Smicromyrme andradei Suárez, 1954

Parejo-Pulido, Daniel & Romano, Marcello, 2024, Notes on Iberian Mutillidae (Hymenoptera) part I: a new species, new records and some taxonomic and faunistic remarks, Zootaxa 5477 (5), pp. 501-536 : 518-520

Smicromyrme andradei Suárez, 1954 , stat. resurr.

( Fig. 10 )

Smicromyrme andradei Suárez, 1954a , ♂.

Smicromyrme andradei var. notomelanica Suárez, 1954a: 6 , ♂. Syn. nov.

Myrmilla andradei : Diniz 1959: 19.

Myrmilla andradei var. notomelanica : Diniz 1959: 19.

Mutilla Andradei : Diniz 1960a: 218.

Mutilla Andradei var. notomelanica : Diniz 1960a: 218.

Smicromyrme andradei : Diniz 1989: 30.

Smicromyrme metanotalis andradei : Lelej 2002: 76; Baldock et al. 2020a: 22; Pagliano et al. 2020: 198; Matias 2023a: 78; Matias 2024: 302.

Smicromyrme metanotalis andradei notomelanica: Lelej 2002: 76.

Smicromyrme metanotalis andradei notomelanicus: Pagliano et al. 2020: 198.

Smicromyrme metanotalis andradei form notomelanica: Matias 2023a: 78.

Diagnosis. Male ( Fig. 10 ). Body black except for red preapical part of mandibles and brownish tibiae and tarsi. Mesosoma variable in colour, ranging from red pronotum, mesonotum, scutellum, metapleurae and propodeum, to only propodeum red. Mandibles bidentate, with an external tooth beneath. Clypeus flat, punctate, without a medial carina; anterior border straight and truncated ( Fig. 10E ). Head with parallel sides behind the eyes. Ocelli small (range POL/OOL = 0.7–0.8, OL:MOD:LOD = 1,0:0.5–0.8:0.5–0.7; N = 4, Fig. 10D ). Wings yellowish-brown. Propodeum with a smooth slope. Apical fringe of white-silvery pubescence on T1. S1 with a longitudinal carina. Felt lines on lateral sides of both T2 and S2. T2 1.4 times wider than long (N=2), with a narrow, apical band of white-silvery pubescence. T3 covered by white-silvery pubescence ( Fig. 10A–C ). Genitalia is shown in Fig. 10F–G . Body length: 7.8–8.5 mm (N = 3).

Female. Unknown.

For a more detailed description see Suárez (1954a).

Material examined. PORTUGAL. Holotype, ♂, Portugal-Douro, Resende / 16-19-VII-1953 / P. M. F. Verhoeff leg. / Colección J. Suárez [ MNCN _ Ent 62955] . Paratypes, 2♂, Portugal-Douro, Resende / 16-19-VII-1953 / P. M. F. Verhoeff leg. / Colección J. Suárez [ MNCN _ Ent 62973-74] ; 1♂, Rezende (Port. N) / 12-7-1954 / N. F d’Andrade leg. / Colección J. Suárez [ MNCN _ Ent 62975] ; 1♂, hills E of Moimenta, Braganza, Tras-os-Montes / 02-07-2016 / T. Wood leg. / D. W. Baldock coll. [In Baldock et al. 2020a as Smicromyrme partita (Klug) , misidentification] . SPAIN. 1♂, La Angostura, Ávila / 2.VII.1996 / S. F. Gayubo leg. / ex. Colección F. Fresno [ MNCN _ Ent 339616] .

Distribution. Portugal, Spain ( Pagliano et al. 2020; this study).

Iberian distribution. Ávila, Braganza, Coimbra, Viseu ( Suárez 1954a; Diniz 1989; this study).

Remarks: This species is currently considered a subspecies of S. metanotalis (André) , with both exhibiting a well-defined separate geographical distribution within the Iberian Peninsula. Specifically, S. metanotalis andradei is exclusively found in Portugal, while S. metanotalis metanotalis is observed in Spain ( Suárez 1959b; Lelej 2002; Pagliano et al. 2020). Following a detailed examination of the species, including type material, and a comparative analysis with individuals of S. metanotalis metanotalis , we conclude that they consist of two distinct taxa since both of them differ notably in diverse characters (considered to be sufficient to separate species). T4 is completely black in S. andradei ( Fig. 10A–C ), while in S. metanotalis , it is covered with white-silvery pubescence ( Fig. 11A– C ). The anterior border of the clypeus is prominently protruding in S. metanotalis , with a very shallow incision in the middle, resulting in slightly pointed corners ( Fig. 11D ). In contrast, the anterior border of the clypeus is less protruding and completely straight in S. andradei ( Fig. 10E ). Volsella of S. andradei in lateral view is more elongated and narrower, especially in midzone, with the end curved and pointing downwards ( Fig. 10G ). In S. metanotalis the volsella is wider, with a more rounded end ( Fig. 11E ). Moreover, the concept of subspecies implies differences in both morphology and geographic range (e.g. Mayr 1942; Patten 2010). S. andradei was previously designated as the Portuguese subspecies, and S. metanotalis as the Spanish one ( Suárez 1959b). However, both taxa have been identified in either Portugal or Spain ( Figs 10C , 11B ), questioning the justification for assigning these subspecies. Therefore, we propose upgrading S. andradei to a valid species. Furthermore, we propose S. andradei notomelanicus Suárez as a junior synonym, since, although we have not been able to study any specimens, the original description states that it is only a colour variety (mesosoma entirely black except for the propodeum), being similar in all other respects to the typical form. This extent of color variation has been observed within various other mutillid species, such as S. rufipes ( Fabricius, 1787) and Mutilla europaea Linnaeus, 1758 (see also Parejo-Pulido et al. 2023 and this study).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Smicromyrme andradei Suárez, males. A, B, D Portugal, Resende, holotype [MNCN_Ent 62955]. C, G Spain, La Angostura, Ávila [MNCN_Ent 339616]. E Portugal, Resende, paratypus. F Portugal, Moimenta. A, C habitus, dorsal view; B habitus, lateral view; D head, dorsal view. E head, frontal view. F, G genitalia.

FIGURE 11. Smicromyrme metanotalis (André), males. A Spain, San Roque [MNCN_Ent 205614]. B Portugal, BaixoAlentejo. C Spain, Vaciamadrid. D. Spain, San Roque. E Spain, Sierra de Guadarrama. A, B habitus, dorsal view; C habitus, lateral view; D head, frontal view; E genitalia.