Rhopalomutilla Andre , 1901

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 : 11-13

Rhopalomutilla Andre, 1901

Figs 19-26 , 35-37 , 43-45

Mutilla (Rhopalomutilla) André, 1901: 323.

Rhopalomutilla ; André 1902: 23; Bischoff 1920: 176; Bradley and Bequaert 1928: 76; Lelej and Brothers 2008: 53.

Type species.

Mutilla (Rhopalomutilla) clavicornis André, 1901: 323, male & female (monotypy).

Diagnosis.

MALE. Head transverse with vertex straight, curved or angled 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 peg-like process laterally and posterior margin broadly and unevenly emarginate; penis valves asymmetrical with right valve larger than left, each elongate without any setae along posterodorsal margin, outer surface smoothly convex; paramere with cluster of very strong setae arising under a flange dorsobasally. FEMALE. Head rounded in anterodorsal view, about as wide as long; mesosoma elongate, lateral margin smooth, convex anteriorly, with concave narrowing between metathoracic spiracle and propodeal spiracle, lateral margins of propodeum parallel or converging posteriorly; disc of propodeum posteriorly without any median tubercle (rarely with very small acute median tooth) and with small tooth at lateral angle; metasoma slightly elongate with T1 broad or narrow; pygidial plate narrowly oval, bounded by lateral carina along entire height (sometimes not reaching dorsal extremity), surface mostly smooth and shining (sometimes with a few longitudinal carinae and/or micropunctate and finely pubescent dorsally), posterior margin convex between weak apical teeth (sometimes without teeth).

Description.

MALE. Body black (seldom with mesosoma partly dark red); wings basally hyaline and apically infuscated (sometimes entirely hyaline or entirely infuscated). Head: transverse with vertex flattened, rounded or medially produced behind ocelli, posterodorsal margin of head in anterior view straight, curved or angled; antennal scrobe above with transverse carina separated from conical secretory tubercle (seldom continuous with it, or carina or tubercle absent); clypeus with median tubercle (seldom without), 4 marginal teeth; genal carina strongly carinate, ridgelike or absent, postgena concave to convex; postmandibular carina varied from strong and extending from mandibular base to occipital foramen to weak and extending from mandibular base to a point slightly anterior to posterior extremity of oral fossa (carina rarely absent); pleurostomal carina forming a curved ridge from posterior mandibular articulation to margin of proboscidal fossa at about half its length (carina seldom barely distinguishable); mandible tridentate, middle apical tooth smaller than other two, ventral basal lamella well developed (sometimes weak, rarely absent), gradually or abruptly narrowed apicad. Mesosoma: with mesoscutum anteroadmedian lines distinct (seldom indistinct), forming two smooth longitudinal lines/depressions on either side of a slight ridge; notaulus deep and broad on posterior half or less, absent anteriorly; parapsidal line a short longitudinal scar distant from posterior border; tegula evenly convex (sometimes with posterior margin weakly recurved); scutellum pulvinate, evenly swollen without any posterior tubercle; metanotal dorsellum variable in form and sculpture; propodeum with disc and declivity abruptly differentiated; lateral face of pronotum tapered, anteroventral margin blunt (seldom ventrally carinate) and continuous with anteroventral tooth; mesepisternum with transverse depression weak (seldom well developed); mesosternum without any distinct projections (sometimes with a weak short 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 (sometimes lamella much reduced and apparently absent); fore tibia with an elongate or oval preapical groove/pore on inner (anterior) surface (seldom no discernible secretory structure); mid and hind tibiae with few inconspicuous preapical dorsal and lateral spines (sometimes absent on hind leg). Metasoma: fairly slender; T2 widest on posterior half (rarely at about midlength); T2 and S2 without any traces of lateral felt lines; pygidium (T7) with apical margin convex (seldom straight mesally), edges slightly recurved (rarely not recurved); S1 without any tooth; S6 with posterior margin deeply notched on each side; hypopygium (S8) strongly sculptured with prominent peg-like process laterally and posterior margin broadly and unevenly emarginate. Genitalia: basal ring moderate; paramere weakly curved to almost straight, with narrow apex, with cluster of differentiated very strong setae obliquely oriented and arising below flange on inner basodorsal margin; penis valves asymmetrical with right valve slightly larger than left, without any setae.

FEMALE. Head: rounded in anterodorsal view; sides produced far behind eye, poorly (seldom well) differentiated from posterodorsal margin of head; posterodorsal margin entirely moderately convex (seldom with a slight depression on each side); clypeus with strong median tooth dorsally, a tooth at each side of triangular ventral area; gena broad, no genal carina (seldom distinguishable but weak); postmandibular carina weak and irregular running from mandibular base more or less parallel to oral fossa to level slightly posterior to posterior margin of oral fossa; pleurostomal carina forming a weak fairly straight ridge from posterior mandibular articulation to margin of oral fossa at about half (seldom one-third) its length; mandible evenly curved, inner margin expanded into a weak obtuse long triangular lamella about one-third length from base, apically weakly bidentate; maxillary palp two- or unsegmented, apically narrowed; labial palp two- or unsegmented, curved and more or less cylindrical to clavate (rarely apparently absent); antennal scape with lamellate rounded tooth posterolaterally, anteromesal surface delimited dorsally by a weak carina basally (seldom a weak additional ventral carina or no carinae); pedicel without any distinct tuft of fine setae. Mesosoma: elongate; anterodorsal margin indistinct with fairly long anterior face; humeral angle bluntly rounded to weakly carinate; lateral margin fairly even and smooth to tuberculate, anteriorly weakly convex, then strongly converging and concave to base of propodeum, then almost straight and weakly converging to posterolateral angle with strong (seldom small) acute tooth; disc of propodeum posteriorly rounded, fairly smooth, without any median tubercle (rarely with very small acute median tooth); posterior face of propodeum moderately oblique; lateral face of pronotum flattened with no (or a weak) anterior oblique carina, anteroventral margin not carinate, ventral margin almost straight, anteroventral extremity obtuse to rectangular; mesepisternum strongly convex, with or without a vertical ridge above or anterodorsal to mid coxa. Legs: fore leg with femur flattened below, tibia with preapical oval to circular secretory pore (rarely absent) on inner (anterior) surface, calcar with blade smooth on margin; mid and hind femora longitudinally concave or flattened below, each with an elongate preapical lamella anteroventrally; mid and hind tibiae preapically with a few strong dorsal spines easy to distinguish, a few weak lateral spines fairly difficult to distinguish. Metasoma: fairly slender; T1 with anterior face meeting dorsal face at a rounded right to obtuse angle, dorsal face long and broad or fairly short and narrow but somewhat transverse, almost as wide as T2 or much narrower, sides weakly convex and slightly diverging from base or almost straight and slightly converging from base; T2 about as long as T3-T6, with broad deep basal depression weakly convex posteriorly, sides beyond basal depression diverging then weakly or strongly convex and scarcely converging posteriorly; a small indefinite felt-line patch anterolaterally (sometimes absent), posterior margin strongly concave to straight; T3 with posterior margin strongly concave to straight; T5 with a strong diagonal tuft of long fine setae (rarely without such setae) at posterolateral angle; pygidium (T6) with pygidial plate oval, with a strong lateral bounding carina (sometimes only ventrally), smooth (rarely with a few longitudinal ridges) and shining, but sometimes sparsely micropunctate and setose dorsolaterally or almost entirely, apical margin convex between two small teeth; S1 with a short median carina (rarely scarcely developed) anterior to a flattened triangular area slightly (rarely not at all) elevated anteriorly; S4 with posterolateral angle produced, often with a tuft of setae; S5 with posterolateral angle produced, often with a small tuft of strong setae; S6 convex but often weakly depressed on each side, apex acute, sides carinate, rarely with a few long flattened setae posterolaterally.

Species included.

Rhopalomutilla anguliceps ( André, 1897), male & female; Rh. carinaticeps Bischoff, 1920, male & female; Rh. clavicornis ( André, 1901), male & female; Rh. punctinoda (Cameron, 1910), male only; 18 undescribed species, 11 male & female, 7 male only.

Distribution.

Sub-Saharan Africa (Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, The Gambia, Zambia, Zimbabwe).

Etymology.

Not stated by André (1901), but undoubtedly from the Greek noun ρόπαλος (rhopalos), a club or cudgel (with reference to the clavate antenna of the female), combined with Mutilla ; gender feminine.

Comments.

The only species for which both sexes have as yet been described is the type species ( Rh. clavicornis ). This is the largest genus in the subfamily, with the broadest African distribution, species being found in most of the sub-Saharan region except for the densely forested areas and the southernmost parts. It includes two groups based on females, with T1 either about as broad as T2 or much narrower, and also two groups based on males, with the penis valves either simple ventrally or with variably produced lobes; unfortunately, these groups have different members so that a simple subdivision of the genus is not feasible.

Figures

Figures 19 - 26. Rhopalomutilla Andre. 19 - 22 Rh. carinaticeps Bischoff 19 - 20 male, dorsal & lateral views 21 - 22 female, lateral & dorsal views 23 - 26 Rh. anguliceps Andre 23 - 24 male, dorsal & lateral views 25 - 26 female, lateral & dorsal views. 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).