Calomutilla panamensis Cambra, Brothers & Quintero, 2020

Cambra, Roberto A., Brothers, Denis J. & Quintero, Diomedes, 2020, Review of Calomutilla Mickel, 1952, a new species, and comparison with Pertyella Mickel, 1952 (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Zootaxa 4789 (2), pp. 466-480 : 468-474

Calomutilla panamensis Cambra, Brothers & Quintero , sp. nov.

( Figs 17–30 , 36–45 , 63 )

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Elevated median area of the clypeus without tubercles, and a distinct spine on the dorso-lateral margin of the pronotum. MALE. S1 with median, lamellate longitudinal carina; penis valve with dorsal margin strongly concave, apex with laterally recurved margin and flange forming a deep concavity.

Description. FEMALE (holotype). Body length 6.0 mm. Color. Integument of head red, except postero-lateral area mostly dark red; antenna, mandible, mesosoma, legs and metasomal segment one red; T2–T6 black, S2–S6 red to dark red; tibial spurs white. Vertex with golden setae; frons, gena, clypeus, hypostoma, scape and mandible, with pale golden to white setae; postero-lateral area of head, behind eye, with black setae; pronotum, mesonotum and metanotum with sparse short pale golden setae and sparse large dark brown to black setae; mesopleuron, metapleuron and propodeum mostly with white setae; metasoma dorsally clothed with sparse erect and dense recumbent black setae and dense decumbent white setae forming sub-cruciate pattern (median spot apically on T1 merging with median line on anterior third of T2, transverse bar at posterior third of T2 with median anterior acute projection and posterior broader median line, median posterior spot on T3 merging with median patches on T4 and T5 and most of T6), except T1 and broad lateral margins of T2 to T5 with sparse, recumbent and erect, white setae; sterna with sparse, recumbent and erect, white setae.

Head. Large, subquadrate, with fine punctures; eye medium-sized, distance between posterior margin of eye and postero-lateral angle about 1.0 × maximum diameter of eye in dorsal view; scrobal carina present, reaching dorsum of antennal tubercle; genal carina extending posteriorly on vertex, anterior end forming a short triangular elevation; clypeus elevated median area without tubercles, anterior margin with a large tooth laterad to insertion of antenna; oral fossa small, subtriangular, not extending laterad to the insertion of mandible; antenna slender, first flagellomere 1.8 × as long as second in dorsal view; mandible slender, with a distinct obtuse tooth on inner margin near the base.

Mesosoma. 1.18 × as long as wide (excluding pronotal collar); lateral margin constricted, narrowing to propodeal spiracle then broadening posteriorly, anteriorly 1.25 × as wide as immediately posterior to propodeal spiracle; dorsally with medium-sized, deep punctures, some punctures longitudinally irregular and confluent; mesopleuron and metapleuron mostly smooth, side of propodeum with fine sparse punctures; lateral margin of prothorax with small acute tooth anterior to spiracle; dorso-lateral margin of pronotum with a distinct spine, mesonotum lateral margin with two large spines and propodeum with four spines.

Metasoma. T1 not constricted posteriorly, sessile and merging evenly with T2, basal two-thirds with fine sparse punctures, apical third with fine dense punctures; T2 evenly convex throughout, without elevated, longitudinal carinae, mostly with medium-sized, dense, contiguous punctures; T3–T5 with fine dense punctures; T6 without lateral carinae, median-apical area convex and smooth; S1 mostly smooth but with a median longitudinal keel; S2 mostly with medium-sized dense punctures; S3–S6 with small dense punctures.

MALE (allotype). Body length 3.8 mm. Color: integument black, with a distinct reddish tinge, except antennal tubercle translucent above yellow radicle of scape, clypeus and appendages reddish brown, mandible dusky yellow with dark apex, tegula translucent reddish brown, and T7 and S8 (hypopygium) dark yellowish brown; tibial spurs pale whitish; wings weakly infuscated, veins pale yellowish brown; head mostly with long white setae, except inner margin of eye with very few long black erect setae; mesosoma and metasoma with long erect white setae except mesoscutum and scutellum with dark setae, metapleuron and side of propodeum with short recumbent white setae; legs with white setae.

Head. Transverse in dorsal view, sub-rectangular, sides behind eyes weakly converging posterad and rounded into weakly convex but distinct posterior margin, 1.59 × as wide as long; frons, vertex and gena with small, sparse punctures; eye 0.53 × as long as minimal distance between them; ocelli small, interocellar distance 1.68 × diameter of lateral ocellus, distance between eye margin and lateral ocellus 4.21 × as long as diameter of ocellus and 2.50 × interocellar distance; genal carina absent; clypeus convex medially, its antero-medial margin slightly concave and with a small sharp obtuse tooth in front of each antennal tubercle; oral fossa not extending to base of mandible; hypostoma without spines; mandible apex tridentate, inner margin with a small sharp obtuse tooth intermediate between insertion of mandible and dorsal tooth of apical three, ventral margin smooth, without a process or tooth; scrobal carina reduced to an inconspicuous tubercle between antennal tubercle and eye; antennal tubercle simple, without protuberance or carina; scape with a single longitudinal carina below; first flagellomere 1.10 × as long as second.

Mesosoma. Pronotum, mesoscutum, scutellum and mesopleuron with small, sparse punctures; tegula evenly convex, smooth and shining; scutellum slightly convex; disk and declivity of propodeum evenly merging, broadly but weakly reticulate; pronotum with humeral area rounded except for distinct small tooth-like epaulet; metapleuron mostly smooth to finely micro-punctate, propodeum laterally finely longitudinally rugose and micropunctate; fore wing with two closed submarginal and one closed discal cells, vein 3rs-m absent and 2m-cu nebulous to spectral, marginal cell with broadly acute apex.

Metasoma. T1 conical, broadened apically with contour scarcely distinct from T 2 in dorsal view, 0.71 × as long as wide, 0.43 × length and 0.47 × width of T2; T1 with few small punctures; T2 with lateral felt line broad and poorly defined, 0.40 × as long as lateral margin; T2 mostly shining with small very sparse punctures, except posterior fourth with smaller, very dense punctures similar to those on T3–T6; T7 with small sparse punctures, apical margin briefly recurved and almost straight medially; S1 with even median, longitudinal lamellate carina highest anteriorly; S2 without felt line; S2 mostly with small sparse punctures; S3–S6 with small, close punctures much sparser medially; S7 very short, smooth; hypopygium simple and flattened, with small dense punctures, apex almost straight, scarcely emarginate medially.

Genitalia. Paramere in dorsal view narrow and almost straight on basal two-thirds then weakly incurved and sinuate apically, in lateral view broader basally, weakly curved ventrad and narrowed to about half length then cylindrical to simple and briefly slightly recurved apex, with dense long setae on basal half of ventral margin, long setae mesad on apical fifth; parapenial lobe apically fairly broad, obtuse and scarcely incurved; gonobase in ventral view with apical margin almost straight, medio-apically forming a rectangular flange visible in lateral view; volsella with cuspis and digitus short, cuspis broad with long setae ventrally and medium-size setae apically, digitus narrow without setae, at least as long as apex of cuspis; penis valve with dorsal margin of body strongly concave, small apicoventral tooth and no preapical tooth, apex with laterally recurved margin and flange forming a deep concavity.

Material examined. 41♀, 13♂. Holotype, ♀, PANAMA: Panamá Province, Chilibre , 19.iv.1990 , R. Contreras ( MIUP). Paratype (allotype), ♂, same data as holotype but: 23.i.1992 ( DJBC) . Paratypes: PANAMA: Panamá Province: same data as holotype , 13♀ (2♀ DJBC, 11♀ MIUP); Capira , 23.i.1992 , R. Contreras , 1♀, 2♂ ( MIUP); same data but: 11–14.i.1992 , 4♀, 1♂ ( MIUP); 9.ii.1992 , 1♀ ( MIUP); 17.v.1991 , 1♀ ( MIUP); 29.vii.1991 , J. Coronado, 1♀ ( DJBC); Chorrera, Playa Leona, río Perequete , 8.ii.1992 , R. Contreras , 2♀ ( MIUP); same data but: 6.ii.1991 , A. Mena, 1♀ ( MIUP); 27.ii.1991 , D. Quintero, 1♀ ( MIUP); 28.ii.1991 , R. Cambra , 1♀ ( MIUP); 4.vi.1991 , R. Contreras , 1♀ ( MIUP); 15–17.i.1992 , R. Contreras , 3♀ ( MIUP); Chorrera, Llano Largo , 4.iii.1990 , R. Cambra , 1♀ ( MIUP); same data, 20.iv.1990 , 1♀ ( MIUP); Chorrera, Altos de San Francisco , 16.vi.2002 , P. González, 1♀ ( MIUP); ciudad de Panamá, Campus Universidad de Panamá, 23.i.1987 , M. Olmos, 1♀ ( MIUP); Bosque entre playas Kobbe y Farfán , 14.ii.1986 , R. Cambra , 1♀ ( MIUP); Chepo, Cañitas , 20.v.1989 , R. Rodríguez , 1♀ ( MIUP). Coclé Province: Antón, Juan Díaz , 7.ii.1989 , J. Castañeda, 1♀ ( MIUP); Herrera Province: Sarigua , 5–6.vii.1985 , D. Quintero & R. Cambra , 1♀ ( MIUP). Veraguas Province: La Mesa, 18.ii.1988 , S. Díaz, 1♀ ( MIUP). VENEZU- ELA: Aragua State : El Limón, 480 msnm, col. C. Rosales, Malaise trap: 6.iv.1973 , 1♂ ( MIUP); 16–22.iv.1973 , 1♂ ( MIUP); 24.iv.1973 , 1♂ ( MIUP); 1.v.1973 , 1♂ ( MIUP); 8.v.1973 , 1♂ ( MIUP); 11.vi.1973 , 1♂ ( MIUP). Cojedes State: El Pao, Pilancones , 9° 43’ 45” N., 68° 8’ 31” W., 188 msnm, col. A. Alemán, Malaise trap: 12–16.i.1995 , 1♂ ( MIUP); 15–21.vi.1995 , 1♂ ( MIUP). Lara State : 20 Km E. Carora, 24.vi.1976 , A. Menke & D. Vincent, 1♂ ( DJBC). Carabobo State: Trincheras , 7.viii.1968 , col. J. Bechyne, 1♀ ( MIUP) .

Additional specimen, 1♂, VENEZUELA: Aragua State: 2 km N. Ocumare de la Costa, 21–22.vi.1976, A. Menke & D. Vincent, 1♂ ( DJBC). This specimen is only doubtfully assigned to this species. It differs from the other male specimens in several, but slight, respects, including having denser pubescence, stronger and denser punctation, and the body of the penis valve less strongly concave, but these may merely reflect intraspecific variation .

Variation. Females: Body length 4.3–7.6 mm; the frons can be as red as the vertex or dark red-brown; the cruciate mark is variable in width, mostly on T2 and T3; the specimen from Venezuela has the cruciate mark on T2 to T5 pale golden instead of white; the acute tooth on the prothoracic spiracle cover may be blunt and not protruding. Males: Body length 3.8–6.1 mm. Fore-wing veins 3rs-m and 2m-cu are both faintly indicated ( Fig. 63 ) or interrupted in some specimens instead of one or both being totally absent.

Distribution. Panama, Venezuela. First record of the genus for Venezuela. This species represents the northernmost distribution record for Calomutilla .

Etymology. The species is named in reference to the country from which the holotype specimen has been collected, used here as an adjective.

Comments. The sexual association is based on the attraction, in the field, of two males by a caged female of Calomutilla panamensis . The subsequent courtship and mating of one male with three females in a single day confirmed their conspecificity, and was carried out by placing the male together with each female in a closed container. The male copulated twice with one female and once with each of the other two ( Contreras 1993).

Contreras (1993) mentioned than when the female and male of Calomutilla sp. (det. D. Quintero) were placed in the same container, the male flapped his wings and moved towards the female, climbing on her metasoma and holding the female mesosoma with his fore and mid legs, while dragging his hind legs when the female moved. The male antennae were kept rigidly forward while he stimulated the female by rubbing his parameres over her last tergum for 30–90 seconds. When the female accepted to mate, she retracted her sting and copulation was initiated. The male then positioned his hind legs over the hind legs of the female, a position kept during copulation, which lasted for about 35 seconds. To end the copulation, the male quickly dismounted from the female.

Figures

FIGURES 17–25. Calomutilla panamensis sp. nov. 17. Holotype f# (Panama), habitus, dorsal view; 18–21. Paratype f# (Panama). 18. Habitus, dorsal view; 19. Head, anterior view; 20. Metasoma, dorsal view; 21. Habitus, lateral view. 22–25. Paratype male (Panama, allotype). 22. Habitus, dorsal view; 23. Habitus, lateral view; 24. Head, anterior view; 25. Head, dorsal view. (Scales = 1 mm; s = pronotal spine)

FIGURES 26–35. Calomutilla species. 26–30. C. panamensis sp. nov., paratype ♂ (Venezuela). 26. Habitus, dorsal view; 27. Habitus, lateral view; 28. Head, anterior view; 29. Head, dorsal view; 30. Metasoma, lateral view. 31–35. C. crucigera (Burmeister, 1854) ♂ (Brazil). 31. Habitus, dorsal view; 32. Habitus, lateral view; 33. Head, anterior view (antennae digitally truncated); 34. Head, dorsal view; 35. Metasoma, dorso-lateral view. (Scales = 1 mm)

FIGURES 36–45. Calomutilla panamensis sp. nov., male genitalia, basal ring omitted. 36–43. Paratype (Venezuela). 36–37. Dorsal view; 38–39. Ventral view; 40–41. Right half without penis valve, sagittal view; 42–43. Left penis valve, lateral view. 44–45. Paratype (Panama, allotype). 44. Right half, sagittal view; 45. Left penis valve, lateral view. (Drawings omit setae. Scales: 36–41, 44 = 0.5 mm; 42–43, 45 = 0.1 mm)

FIGURES 54–63. Pertyella and Calomutilla species. 54–55. Pertyella investigatrix (Smith, 1879), syntype ♀. 54. Habitus, dorsal view; 55. Labels (NHMUK). 56–58. Pertyella salutatrix salutatrix (Smith, 1879), ♀ (Costa Rica). 56. Habitus, dorsal view; 57. Habitus, lateral view; 58. Head, anterior view. 59–62. Pertyella sp., probably P. salutatrix (Smith, 1879), ♂ (Costa Rica). 59. Head, anterior view; 60. Habitus, dorsal view; 61. Habitus, lateral view; 62. Left wings. 63. Calomutilla panamensis sp. nov., paratype ♂ (Panama), left fore wing. (Scales = 1 mm)