Smicromyrme (Erimyrme) triguttatus Mickel, 1933

Okayasu, Juriya, 2018, Taxonomic review of Chin-wen Chen’s species described in the genus Smicromyrme (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 58 (2), pp. 479-494 : 481-486

Smicromyrme (Erimyrme) triguttatus Mickel, 1933

( Figs 3–12 )

Mutilla pandora: ZAVATTARI (1913: 31 , ♀). Misidentification.

Smicromyrme triguttata Mickel, 1933: 421 , ♀. Type locality: “Taihorin [= Dalin]” (Chiayi, Taiwan). Holotype: ♀ (ZMHB), photo examined; MICKEL (1935: 293, ♀).

Smicromyrme triguttata triguttata: CHEN (1957:209) , ♀; LELEJ (2005:64). Smicromyrme triguttata latisquamula Chen, 1957: 209 , ♀, syn. nov. Type locality: “Kuling [= Guling]” (Jiangxi, China). Holotype: ♀ (TARI), examined; LELEJ (2005: 64).

Type material examined. Smicromyrme triguttatus : HOLOTYPE ( Figs 8–12 ): ♀, Dalin , Chiayi, Taiwan, x.1910, Hans Sauter leg. ( ZMHB).

Smicromyrme t. latisquamula: HOLOTYPE: ♀, Guling , Lushan, Jiangxi, China, 14.viii.1935, O. Piel leg. ( TARI) . PARATYPES (conspecific with the holotype): 1 ♀, Likiatun, Shaowu, Fujian, China, 2.ix.1941, T. C. Maa leg. ( TARI); 1 ♀, Dazhulan, Shaowu, Fujian, China, 25.vi.1942, T. C. Maa leg. ( TARI); 1 ♀ ( Figs 3–7 ), Dazhulan, Shaowu, Fujian, China, 1.vii.1944, T. C. Maa leg. ( TARI).

Smicromyrme t. latisquamula: PARATYPES (not conspecific with the holotype, actually belonging to Mickelomyrme kuznetsovi ): 2♀♀, Bohea Hills, Wuyishan, Fujian, 4.vii.1939, T. C. Maa leg. ( TARI); 1 ♀, Bohea Hills, Wuyishan, Fujian, China, 12.ix.1939, T. C. Maa leg. ( TARI); 1 ♀ ( Figs 13–17 ), Siyingpan, Yungan, Fujian, China, 29.vi.1940, T. C. Maa leg. ( TARI); 1 ♀, Shui Pei Kai, Shaowu, Fujian, China, 24.vii.1943, T. C. Maa leg. ( TARI); 1 ♀, Kuhsiekieh, Shaowu, Fujian, China, 1944, T. C. Maa leg. ( TARI).

Smicromyrme t. latisquamula: Possible paratypes not conspecific with the holotype, actually belonging to Mickelomyrme kuznetsovi : 1 ♀, Tungan, 4.x.1940, T. C. Maa leg. ( TARI); 1 ♀, Shui Pei Kai, Shaowu, 20.–24.vii.1943, T. C. Maa leg. ( TARI). These two specimens were also found but they are not labelled as paratypes. It is uncertain if these two specimens are paratypes of Smicromyrme t. latisquamula or not.

Other material examined. LAOS: 1 ♀, Lak Sao, 4.xi.2004, M. Satô leg. ( EUMJ). VIETNAM: 2 ♀♀, near Bach Ma National Park, 19 km point, Thua Tien-Hue (253/ BTTNVN), 16.198°N 107.860°E, 1400 m alt., 3.–6.viii.2016, Y. Komeda & T. Mita leg. by yellow pan trap ( ELKU).

Diagnosis. Female. Frons and vertex longitudinally puncto- striate; clypeus with median longitudinal tubercle protruding beyond apical margin of clypeus; mandible edentate; F1 length equal to 1.3–1.4× F2; scutellar scale posteriorly turning into median longitudinal carina extending through propodeal face; T1 yellowish red; T2 evenly convex, with three basal spots and apical narrow complete band of dense, appressed pale golden to golden setae; lateral spots on T2 located posterior to median one.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. China: Jiangxi, Fujian ( CHEN 1957); Taiwan ( MICKEL 1933); Vietnam: Thua Tien-Hue (new record); Laos: Lak Sao (new record).

Remarks. Two out of seven paratypes from Shaowu, one out of four paratypes from Chungan and one paratype from Tungan could not be found in TARI. Among the paratypes of Sm. t. latisquamula in TARI, I recognized two morphospecies. One ( Figs 3–7 ) is identical to the holotype of Sm. t. latisquamula. The other species ( Figs 13–17 ) bears the diagnostic characters of Mickelomyrme . Among the females of Mickelomyrme , this morphospecies was identified as M. kuznetsovi Lelej, 1996 using the key provided by LELEJ (1996b) and agreed well with its original description. Mickelomyrme kuznetsovi is currently known from North Vietnam and Laos only ( LELEJ 1996b, BROTHERS & LELEJ 2017), so this is its first record from China (see Material examined above).

Concerning the differences between Sm. t. triguttatus ( Figs 8–12 ) and Sm. t. latisquamula ( Figs 3–7 ), CHEN (1957) mentioned that the subspecies Sm. t. latisquamula was “Similar to the typical subspecies, but the pale pubescence being bright golden yellow, and the bands on tergites II and III somewhat integumental”. In the key, Chen described the nominotypical subspecies as having “Antennal segment I and femora apically black; pubescent spots on tergite II and posterior fringes on II–III whitish” while he described Sm. t. latisquamula as having “Antennal segment I and legs uniformly ferruginous; pubescent spots on tergite II and posterior fringes on II–III bright golden yellow”. I examined photos of the holotype of Sm. t. triguttatus kindly provided by Lukas Kirschey (ZMHB). As a result, I regard the subspecies Sm. t. latisquamula as a junior subjective synonym of the nominotypical one for the following reasons: 1) Sm. t. triguttatus also has integumental yellow markings on T2 and T3; 2) the color of the antennae and legs varies greatly as observed in Mickelomyrme yunnanensis ( Fig. 18 ) [ Smicromyrme was revealed sister to Mickelomyrme by BROTHERS & LELEJ (2017) and I hence suppose the color variation is similar in both genera]; 3) these two “subspecies” are identical in structure.

Smicromyrme triguttatus can be placed in Erimyrme based on the following character states: the anterior margin of the dorsum of the pronotum arcuate; the scutellar scale slightly wider than long; the lateral angle of propodeum rounded; the lateral setal spots on T2 located posteriorly to the median one; the pygidial area elongate with its lateral margins subparallel; the surface of the pygidial area longitudinally striate basally and unsculptured on about the apical 1/4. Females of Erimyrme are similar to those of Mickelomyrme , but the scutellar scale is much wider and the basal spots on T2 are disposed in a straight transverse line in Mickelomyrme .

LELEJ (1995b) recorded this species under the name Smicromyrme (Smicromyrme) triguttata latisquamula Chen, 1957 from Vinh Phu, Vietnam. MICKEL (1933) described the pygidial area of Sm. triguttatus as “pygidial area covering most of the last tergite, finely, longitudinally striate, the striae reaching the apical margin”; however, the pygidial area of the holotype of Sm. triguttatus is striate on about the basal 3/4 and smooth apically ( Fig. 11 ). LELEJ (1995b) probably identified the Vietnamese specimen based on the descriptions of MICKEL (1933) and CHEN (1957) and placed Sm. triguttatus latisquamula in Smicromyrme s. str. Consequently, I consider that the Vietnamese specimen of LELEJ (1995b) belongs to a separate species.

Figures

Figs 3–7. Smicromyrme triguttatus latisquamula Chen, 1957, ♀, paratype from Dazhulan, Shaowu, 1.vii.1944. 3 – habitus, dorsal view; 4 – habitus, lateral view; 5 – face; 6 – pygidial area; 7 – labels.

Figs 8–12. Smicromyrme triguttatus Mickel, 1933,♀, holotype. 8 – habitus, dorsal view; 9 – habitus, lateral view; 10 – face; 11 – pygidial area; 12 – labels.

Figs 13–17. Paratype of Smicromyrme triguttatus latisquamula Chen, 1957, ♀ from China, Siyingpan, Yungan, 29.vi.1940, which actually belongs to Mickelomyrme kuznetsovi Lelej, 1996. 13 – habitus, dorsal view; 14 – habitus, lateral view; 15 – face; 16 – pygidial area; 17 – labels.

Fig. 18. Color variation of antennae and legs of females of Micke- lomyrme yunnanensis Lelej, 1996 from Thailand and Laos. a – pa- ratype,Thailand, Fang, 12.vi.1965 (NSMT); b – Thailand, Chiang Mai, 4.v.1939 (ZMUC); c – Thailand, Fang Horticulture Experi- mental Station, Chiang Mai, 20.x.1981 (ZMUC); d – Thailand, Chiang Mai, 4.v.1939 (ZMUC) [antenna] and Fang Horticultural Experimental Station, Chiang Mai (ZMUC) [legs]; e – Thailand, Fang Horticulture Experimental Station, Chiang Mai, 20.x.1981 (ZMUC); f – Thailand, Peninsular Botanic Garden, Thung Khai, Yan Ta Khao District,Trang Province, 3.iv.2005 (EUMJ); g – Laos, Luang Phabang Province, Phou-vieng Gnai, 22.iv.2018 (EUMJ).