Promecilla André, 1902

Lelej, Arkady S. & Williams, Kevin A., 2023, Review of the tribe Smicromyrmini Bischoff, 1920 (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Zootaxa 5231 (2), pp. 101-140 : 122

18. Promecilla André, 1902

( Figs 57–60 )

Promecilla André, 1902: 14 (key), 30 (description), ♀; Cameron 1902: 271, fig. 8, 9, ♀ ♁; Lelej & Brothers 2008: 48; Brothers & Lelej 2017: 96, ♁, ♀; Pagliano et al. 2020: 182.

Type species. Mutilla regia Smith, 1855 , ♀, by original designation.

Diagnosis. MALE. Clypeus with transverse preapical carina. F1 evidently shorter than F2. Mandible tridentate, with large subbasal lobe beneath. Wings more or less fuscous. Stigmatic cell not sclerotized. T2 with lateral felt lines, S2 without any trace of felt lines. Hypopygium (S8) without any carina or processes. Head, mesosoma, antennae and legs usually black, metasomal segments 2–5(6) yellowish-orange. FEMALE. Clypeus with medial basal tubercle, with strongly bent down apical round and forming sharp transverse carina. Inner eye border weakly sinuous. F1 around 2 × shorter than F2, the latter slightly shorter than F3. Mesosoma elongated, evidently narrowed posterad, propodeum posterad gently sloping. Mesopleuron weakly convex with vertical raw of large punctures. Scutellar scale lacking. T6 with pygidial plate convex not sculptured, non carinated even in apical half. Pronotum, and often propodeum dorsally with spot of pale setae. Metasoma often metallic blue.

Diversity and distribution. There are twenty-seven recognized species ( Bischoff 1920; Lelej 2002, 2005; Pagliano et al., 2020), mostly from the Oriental Region. Three species occur in the Palaearctic and five in the Afrotropical Region. Four species are known from both sexes, three are known from males only, and 20 are known from females only.

Remarks. There are no keys that treat all, or even half, of the known Promecilla species. This genus commonly has metallic blue or purple body color.

Figures

FIGURES 53–60. 53–54. Physetopoda halensis (Fabricius, 1787), ♀: 53. Dorsal habitus, 54. Lateral habitus; 55–56. Ph. oratoria (Chen, 1957), ♁: 55. Head, face view, 56. Lateral habitus. 57–60. Promecilla regia (Smith, 1855): 57. ♀, dorsal habitus, 58. ♀, lateral habitus 59. ♁, head, face view, 60. ♁, lateral habitus. (Photographs by K. Williams).