Eotilla schusteri Torréns, Fidalgo, Roig-Alsina & Brothers, 2014

Torréns, Javier, Fidalgo, Patricio, Roig-Alsina, Arturo & Brothers, Denis J., 2014, Review of the genus Eotilla Schuster, 1949 (Hymenoptera: Bradynobaenidae: Typhoctinae: Eotillini) and description of new species from Argentina, Zootaxa 3878 (1), pp. 1-18 : 15-17

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3878.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FFAA0DB9-C6A4-4963-B60A-2BA9069951A8
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6123129
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/2249EA5D-FF97-FFE4-F988-FE081691A2EA
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Eotilla schusteri Torréns, Fidalgo, Roig-Alsina & Brothers
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Eotilla schusteri Torréns, Fidalgo, Roig-Alsina & Brothers , sp. nov.

( Figs 4, 8 View FIGURES 1 – 8 , 15, 16 View FIGURES 9 – 16 , 19, 21 View FIGURES 17 – 21 , 26, 27, 30, 31 View FIGURES 22 – 31 , 36, 37 View FIGURES 32 – 37 )

Eotilla mickeli female, Mickel 1968: 234 –236 (misidentification).

Diagnosis. Male. Head, mesosoma and metasoma dark brown to black ( Figs 4, 8 View FIGURES 1 – 8 ). T1, T2 and S2 with abundant scale-like setae on all surfaces ( Figs 15, 16 View FIGURES 9 – 16 ). Female. Head and pronotum brownish to reddish; metasoma entirely dark brown to black or T1 and S1 brownish to reddish and remainder darker ( Figs 26, 27, 30, 31 View FIGURES 22 – 31 ). T2 with abudant scale-like setae, except on central area ( Figs 30, 31 View FIGURES 22 – 31 ). Posterior surface of propodeum with striation, especially well marked on sides.

Description. Male. Length 4.0– 5.7 mm. General body color black. Flagellomeres, femora, tibiae and tarsomeres, and apical part of mandible dark brown; scape and pedicel dark brown to black; rest of mandible light brown ( Figs 4, 8 View FIGURES 1 – 8 ).

Head oval, 1.0–1.2 × as broad as high and 1.2–1.4 × as broad as mesosoma, with dense scale-like setae covering frons from base of mandible to top of eye, a few scattered scale-like setae on vertex and behind head; gena covered with scale-like setae; plumose setae long, white and scattered over vertex and frons and with a few dark plumose setae on vertex ( Fig. 19 View FIGURES 17 – 21 ); vertex with spaced punctation. POL 1.8–2.1 × as long as OOL, POL 1.7–2.2 × as long as LOL; eyes ovoid, separated by 1.0–1.1 × their height, malar space 0.04–0.09 × eye height. Scape with scale-like and scattered white plumose setae, except ventrally glabrous; scape 1.6–2.1 × as long as broad and 2.0–2.8 × as long as pedicel; flagellomeres cylindrical, F1 0.8 × length of scape and 0.6–0.8 × length of F2, F2–F6 approximately same length, F7–F10 gradually decreasing in length, F11 elongated with rounded apex.

Mesosoma elongate, 1.6–1.9 × as long as broad; punctation well marked and contiguous, spaced on dorsum of mesonotum and scutellum. Pronotum transverse, anteriorly forming a collar with white scattered plumose setae, rest covered completely with scale-like and white plumose setae and a few dark plumose setae. Mesonotum moderately punctate; with scattered scale-like, white plumose setae and a few dark plumose setae, scale-like setae denser on posterior half; tegula convex, smooth and covered with scale-like setae; scutellum with scattered punctation and with scattered scale-like and white plumose setae and a few dark plumose setae. Metanotum transverse, narrow, almost covered with scale-like and white plumose setae; punctate. Propodeum with contiguous punctation; with small dark plumose setae dorsally; vertical surface with scattered long white plumose setae; rest of propodeum covered with scale-like and white plumose setae. Propleuron covered with long scale-like and plumose setae; mesopleuron convex, punctate, fairly densely covered by scale-like and white plumose setae; metapleuron with moderately spaced punctation but sparser anteroventrally, metepisternum covered by long plumose setae on central area and with scale-like setae around central area and above insertion of metacoxa, metepimeron covered with scale-like setae.

Fore wing 2.9–3.4 × as long as broad, densely setose ( Fig. 4 View FIGURES 1 – 8 ), hyaline; venation light brown, with coarse dark plumose setae.

Legs slender; anterior surfaces of coxae, trochanters, femora and tibiae covered by scale-like setae; plumose setae scattered across surfaces of legs, becoming denser where no scale-like setae; mid and hind tibial spurs white.

Metasoma 2.3–2.8 × as long as broad, T1 1.1–1.4 × as long as wide and 0.6–0.7 × as wide as T2 ( Fig. 15 View FIGURES 9 – 16 ); terga with well-marked punctation, slightly spaced on T1, remaining terga with punctation contiguous. T1 covered with erect white plumose setae, with abundant scale-like setae, less dense on central area on dorsum, without scale-like setae on vertical surface; T2 with a dense group of scale-like setae on anterior margin and reaching to central area, entirely covered with erect white to dark plumose setae and decumbent dark simple setae, dense scale-like setae along posterior margin; dark felt line 0.45–0.57 × lateral length of T2, its anterior extremity at 0.17–0.22 × lateral length of T2; T3–T4 with erect white to dark plumose setae and decumbent dark simple setae, scale-like setae on posterior margins; T5–T6 with scattered scale-like setae and erect white to dark plumose setae, apical margin with oblique dark brown coarse plumose setae (different from those observed in E. mickeli ); T7 with a smooth inverted- V-shaped depression medially, with scattered small dark plumose to strong simple setae elsewhere; sterna with sculpture and distribution of setae similar to corresponding terga, S1 without or with only a few scale-like setae posterolaterally, S2 almost covered with scattered scale-like setae, S7–S8 with dark semi-erect plumose and decumbent strong simple setae ( Fig. 16 View FIGURES 9 – 16 ).

Female. Length 2.4–4.0 mm. Head, scape, pedicel, apical part of F1 and inner surfaces of flagellomeres, mesosoma, legs, T1 and S1 brownish to reddish; rest of flagellomeres except basal 3/4 of F1 dark brown; rest of F1 and metasoma brownish to blackish ( Figs 26, 27 View FIGURES 22 – 31 ). Some specimens with head and pronotum brownish to reddish and rest of mesosoma and metasoma dark brown to black ( Figs 27, 31 View FIGURES 22 – 31 ).

Head 1.1–1.3 × as broad as high and 1.3–1.4 × as broad as mesosoma; with dense scale-like setae covering frons from base of mandible to top of eye; scattered dark plumose setae distributed throughout head, longer on clypeus; vertex with spaced punctation but smooth medially, with a few scale-like setae and coarse dark plumose setae; gena with scattered scale-like setae covering all surface, without plumose setae ( Fig. 36 View FIGURES 32 – 37 ). Eyes separated by 1.0–1.2 × their height; malar space 0.16–0.30 × eye height. Clypeus short and broad, slightly convex; mandible arched, simple, with small preapical denticle on inner edge, distance from inner denticle to apical denticle 0.14–0.27 × mandible length. Scape covered with scale-like setae on dorsal and inner surfaces, with a few short plumose setae near insertion of pedicel and long plumose setae on ventral surface, scape 2.4–3.1 × as long as broad and 1.3–2.2 × as long as pedicel; pedicel 1.8–2.2 × as long as broad; flagellomeres cylindrical, F1 0.5–0.7 × length of scape and as long as F2; remaining flagellomeres approximately same length, except F5–F9 gradually decreasing in length, F10 elongated with rounded apex.

Mesosoma elongate, 1.8–2.1 × as long as broad ( Figs 30, 31 View FIGURES 22 – 31 ). Pronotum 1.1–1.6 × as broad as long (across humeral tubercles) as long (excluding anterior collar); humeral tubercle poorly developed; dorsum with wellmarked and very spaced punctation, with scale-like setae covering entire surface or restricted to a transverse band anteriorly, dark plumose setae throughout, setae longer laterad; lateral surface punctate or smooth, with scale-like setae covering entire surface or scattered and denser above fore coxa. Fused metanotum and propodeum dorsally with spaced and well-marked punctation becoming contiguous on sides, with scale-like setae covering dorsal surface and scattered dark plumose setae throughout, setae longer laterad; posterior declivity of propodeum without setae and transversely striate; lateral face smooth on upper half and striate on lower half, especially well marked on sides. Propleuron smooth, with scattered scale-like setae and a group of white or dark long plumose setae near insertion of fore coxa; mesopleuron smooth with a longitudinal carina restricted to half of sclerite from ventral limit of pronotum, with dense or scattered scale-like setae denser above mid coxa; metapleural-propodeal suture indistinguishable, with scattered scale-like setae or with scale-like setae only near insertion of mid coxa and above hind coxa ( Fig. 37 View FIGURES 32 – 37 ).

Legs slender; fore coxa with a group of white or dark long plumose setae on upper outer surface and distributed at random in all surfaces, with scattered scale-like and dark long plumose setae elsewhere; mid and hind coxae, trochanters, femora and tibiae covered with scale-like and plumose setae, except no scale-like setae on ventral surfaces.

Metasoma 2.1–2.5 × as long as broad ( Figs 30, 31 View FIGURES 22 – 31 ); T1 0.92–1.08 × as long as wide and 0.65–0.75 × as wide as T2; with well-marked contiguous punctation on T1 and T2, except vertical surface of T1 smooth; T3–T5 with punctation less marked and dispersed; T6 completely alutaceous. T1 with scale-like setae except central area on dorsal surface, scattered dark long plumose setae except with white long plumose setae on vertical surface; T2 with scale-like setae anteriorly and laterally, denser postero-laterally, with dark plumose setae across surface, dark felt line 0.11–0.20× lateral length of T2, its anterior extremity 0.24–0.32 × lateral length of T2; T3 with a few scale-like setae posterolaterally or without such setae; T3–T5 with dark plumose setae; T6 without setae. Sterna with sculpture and distribution of setae similar to that of corresponding terga, except S1 and S2 with a few scale-like setae, and S6 with latero-posterior margin with distinct denticles.

Variation. Males. In some specimens the coloration of the metasoma and legs, particularly the tibiae and tarsomeres, is lighter. The number of scale-like setae is variable, specially on T1 and T2; but the setation pattern is fairly consistent.

Females. The coloration of the mesosoma and metasoma is highly variable; there are specimens with the pronotum lighter than the rest of the mesosoma and metasoma, and others with the mesosoma and T1 lighter than the rest of the metasoma; also, in some specimens the coloration of the head, femora, tibiae, pleura and propodeum is darker. One specimen from Neuquén (Las Lajas) has a particular coloration of the metasoma, with the vertical surface of T1, the anterior half of T2 and S2 and the last three terga of the metasoma dark brown and the rest lighter, but the morphological characters and disposition of setae correspond to this species. The pronotum has a few scale-like setae on the central area of the dorsum or none; otherwise the scale-like setae on the mesosoma and metasoma show variation in density but not in disposition.

Discussion. As discussed above for E. superba , all females were collected at the same locality as males, so they are considered conspecific.

Mickel (1968) described a female specimen from Argentina and attributed it to E. mickeli Schuster (from Chile); however, the notable differences between species from Argentina and Chile, and the remarkable similarity of that specimen with the description above, suggests that it was misidentified and is actually this species.

Etymology. Named in honor of the describer of the genus Eotilla (and Prototilla ), Rudolf M. Schuster.

Distribution. Argentina: Catamarca, La Rioja, Neuquén ( Fig. 38).

Phenology. September, December–April.

Material examined. Holotype ♂: ARGENTINA: La Rioja, Santa Teresita [28°35'57"S 66°33'32"W], 690 m, 8–28/IV/2006, Porter, Torréns y Fidalgo, MT (1♂, MACN). Paratypes, 9♂ and 8♀: Catamarca, Andalgalá [27°34'60"S 66°21'2"W], 12/XII/1973, JH Hunt #1495, det. as E. mickeli by Snelling (1♂, LACM); Andalgalá, Villavil [27°34'36"S 66°15'02"W], 30/XII/1973, FE Enders, JHHunt#1504 (2♀ LACM, 1♀ DJBC); same data but JHH #1502 (1♀ LACM); El Pucará empalme [27°42'17"S 66°00'36"W], 7/I/1974, FE Enders, # JHH 1499 det. as E. mickeli by Snelling (1♀, LACM); La Rioja, Udpinango, 5 km S de Udpinango 28°43'16"S 66°47'34"W, 1011 m, 16–25/III/2005, P. Fidalgo, G. Fidalgo and J. Torréns, YPT (1♀, DJBC); same location, II/2006, Fidalgo, Diez and Torréns, YPT (1♀, MACN); same location, 8–28/IV/2006, pit-fall (1♀, IFML); same location, 26/I/2007, Torréns, Fidalgo and Diez, YPT (5♂, MACN); same location, I/2007, J. Torréns and C. Nieto, YPT (1♂, DJBC); same location, 26/II/2007, Fidalgo, Diez and Torréns, YPT (1♂, IFML); same location, 2–9/XI/2011, J. Torréns and P. Fidalgo, YPT (1♀, IFML); La Puerta, 28°50'13"S 66°39'29"W, 16–18/XI/09, A. Aranda, pit-fall (1♀, MACN); 7 km E de Anillaco [28°46'29"S 66°51'53"W], IX– X/2013, A. Aranda, pit-fall (1♂, IFML); Neuquén, Covunco [38°46'1"S 70°3'18"W], 18/I/1949 (Allotype, 1♀, IFML); 20 km Las Lajas, ANP Cuchillo Curá [38°36'40"S 70°23'54"W], 20/I/1992, J. Sganga (1♀, IFML)