Ctenoceraea Nonveiller, 1993

Lelej, Arkady S. & Williams, Kevin A., 2023, Review of the tribe Smicromyrmini Bischoff, 1920 (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Zootaxa 5231 (2), pp. 101-140 : 109-110

4. Ctenoceraea Nonveiller, 1993

( Figs 7–10 )

Ctenoceraea Nonveiller, 1993: 17 , figs 1–4, ♁; Lelej & Brothers 2008: 17; Brothers & Lelej 2017: 95, ♁; Pagliano et al. 2020: 170.

Type species Ctenoceraea pectinella Nonveiller, 1993 , ♁, by monotypy.

Diagnosis. MALE. Mandibles beneath with strong subbasal tooth and small preapical inner tooth. Eyes deeply emarginate. F1–8 inside with double series of apophyses: a very long one on the outer side of each article, directed sidewards, on F5 nearly 6 × diameter of F5, the other before and after being progressively shorter, and a short one on the inner side, turned forwards. Mesosoma with sligthly convex mesoscutellum and very large tegula. Mesopleuron not divided by a transverse impression; sternal part without tubercles. T1 short and narrow, with definite short dorsal face distinctly separated by carina from declivous anterior slope. T2 with long felt lines, S2 with short felt lines. S8 with subbasal weak transversal swelling. T7 simple. Wings hyaline: Forewings with two radiomedial and one discoidal cell; stigmatic cell nearly completely sclerotized, hyaline only in the middle. Genitalia with long and narrow gonostylus, sharp-pointed and distally strongly curved downwards. Penis valvae short, nearly of equal length. Volsella with a broad cuspis, as long as the valvae, digitus as shown in the Fig. 9 . FEMALE (unknown).

Diversity and distribution. One the type species, known only in the male sex, from Senegal is recognized .

Remarks. The male of Ctenoceraea has first metasomal segment similar to that of female of Guineomutilla , and they possibly belong to the same genus. On the other hand, the slightly convex mesoscutellum and weak tranverse subbasal swelling of S8 are similar to males of some genera of Trogaspidiini . The genus is especially rare (apparently known from only one male specimen) and has not been analyzed in a modern phylogenetic context, so its tribal placement here is somewhat tenuous.

Figures

FIGURES 7–16. 7–10. Ctenoceraea pectinella Nonveiller, 1993, ♁, holotype (7. Antenna, 8. Forewing, 9. Genitalia, dorsal view, 10. Genitalia, lateral view); 11–12. Dentilla rasnitsyni Lelej in Lelej & van Harten, 2011, ♁, paratype (11. Lateral habitus, 12. Head, face view); 13–16. D. curtiventris (André, 1901): 13. Dorsal habitus, ♀, 14. Lateral habitus, ♀, 15. Lateral habitus, ♁, 16. Head, face view. (Photographs by K. Williams, 7–10 from Nonveiller 1993).