Dentilla purcharti, Cascio & Romano & Grita, 2012

Cascio, Pietro Lo, Romano, Marcello & Grita, Flavia, 2012, New species and new records of mutillid wasps from the Socotra Archipelago (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52, pp. 525-544 : 534-539

Dentilla purcharti sp. nov.

( Figs. 6–10, 12 )

Type locality. Yemen, Socotra Island, Firmihin (Diksam plateau), 12°28.5′N, 54°01.1′E.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( NMPC),‘ YEMEN,SOCOTRA Island / Dixam plateau / Firmihin ( Dracaena forest) / 12°28.5′ N, 54°01.1′ E, 490 m / J. Bezděk leg., 15-16.xi.2010 ’. PARATYPES: 6 JJ, ‘ YEMEN, Socotra island / Wadi Ayhaft / 12°36.5′ N, 53°58.9′ E, 200 m / Jiří Hájek leg. 7-8.xi.2010 ’ ( NMPC) ; 4 JJ, ‘ Socotra is. ( YE) / Wadi Ayhaft 12°36.5′ N / 53°58.9′ E, 200 m / J. Batelka leg. 7-8.xi.2010 ’ ( NMPC) ; 1 J, ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Dixam plateau / Firmihin ( Dracaena forest) / 12°28.5′ N, 54°01.1′ E, 490 m / Jiří Hájek leg., 15-16.xi.2010 ’ ( NMPC) ; 3 JJ, YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Dixam plateau / Firmihin ( Dracaena forest) / 12°28.5′ N, 54°01.1′ E, 490 m / J. Bezděk leg., 15-16.xi.2010 ’ ( NMPC) ; 2 JJ, YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Wadi Ayhaft / 12°36.5′ N, 53°58.9′ E, 200 m / J. Bezděk leg., 7-8.xi.2010 ’ ( NMPC) ; 3 JJ, ‘Republic of Yemen / Socotra isl., Firmihin plato / Dracena tree forest / N12°28′475″, E54°00′ 89830″ / V. Hula lgt. 22-25.vi.2009 ’ ( NMPC); 3 JJ, ‘ YEMEN, Socotra Isl., 4-5.vi / Qualentiah env., 2010 / slopes 5 km SE from Quaysoh / N 12°39.691′, E 053°26.658′ / V.Hula & J. Niedobová leg.’ ( NMPC); 4JJ, ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Dixam plateau / Firmihin ( Dracaena forest) / 12°28.5′ N, 54°01.1′ E, 490 m / J. Bezděk leg., 15-16.xi.2010 ’ ( NMPC); 6 JJ, ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA island / Kesa env., 220-300 m / N 12°39′37″, E 55°26′42″ / 28-29.i.2010 L. Purchart lgt.’ ( NMPC); 2 JJ, ‘ Yemen, Socotra isl., Wadi Faar / GPS 12 433N, 54 195E, 65 m / 1.iv.2001 / leg. V. Bejček & K. Šťastný’ ( NMPC); 1J, ‘Yemen:Soqotra is., 21.xi-12.xii.2003 / HADIBOH env./ N 12°65′02″ E 54°02′04″ / 10-100 m [GPS] ; Jan Farkač lgt.’ ‘ YEMEN – SOQOTRA 2003 / Expedition ; Jan Farkač , / Petr Kabátek & David Král’ ( NMPC) ; 1 J, ‘ Yemen: Soqotra is., 9-10.xii.2003 / Qalansiyah env./ N 12°38′50″ E 53°27′45″ / 85-592 m [GPS] ; Jan Farkač lgt.’ ‘ YEMEN – SOQOTRA 2003 / Expedition ; Jan Farkač , / Petr Kabátek & David Král’ ( NMPC) ; 1 J, ‘ Yemen Soqotra is., 24-26.xi.2003 / WADI AYHAFT / N 12°36′38″ E 53°58′49″ / 190 m [GPS] ; Jan Farkač lgt.’ ‘ YEMEN – SOQO- TRA 2003 / Expedition ; Jan Farkač , / Petr Kabátek & David Král’ ( NMPC) ; 1 J, ‘ Yemen, Soqotra is .; / 5-6.xii.2003 / Noged plain; QAAREH / (waterfall) / N 12°20′10″ E 53°37′58″ / 57 m [GPS]; Jan Farkač lgt.’ ‘ YEMEN – SOQOTRA 2003 / Expedition ; Jan Farkač , / Petr Kabátek & David Král’ ( NMPC) ; 2 JJ, ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / wadi Ayhaft / 12°36.5′N 53°58.9′E, 200 m / P. Hlaváč leg., 7-8.xi.2010 ’ ( NMPC) ; 11 JJ, ‘ N. Sokotra isld. / S. from Di Hamri / Rocap loc. / 26.iii.2009 / Saldaitis leg.’ ( MRCI) ; 6JJ, ‘E. Sokotra Island , / Dishaall loc./ (Shey) / 16.i.2010 / Saldaitis leg.’ ( MRCI) ; 12 JJ, ‘ N. Sokotra / Island, / Wadi Kam / 13.i.2010 / Saldaitis leg.’ ( MRCI) ; 2 JJ, ‘ Sokotra Isld. / Ayhft valley / 22.xi.2008 / Saldaitiene & Saldaitis leg. ’ ( MRCI) ; 8 JJ, ‘N. Sokotra isld. / Qadab loc. / 25.iii.2009 / Saldaitis leg.’ ( MRCI) ; 5 JJ ‘ N. E. Sokotra / Island / Wadi Difarroha / North side / 19.i.2010 / Saldaitis leg.’ ( MRCI) ; 2 JJ ‘ Sokotra isld. / Di Hamri loc. / 20-21.xi.2008 / Saldaitiene & Saldaitis leg. ’ ( MRCI) ; 1 J, ‘ Sokotra Island N. / Di Hamri env. / 1.iii.2008 / Saldaitis leg.’ ( MRCI) ; 2JJ, ‘ N. Sokotra / isld., Hills near / Hadibu / 21.iii.2009 / Saldaitis leg.’ ( MRCI) ; 1 J, ‘ Central part of / Sokotra Island, / Diksam loc. / 14.i.2010 / Saldaitis leg.’ ( MRCI) ; 1 J, ‘ Sokotra ( Yemen) / Zam Hom / 7.iv.2008 at lamp / leg. A. Carapezza’ ( MRCI) ; 4 JJ, ‘ N. Sokotra / isld., Haghier Mt. / Ayhft val[l]ey / 20.iii.2009 / Saldaitis leg.’ ( MRCI) ; 1 J, ‘ Sokotra Island N. / Haghier Mts. / h 900 m / near Dicksam loc. / 05.iii.2008 / leg. A. Saldai [tis]’ ( MRCI) ; 1 J, ‘ Sokotra / Island W. / 30 km E. from / Qalansiya / 06.iii.2008 / leg. A. Saldaitis’ ( MRCI) ; 1 J, ‘C. Sokotra / isld., Diksam / canyon / 23.iii.2009 / Saldaitis leg.’ ( MRCI) ; 6 JJ, ‘ YEMEN, Socotra isl./ Zemhon area , 270-300 m / N12°20′56″, E054°06′39″ / 16-17.vi.2010 V.Hula leg.’ ( PBHK) ; 1J, ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA island / Zemhon area , 270-350 m / N 12°30′58″, E 54°06′39″ / 3-4.ii.2010 / L. Purchart & J. Vybiral lgt.’ ( PBHK) ; 7 JJ, ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA island E / Firmihin , 400-500 m / N 12°28′27″, E 54°00′54″ / 6-7.ii.2010, at light / L. Purchart & J. Vybiral lgt.’ ( PBHK) ; 3 JJ, ‘ SOCOTRA: W. Da’arho / 21.ii.2009 – leg. P. Lo / Cascio & F. Grita’ ( PLFG, MZUF) ; 1 J, ‘SAMHA I. ( Socotra / Archipel. ) 27.ii.09 leg. / P. Lo Cascio & F. Grita’ ( PLFG) ; 3 JJ, ‘ SOCOTRA: W. Ayheft / 28.ii-1.iii.2009 leg. P. / Lo Cascio & F. Grita’ ( PLFG) .

Diagnosis. A male of Dentilla closely related to D. ehrenbergi Lelej, 2006 , from which it differs mainly in the size of ocelli and their distance from occipital carina, the shape of eyes, mandibles, and apical margin of T7, the darkening spot on the fore wings, as well as in the colour of body and pubescence, and conformation of genitalia.

Holotype description. Body length: 11.9 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 6 . Head, including antennae, mandibles (except for the darkish apex) and palpi pale red, 1.14 wider than long and 0.88 narrower than mesosoma, with strongly rounded posterior angles. Eyes large and bean-shaped, clearly protruding from head profile and strongly convex, with small and blunt indent along inner margin, anteriorly reaching base of mandibles; posterior margin of eyes weakly but distinctly concave; ratio between maximum and minimum orbital diameter 1: 0.74. Genae densely and irregularly punctate. Vertex surface densely punctate around ocelli, sparsely and irregularly punctate laterally and posteriorly, rugose forward the median ocellus. Ocelli large and globose; ratio between LOD and OOD 0.75: 1; LOD 0.93 of maximum diameter of lateral ocellus; distance between lateral ocelli and occipital carina 1.73 LOD. Frontal carina almost unperceivable in upper part, forming straight and acute ridge between toruli. Scape slightly curved and compressed in third quarter, distinctly bicarinate beneath; ratio between scape, pedicel, F1, F2 and F3 1: 0.19: 0.41: 0.77: 0.70. Antennal sockets with arcuate carina. Clypeus deeply concave except in middle, with transversal carina close to lower margin and protruded in short and acute median tubercle; clypeal surface densely and finely punctate. Mandibles quadridentate with curved upper carina and large tooth beneath base. Both labial and maxillar palpi flattened.

Legs including calcaria and spurs red, paler than head and mesosoma, without salient characteristics.

Mesosoma pale red. Pronotum with anterior margin slightly arched; maximum pronotal width 1.22 propodeal width on spiracle line. Scutum with well-developed parascutal carinae; surface sparsely foveolate. Propodeum surface areolate. Metasternal process with denticles. Metacoxae with inner carina. Tegulae slightly projecting over mesoscuto-scutellar suture; surface barely punctate, shining and very finely wrinkled. Wings hyaline with brown veins; fore wings as in Fig. 7 , with infuscate belt at distal margin of veins, darker toward anterior margin, not reaching distal margin of wing; hind wings not infuscate.

Metasoma black except for S1 and anterior part of T1 which are reddish, and S2 which is irregularly reddish streaked. T1 1.04 wider than its maximal length, 0.45 narrower than T2; surface sparsely but deeply punctate except for smooth median longitudinal narrow strip. T2 surface shiny and punctate, with basal punctuation larger than apical one. T3–T6 sparsely punctate. Apical margin of T7 polygonal with rounded angles; surface almost scabrous with double punctuation, larger punctures arranged in groups, smaller widely and finely sparse. S1 with strongly punctate longitudinal carina, whose edge is irregularly shaped. S2 densely and regularly punctate.

Head, mesosoma and metasoma with long scattered yellowish setae; flagellomeres clothed by dense and very short yellow pubescence, scape with just longer yellow-reddish erect setae; clypeus densely covered by recumbent and short pubescence and with setae tuft on tubercle; mandibles with short and recumbent setae along edges; legs covered with long scattered yellowish setae, denser on median and posterior ones, and with dense and very short recumbent yellowish pubescence. Short and recumbent black setae on scutum, tegulae and T2. Mesosoma ventrally with erect yellowish setae, shorter than dorsal ones. T2–T6 and S2–S6 with yellowwhitish apical fringes of appressed setae. Felt lines on T2 and S2 golden; tergal felt lines 2.65 longer than their distance from posterior margin and 2.4 than the sternal ones.

Genitalia as in Figs. 8–10 .

Female. Unknown.

Variability. The averages of length and proportions taken from paratypes from Socotra (N = 10) are shown in Tab. 1. Ratio between scape, pedicel, F1, F2 and F3 of the same sample ranges as 1: 0.18–0.19: 0.37–0.41: 0.74–0.77: 0.70. There are no substantial differences from the holotype, except for the occurrence of a small tubercle on metanotum which is more or less developed in some specimens. The small closed cell (oblongum) between the second medial and second radial sector occurring in the fore wings of holotype (see Fig. 7 ) is an inconstant character in this species. The length of paratype from Samha Island is 11.0 mm ; head 1.09 wider than long; LOD 0.91 OOD; distance between lateral ocelli and occipital carina 1.27 LOD; T1 1.04 wider than long and 0.5 narrower than T2.

Differential diagnosis. Dentilla purcharti sp. nov. is morphologically comparable with D. ehrenbergi , recently described from continental Yemen ( LELEJ & HARTEN 2006). A paratype of the latter, kept at ZMAN and labelled ‘ Yemen, Al Kowd / vii.2000 / A. v. Harten & S. Al Haruri, light trap’, has been compared with the specimens from Socotra. D. ehrenbergi differs from the new species in having ocelli slightly smaller and less globose, the lateral ones more distanced from occipital carina, and LOD equal to the maximum diameter of lateral ocellus; indent of the eye’s inner margin deeper and wider; eyes with posterior margin straight or just slightly concave; different shape of mandibles and their upper carina ( Figs. 11–12 ; upper carina is indicated by the arrow); frons with deep longitudinal median furrow; T1 slender and thin; apical margin of T7 weakly rounded. Furthermore, the fore wings are infuscate on their distal fourth; the red colour of head and mesosoma is paler; the tibial spurs are whitish; the pubescence is entirely silvery-whitish, and tegulae are glabrous and impunctated.Another species known from Yemen is D. testacea ( Klug, 1829) , of which we have examined a specimen kept at ZMAN (labelled ‘ Yemen, Al Kowd, ii.2001 / A. v. Harten & S. Al Haruri / in light trap’), finding strong differences from D. purcharti sp. nov. such as shape and size of the head and the mandibles, pubescence pattern and uniform pale yellowish colour. Other two species, D. rasnitsyni Lelej, 2011 and D. zarudnyi Lelej, 1985 , have been recently found in southern Arabian Peninsula ( LELEJ & HARTEN 2011); both are characterized by T7 with straight apical margin, and the first also by the distinguishing darkened apical half of fore and hind wings. Together with several others, the above mentioned morphological characters allow to exclude any affinity with the new species.

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to our colleague Luboš Purchart, authority in darkling beetles taxonomy and active researcher of the entomofauna of the Socotra Archipelago, as a token of esteem and friendship.

Biological notes. Dentilla purcharti sp. nov. is undoubtedly the most common and widespread mutillid at Socotra, both geographically and phenologically. The species occurs from the coastal belt up to 1000 m a.s.l. and has been found in several different habitats, including sandy or rocky coastal plains, succulent and open deciduous shrublands of inland sheltered valleys, and Dracaena woodlands. Most of the collected specimens were attracted by light or captured in light traps; mutillids are in fact mainly nocturnal and crepuscular in the arid areas (see LELEJ & HARTEN 2011). Other traits of its biology are still unknown.

Zoogeographical notes. The genus Dentilla has a Palaearctic distribution which is extended in the Oriental region to western India (Rajasthan), and its probable centre of speciation lies between the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean (see LELEJ 2002, 2005). Its occurrence in southern Arabian Peninsula remained undetected until the recent contributions of LELEJ & HARTEN (2006, 2011), where new records for Arabia, Yemen, Oman and UAE are given, including some newly described species. The morphological affinity between the new species and D. ehrenbergi from continental Yemen suggests that the differentiation between the two taxa can be due to an allopatric speciation originated from the geographic isolation. Its simultaneous occurrence on the islands of Socotra and Samha, for which it is known on the basis of a single specimen, can be explained by the same hypothesis expressed for Strangulotilla dioscoridea sp. nov., that involves the palaeogeographic relationships among both islands.

Figures

Fig. 6. Habitus of Dentilla purcharti sp. nov. (holotype) in dorsal view. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Figs. 7–14. 7 – Fore wing of Dentilla purcharti sp. nov. (holotype). Scale bar = 1 mm. 8–10 – Genitalia of D. purcharti sp. nov. (holotype) in dorsal, lateral and ventral view. Scale bar = 200 μm. 11 – Mandibles of D. ehrenbergi Lelej, 2006 (paratype). Scale bar = 200 μm. 12 – Mandibles of D. purcharti sp. nov. (paratype from Wadi Da’arho). Scale bar = 200 μm. 13 – Pygidial plate of D. arabica (Hammer, 1962). Scale bar = 200 μm. 14 – Pygidial plate of D. socotrana sp. nov. (holotype). Scale bar = 200 μm.