Traumatomutilla chuza Casal, 1969

Bartholomay, Pedro R., Williams, Kevin A., Cambra, Roberto A. & Oliveira, Marcio L., 2021, Revision of the Traumatomutilla gemella species-group (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae) with the description of its hitherto unknown males, Zoosystema 43 (1), pp. 1-28 : 9-12

Traumatomutilla chuza Casal, 1969

( Figs 5 ; 6 )

Traumatomutilla chuza Casal, 1969: 286 .

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. Brazil • ♀; Pará, Óbidos ; VII.1953 José Brazilino leg.; AMNH_IZC 00323247 ; AMNH (examined).

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL EXAMINED. — French Guiana • 1 ♂; [Cayenne], Bélizon ; XI.2015; J. Giuglaris leg.; MIUP • 1 ♂; Matiti ; V.2015, J. Giuglaris leg.; INPA .

Colombia • 2♂; IAvH • 1♀; Amazonas , Leticia; 14-15.VIII.1974; M. Cooper leg.; BMNH • 1 ♀; Amazonas , La Chorrera; 02.VIII.1976; M. Cooper leg.; BMNH • 1 ♂; Bolivar , Zambrano; F. Fernandez leg.; AMNH .

Brazil • 1 ♀, Amazonas, Lago Amana ; 01.XI.1980; R. Best leg.; MIUP • 1 ♀; Amazonas, Manaus, Vicinal ZF 2 [Zona Franca], Km 34, trilha do igarapé em frente a base do Km 34; 22.VI.2012; J. A. Rafael leg.; INPA • 1 ♀; Amazonas, Manaus, Campus Universitário ; 28.VII.1979; INPA • 2 ♂; Amazonas, Manaus , EMBRAPA [Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária] Amazônia Ocidental; 2012; K. Schoeninger leg.; INPA • 1 ♂; Amazonas, Novo Airão, AM 352, Km 68; 02°48’58’’S, 60°55’18’’W; 14-28.X.2016; J. A. Rafael & F. F. Xavier-Filho leg.; INPA • 1♀; Pará, Serra Norte, Mina de Manganês , Rio Azul ; 27.VII.1983; W. L. Overal leg.; MPEG • 1 ♀; Pará, Serra Norte, Estrada Manganês ; 15.V.1984; M. F. Torres leg.; MPEG • 1 ♂; Melgaço, ECFPn [Estação Científica Ferreira Pena] Caxiuanã, Mata da Sede ; 16.XI.1998; O. Silveia & J. Pena leg.; MPEG • 1 ♀; Amapá, Mazagão, Fazendinha ; 03.XII.1980; E. L. Oliveira leg.; MPEG • 3 ♂; Rondônia, 62 km SE [kilometers southeast of] Ariquemes ; 08.XI.1994; W. J. Hanson leg.; EMUS • 2 ♂; Rondônia, 62 km SE [kilometers southeast of] Ariquemes ; 01.XI.1997, B. K. Dozier leg.; EMUS • 1 ♂; Rondônia, 62 km SE [kilometers southeast of] Ariquemes ; 22.X.1997; W. J. Hanson leg.; EMUS • 2 ♂, Rondônia, 62 km SE [kilometers southeast of] Ariquemes ; 1.XI.1997; B. K. Dozier leg.; FSCA • 1 ♀; Rondônia, Itapuã D’Oeste, FLONA [Floresta Nacional] do Jamari ; 7-15. VI.2013; Luz, D., Rosa, B., Williams, K. leg.; DZUP-299000; DZUP .

Ecuador • 1♂, Sucumbios, Rio Napo, Sacha Lodge ; 14.III.1994; EMUS .

Bolivia • 1 ♂, Beni, Romansos [sic!], 1km N [kilometer North of] Rio Iteneze & Rio Paragua [confluence?]; 30.VII.1964, Bouseman & Lussenhop leg.; AMNH • 1♂; Beni, Rio Itenez near Costa Marques (Brazil); 01.IX.1964, Bouseman & Lussenhop leg.; AMNH • 1 ♂; Santa Cruz, Buena Vista ; 26.II.1999, F. D. Parker leg.; EMUS .

DIAGNOSIS. — Female. Propodeal dorsum evenly convex throughout, dorsal face smoothly angulate into posterior face in lateral view; lateral face of propodeum predominantly unsculptured, smooth, shining, intervals always wider than surrounding foveae. Male. Pronotal dorsum with densely, coarsely, and confusedly areolatepunctate to foveolate-punctate with conspicuous interspersed micropunctures; sculpture of pronotum predominantly concealed by dense silvery-white setation.

DISTRIBUTION. — French Guiana (Cayenne-Roura), Colombia (Amazonas), and Brazil (Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia)

DESCRIPTION

Female

Body length. 10-12 mm.

Head ( Fig. 5A, C ). Posterior margin almost straight. Occipital carina conspicuously equally wide throughout. Vertex width 0.9 × pronotal width. Eye almost circular, its height in frontal view 1.5 × the distance from its ventral margin to mandibular condyle. Head densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate with smooth rounded intervals. Mandible with conspicuous subapical tooth. Dorsal scrobal carina present, connected to lateral scrobal carina. Antennal tubercle finely, sparsely, and irregularly rugose to micropunctate. Flagellomere 1: 2.0 × pedicel length; flagellomere 2: 1.3 × pedicel length.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 5A, C ). Dorsal thoracic length 0.9 × width. Mesosomal dorsum densely and coarsely areolate-punctate laterad to foveolate-punctate mediad, with smooth rounded intervals. Anterior face of pronotum defined, short, shorter than pronotal collar, vestigially and coarsely striated longitudinally with interspersed scattered punctures; dorsal face roundly angulate into anterior face in lateral view. Humeral carina well-defined, separated from well-defined raised sharp epaulet, anterolateral corners of pronotum sharply angulate in dorsal view.Pronotal spiracle almost flat against lateral margin of pronotum. Lateral face of pronotum sparsely foveolatepunctate; mesopleuron sculpture, micropunctate anteriorly and very sparsely and vestigially punctate along mesopleural ridge; metapleuron sculpture almost completely concealed by dense setation, except dorsal fourth smooth, unsculptured. Lateral face of propodeum with sculpture sparsely foveolatepunctate, intervals smooth and shining predominantly more than twice the width of surrounding sculpture. Ratios of widths of mesosoma at humeral angles, pronotal spiracles, widest point of mesonotum, narrowest point of mesonotum and propodeum immediately posterior to propodeal spiracles, 93:100:105:84:79. Lateral margin of mesonotum vestigially constricted anterior to propodeal spiracle, slightly diverging anterad. Propodeal spiracle vestigially pronounced from lateral margin of mesosoma; post-spiracular area present. Scutellar scale and anterolateral carinae absent; scabrous intervals absent on scutellar area. Propodeum conspicuously elongate, dorsal face much longer than and well differentiated from posterior face.

Metasoma ( Fig. 5A, C ). Ratios of width of T1, width of T2 and length of T2, 65:125:124. Disc of T2 densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate to punctate with dense interspersed micropunctures; foveolae sparser and micropunctures absent laterally and over integumental spots.T3–6 sculpture, except pygidial plate, predominantly concealed by dense setation, sparsely and coarsely foveolate-punctate to simply punctate with dense interspersed micropunctures where visible; pygidial plate broadly subpyriform, defined by strong, projected, flange-like lateral carinae at apical fourth of plate; surface mostly irregularly longitudinally rugose; interstice apparently granulose. S1 sparsely punctured, surface wedge-like, ending in a rounded longitudinal carina, equally high throughout. S2 densely foveolate-punctate, punctures slightly sparser posterad; anteromedial crest-fold vestigial. S3–6 densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate with sparse micropunctures at S3–4; sculpture denser on S6.

Male (hitherto unknown)

Body length. 10-12 mm.

Head ( Fig. 6A ).Transversely subrectangular with posterolateral angles rounded and continuous with outline of eyes in dorsal view. Vertex width 0.8 × pronotal width. Eye almost circular. Ocelli small; OOD 5.0 × DLO, IOD slightly longer than DLO. Occipital carina distinct. Head surface densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate with dense interspersed micropunctures on gena, malar space, and posterior half of vertex. Gena ecarinate. Antennal scrobe concave to eye margin, with prominent transverse dorsal scrobal carina. Clypeus concave laterally immediately below antennal insertion, conspicuously convex medially; predominantly obscured by dense setation, coarsely and densely punctate to micropunctate where visible; apical/ventral margin with a pair of closely spaced short blunt inconspicuous tooth-like projections medially.Scape bicarinate ventrally. Flagellomere 1: 1.6 × pedicel length; flagellomere 2: 2.0 × pedicel length. Mandible obliquely tridentate apically, inner and middle teeth almost equal, greatly reduced; lacking dorsal or ventral projections.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 6A ). Epaulets well defined, slightly projected from anterior margin of pronotum, subangulate, broadly separated from humeral carina, anterolateral angles of pronotum subrounded. Anterior face of pronotum sparsely punctate to micropunctate throughout along dorsal margin, almost unsculptured, smooth, and shining elsewhere; almost flat throughout. Tegula convex, mostly glabrous and impunctate except for dense coarse punctures on anterior and inner margin. Mesoscutum densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate, notaulus and parapsis present, reduced to posterior third of mesoscutum; with medial longitudinal carina on posterior half. Scutellum convex, subglobose, with somewhat definable dorsal and posterior faces; densely and coarsely areolate-punctate to foveolate-punctate; with longitudinal carina medially formed by aligned intervals on dorsal face. Axilla produced posterolaterally as acute projections, with conspicuous flat coarsely and densely foveolate-punctate dorsal surface, except unsculptured apically and along outer margin. Metanotum almost equally wide throughout, its surface obscured by dense setation. Propodeal dorsum convex, predominantly concealed by dense setation, densely areolate where visible; lateral face densely areolate on posterior half, vestigially areolate on anterior half; dorsal face rounded into and poorly distinguished from posterior face. Lateral face of pronotum sparsely and coarsely foveolate-punctate with interspersed dense micropunctures; mesopleuron slightly swollen on dorsal half, without any projections; sculpture densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate with interspersed micropunctures; foveolae sparser anterad and posterad. Metapleuron predominantly micropunctured to unsculptured, smooth and shining, except for vestigial foveolae and rugosities on dorsal and ventral fifths.

Wings ( Fig. 6A ). Fore wing with elongate sclerotized pterostigma; marginal cell elongated, truncate apically; three submarginal cells; membrane dark brown, slightly but conspicuously lighter on basal third.

Legs ( Fig. 6A ). Simply setose, no strong spines discernible dorsally; spurs finely serrate on margins.

Metasoma ( Fig. 6A ). Ratios of width of T1, width of T2 and length of T2 45:76:58. Dorsal metasomal sculpture partially concealed by dense setation, sparsely and coarsely punctate with interspersed micropunctures where visible; pygidial plate somewhat concave, posterior margin conspicuously curved upward; surface predominantly smooth, shining, with vestigial undefined sculpture along apical margin; weakly defined by parallel carinae apicolaterally. S1 longitudinally elevated medially, ending in blunt, low, concave carina. S2 sparsely and finely foveolate-punctate to punctate; foveolae conspicuously sparser posterad; anteromedial crest-fold almost absent; sternal pit absent. S3 sparsely and finely punctate with sparse interspersed micropunctures; S4–7 sparsely foveolatepunctate. S7 longer than broad, with conspicuous medial longitudinal unsculptured area; posterior margin projected apicolaterally and medially; medial projection blunt, longer than lateral projections.

Genitalia ( Fig. 6 B-F). Parapenial lobe not at all pronounced apically, simply rounded. Ratios of free length of paramere, cuspis and digitus, 56:28:13; paramere slightly sinuous in dorsal view, upcurved apically in lateral view; with dense setae ventrally at basal half; cuspis short, stout, slightly swollen medially and narrower apicad in lateral view; narrower apicad and almost straight in dorsal view; abruptly curved dorsally in wide angle at basal third; with dense conspicuous, strongly sinuous setae on ventral surface, except at basal third with simple short setae; dorsal surface with overall inconspicuous simple short setae; paracuspis well-developed, not sessile, slightly elongate vertically, subrounded at apical margin, densely setose along posterior margin, setae predominantly shorter than or as short as paracuspis; digitus short, slightly curved inward in dorsal view and slightly upcurved in lateral view, inconspicuously setose basodorsally; penis valve strongly concave on inner surface, with closely spaced pair of short teeth posteroventrally; posterior tooth acute, subposterior tooth rounded, with lateral pocket present on outer surface; apical distance between teeth 0.1 × length of valve; dense setae present along posterior margin and inconspicuous short setae present at base of subposterior tooth on outer surface.

Coloration and variations

Female ( Fig. 5A, C ). Integument black to brownish-black except for mandibles and antennal flagella partially reddishbrown, and T2 with a pair of large subcircular orange integumental spots. Body setae predominantly silvery-white except for the following areas with black setae varying in density: pronotal dorsum, anterior half of mesonotum, posterior half of mesonotum medially, propodeal dorsum medially, femora apicodorsally, T1 posteromedially, disc of T2 (except over integumental spots), fringe of T2–3 medially (except inconspicuous patch of silvery-white medially), T4 sublaterally, T5–6 (except pygidial plate) laterally, fringe of S5, and S6. Some specimens may have the head completely covered with black setae (except gena and malar space), and the silverywhite setae of the mesosomal dorsum restricted to narrow inconspicuous lateral stripes on propodeum. Such specimens have the remaining silvery-white setae areas conspicuously less defined and the integumental spots of T2 have a more reddish tone rather than the usual orange. MALE. ( Fig. 6A ) Integument black. Body setae predominantly silvery-white varying in density except for the following areas with black setae varying in density: mesoscutum, tegula, axillar projections, mesoscutellum, disc of T2 (except anterior third), fringe of T2–4 medially, T5–7, fringe of S5–6, and S7.

REMARKS

Traumatomutilla chuza is apparently the typical representative of the T. gemella species-group in the Amazon.Two other species of this group are known in the Amazon, T. diophthalma in transition areas between Amazon Forest and Cerrado in the south and northeast, and T. peismatara Bartholomay & Cambra n. sp. in the western Amazon near the border between Brazil and Peru, but they are not as commonly encountered in the Amazon as T. chuza . While there are records of T. diophthalma occurring in the same area as T. chuza (Pará, Brazil), there are no specimens of T. chuza known from West or South of Leticia (Amazonas, Colombia). Apart from the characters mentioned in the diagnosis, the females of T. chuza are easily recognizable by their more robust and stout body in comparison to the rather slender and elongate body of the other species within the T. gemella species-group. The specimen recently collected in Rondônia by KAW (DZUP- 299000), is undoubtedly from the T. gemella species-group and was identified as T. chuza by its overall body structure, proportions, and its occurence on the Brazilian Amazon. The coloration of this specimen, however, is remarkably different from most T. chuza since the head and mesosoma are almost devoid of silvery-white setae dorsally, except for a pair of lateral longitudinal stripes on the propodeal dorsum. This color variation may be a result of a local Müllerian mimicry pattern which includes T. barathra Bartholomay & Williams, 2018 and T. luscoides André, 1908 , species that were collected in the same area as this particular specimen.

Figures

FIG. 5. — Traumatomutilla chuza Casal, 1969, female, holotype, Brazil, Pará, Óbidos, AMNH: A, dorsal habitus; B, type labels; C, lateral habtius. Scale bars: 2 mm. Photos: Steve Thurston.

FIG. 6. — Traumatomutilla chuza Casal, 1969, male, French Guiana, Cayenne, INPA: A, lateral habitus; B-F, genitalia; B, dorsal view (halved); C, ventral view (halved); D, lateral/inner view (penis valve removed); E, cuspis, lateral/inner view (removed not to scale); F, penis valve, lateral/outer view (removed, not to scale). Scale bars: A, 2 mm. Photos: P. R. Bartholomay.