Ancistrotilla nigra, Brothers, 2012

Brothers, Denis J., 2012, The new genus Ancistrotilla n. gen., with new species from Vanuatu and New Caledonia (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae), Zoosystema 34 (2), pp. 223-251 : 246-250

Ancistrotilla nigra n. sp.

( Figs 8 ; 9 ; 10C )

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype ♂: NEW CALEDONIA / Mt. Khogis [sic, Koghis, 22°10’34”S, 166°30’17”E] 500 m / 17 km NE Noumea [sic] / 28-XII-1992 / ME. Erwin & DW. Webb; INHS / Insect collection / 263,126; malaise trap / across forest pass; specimen / measured & / photographed / D. J. Brothers ( MNHN EY6696 ).

Paratypes (2 ♂♂): New Caledonia. Rivière Bleue Prov. Pk. [approx. 22°06’S, 166°40’E], Maquis de Crete, 30.X. 1992, 320 m (M. E. Erwin & D. W. Webb), Malaise trap, measured, wings and genitalia photographed, 1 ♂ ( INHS 214,193). — Mt. Koghis [22°10’34”S, 166°30’17”E], 17 km NE Nouméa, 22.XII. 1992, 500 m (M. E. Erwin & D. W. Webb), Malaise trap across forest pass, measured, 1 ♂ ( INHS 263,122).

DISTRIBUTION. — New Caledonia:GrandeTerre (Fig.11).

ETYMOLOGY. — The specific name is a Latin adjective meaning “black”, with reference to the predominant body colour.

DIAGNOSIS. — Male. Integument predominantly black; T6 and S6 mainly black pubescent but with a few whitish setae not forming a fringe; no postgenal carina; clypeal tooth with lateral margin sinuate and weakly concave apically; third submarginal cell shorter than high, distance between third submarginal cell and wing apex at least 3× length of third submarginal cell; tibial spurs black; pygidium apically weakly recurved with gently convex apical margin; penis valve with convex dorsal margin, lateroventral lamella reduced to dorsal flange, inner lamella broad but entirely separate from long apical tooth, apicodorsal setae on dorsal quarter of apical margin.

Female. Unknown.

DESCRIPTION

Male

Measurements given for holotype, and range and mean for all three specimens.

Length 9.2 (7.1-9.2, mean 7.9) mm. Integument almost entirely intense black, without metallic reflections;T1 with narrow pale yellowish integumental band posteriorly; antenna, mouthparts, tegula, tibial spurs, tarsi and pygidium black(sometimes very dark brown). Pubescence mainly whitish,but with many interspersed dark setae on dorsum of head, scutellum and T4-6; dark on scutum, tegula,T2 except anterolaterally, apical fringes on T4-6, covering T7 except for pygidial plate, S6-7 and hypopygium; semi-decumbent white setae forming sparse apical fringes on T1-3 and S2-5.

Head. Broadly transverse, 1.82× (1.78-1.85, mean 1.82) as wide as long, 1.03× (1.02-1.03, mean 1.03) as wide as mesosoma, densely and finely punctatereticulate, with semi-decumbent simple and long shaggy erect brachyplumose setae, erect plumose setae behind eye and on scape and median area of clypeus. Eye strongly protruding, frons width 0.55× (0.55-0.55, mean 0.55) head width. Sides behind head converging and rounded, merging with posterior margin; head length behind eye 0.57× (0.48-0.57, mean 0.52) eye length. Vertex convex, ocellar triangle scarcely elevated. Ocelli moderate, median ocellus 0.09× (0.08-0.09, mean 0.08) width of head, closely spaced, interocellar distance 1.33× (1.33-1.55, mean 1.47) width of median ocellus; interocellar distance 0.42× (0.42-0.47, mean 0.44) ocell-ocular distance. Occipital carina distinct dorsally, ending ventrally above mid level of occipital depression. Postgenal carina absent. Genal carina absent. Antennal tubercles densely and finely punctate to rugose, slightly separated basally. Antennal scrobe deep, well delimited laterally, not reaching eye margin, with very weak transverse ridge dorsomesally and separate prominent bilobed dorsally-convex thin lamella lateroventral to this at dorsal extremity of lateral marginal ridge. Clypeus deeply depressed dorsolateral to median abruptly margined projecting flattened triangular punctate area, ventral margin convex with large obliquely horizontal acute tooth on each side of midline, tooth basally broad with lateral margin sinuate and weakly concave apically.Malar space 0.64× (0.64-0.67, mean 0.66) basal height of mandible. Proboscidial fossa scarcely longer than smooth postgenal bridge. Scape strongly bicarinate anteroventrally, dorsal carina restricted to apical ⅔. Pedicel 0.75× (0.75-0.79, mean 0.78) as long as wide, 0.69× (0.69-0.82, mean 0.75) as long as first flagellomere; first flagellomere 0.97× (0.89-0.97, mean 0.93) as long as wide, 0.87× (0.73-0.87, mean 0.80) as long as second flagellomere. Mandible in dorsal/anterior view evenly curved, weakly tapering, with weak longitudinal carina dorsally near base, bidentate apically, subapical tooth well developed, with strong projecting rounded basal tooth ventrally; height across basal tooth 0.76× (0.75-0.76, mean 0.75) mandibular basal height, height immediately beyond basal tooth 0.47× (0.44-0.47, mean 0.45) height across tooth, basal tooth length 1.04× (1.04-1.17, mean 1.08) mandibular basal height.

Mesosoma. 1.49× (1.37-1.49, mean 1.45) as long as wide; densely and finely punctate except longitudinally striate on metepimeron above endophragmal pit, smooth on dorsal ⁵⁄₆ of metepisternum, and reticulate on propodeum; with long shaggy semidecumbent simple and erect mainly brachyplumose setae, plumose setae on mesepisternum. Pronotal dorsal face (excluding anterior collar) with anterior margin slightly convex, rounded, epaulet a prominent ovate tuft of fine erect setae; humeral angle rounded; lateral margin weakly convex; posterodorsal margin very broadly V-shaped. Tegula 0.55× (0.53-0.55, mean 0.54) as long as scutum, broadly ovate, not reaching median level of scuto-scutellar suture, convex but very weakly recurved posteriorly, smooth and glabrous except finely punctate and densely setose anterolaterally and posteromesally. Mesoscutum without notaulus, parapsis an almost indistinguishable very short line; posterolateral corner forming a slight flattish lobe discontinuous with axilla. Scutellum flattish; axilla produced as a flattened horizontal flange, forming an abrupt tooth posterolaterally. Metanotum simple, transverse. Propodeum evenly convex, disk and declivity merging in lateral view but margin between dorsal/posterior and lateral faces abrupt. Metasternal process broadly tridentate but apex truncate, shorter than metacoxal height.

Wings. Infuscated, darkest on apical ⅔, becoming paler basally. Forewing with moderate ovate sclerotised pterostigma; marginal cell fairly short, 2.52× (2.00-2.52, mean 2.23) as long as high, truncate apically with distinct spurlike vein posteriorly (sometimes scarcely evident); three closed submarginal cells, third submarginal cell 1.03× (0.81-1.03, mean 0.90) as long as high; distance between third submarginal cell and wing apex 2.91× (2.91-3.55, mean 3.21) length of third submarginal cell.

Legs. Mid- and hind tibiae each with one or two weak dorsolateral preapical spines (sometimes none); each subapically with distinct secretory pore near base of inner apical spur; apical spurs longitudinally concave dorsally, margins microserrate, densely clothed with microsetae. Metacoxa with weak longitudinal carina on inner margin ending well before small apical lamellate tooth; inner metatibial spur 1.50× (1.44-1.61, mean 1.52) as long as outer spur, 1.00× (0.81-1.00, mean 0.93) as long as metabasitarsus.

Metasoma. 0.93× (0.87-0.94, mean 0.91) as wide as mesosoma. T1 finely and densely punctate but sparsely so anteromedially, 1.03× (1.00-1.06, mean 1.03) as long as wide, 0.53× (0.52-0.55, mean 0.53) width of T2, evenly expanded from base, strongly convex posteriorly, not constricted but diverging apically, with erect slender brachyplumose setae and sparse posterior fringe of decumbent slender simple setae; anterior auricle prominent, broadly dentate. T2 0.95× (0.92-0.95, mean 0.93) as long as wide in dorsal view, finely and moderately punctate, interspaces distinct, with erect and semi-decumbent simple setae, a few erect brachyplumose setae anterolaterally; felt line long, 0.46× (0.44-0.47, mean 0.46) lateral length of T2. T3-6 very finely and densely punctate, surface shining, with erect and semi-decumbent simple setae. T7 mostly finely and densely punctate with semi-decumbent simple setae, apical pygidial area smooth but very finely and densely punctate apically, weakly recurved, with weak continuous lateral and apical marginal carinae, apex evenly convex. Sterna fairly sparsely punctate with semi-decumbent simple setae and erect simple setae, erect plumose setae on S1 and anteriorly on S2. S1 with distinct simple longitudinal carina. S 2 in lateral view entirely convex but more strongly so anteriorly; with well-developed but short felt line, 0.35× (0.26-0.35, mean 0.30) as long as felt line on T2. S7 partially exposed, apparently about 0.3× as long as S6, finely and moderately punctate. Hypopygium about as long as wide, sparsely punctate, weakly concave in lateral view, posterior margin with prominent acute tooth on each side near midline.

Genitalia. Paramere elongate, fairly slender, laterally obliquely flattened, acute, apex weakly curved dorsad, basilateral setae strong and reaching beyond about ⅔ length of paramere. Parapenial lobe well developed, apically weakly hooklike and curved mesad, apex slightly bulbous. Cuspis divided near base, paracuspis a short lobe, ventral lobe cylindrical; digitus elongated and laterally flattened, shorter than cuspis. Penis valve in lateral view with dorsal margin convex but briefly emarginate near each end; anteroventral arm weakly broadened from base then strongly narrowed apically, anterior apex narrowly acute; lateroventral lamella restricted to a flange near dorsal base of apical tooth, inner lamella very broad but entirely separated from apical tooth; apical tooth long with small flange-like expansion laterally near apex; several small setae apically restricted to base of apical tooth; in dorsal view anteroventral arm apically broadened and spatulate.

Female

Unknown.

REMARKS

The female of this species is likely also not to have metallic reflections on the integument, so I suspect that it is as yet unknown.

Figures

FIG. 8.— Ancistrotilla nigra n. gen.,n. sp.♂: A, habitus,dorsal view; B, habitus,lateral view;C, head,dorsal view;D, head,anterior view; E, T5, T6 and pygidium, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIG. 9. — Ancistrotilla nigra n. gen., n. sp. ♂ genitalia: A, B, dorsal view; C, D, ventral view; E, F, penis valve, outer lateral view; G, H, right half without basal ring and penis valve, inner lateral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIG. 10. — Ancistrotilla n. gen. ♂, right wings:A, A.azurea n. gen., n. sp.; B, A. aenigmatica n. gen., n. sp.; C, A. nigra n. gen., n. sp. Scale bars: 1 mm.