutillinae, hypopygium (S 8): left = lateral view, anterior to left; centre = ventral view, anterior to left; right = posterior view. 31 - 32 Rimulotilla gen. n. 31 Ri. tongaana (Peringuey) 32 Ri. conifera (Bischoff) 33 - 34 Pherotilla gen. n. 33 P. mlanjeana (Bischoff) 34 P. oceanica (Mickel) 35 - 37 Rhopalomutilla Andre 35 Rh. clavicornis (Andre) 36 Rh. carinaticeps Bischoff 37 Rh. anguliceps Andre 38 Bischoffiella cristata (Bingham).

Figures 39 - 46. Rhopalomutillinae, male genitalia: upper = dorsal view; middle = left volsella, exterolateral view; bottom = sagittal view, penis valves and right paramere (right volsella not shown). 39 - 40 Rimulotilla gen. n. 39 Ri. tongaana (Peringuey) 40 Ri. conifera (Bischoff) 41 - 42 Pherotilla gen. n. 41 P. mlanjeana (Bischoff) 42 P. oceanica (Mickel) 43 - 45 Rhopalomutilla Andre 43 Rh. clavicornis (Andre) 44 Rh. carinaticeps Bischoff 45 Rh. anguliceps Andre 46 Bischoffiella cristata (Bingham).