Ephucilla yoshitakei Okayasu, 2020

Okayasu, Juriya, 2020, Velvet ants of the tribe Smicromyrmini Bischoff (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) of Japan, Zootaxa 4723 (1), pp. 1-110 : 66-71

Ephucilla yoshitakei Okayasu , sp. nov.

( Figs 32 A–B, 33A–B, 34A–B, 35C, 36A–C, 37A, 38A–B, 39A–B, 40A–C, 41A, 42A, 43A)

Ephucilla naja: Terayama et al. 2011: 13 , 21, ♂, in part, examined; Lo Cascio 2015: 548, in part; Terayama et al. 2016: 166, ♂, in part.

Diagnosis. MALE. Vertex elevated posteriorly; frons and vertex longitudinally striate; OL:MOD:LOD = 1:1.20– 1.27:0.90–1.18; median ocellus with posterior longitudinal carina; clypeus convex. Mandible tridentate, without dorsal crook; second inner subapical denticle reduced. F1 as long as wide. Mesosoma entirely yellowish red including tegula except propleuron dark brown; parapsidal line short; tegula posteriorly projecting, at most reaching mesoscuto-scutellar articulation, 1.60–1.67 times longer than wide; mesopleuron beneath without precoxal impunctate line; lateral margins of propodeum weakly convergent posteriorly. Metasoma with bluish metallic luster; T2–T3 with sparse pale setal fringe on apical margin; parapenial lobe with small lobe on outer margin; cuspis slender, with distinct ventral face. FEMALE. Head black; frons and vertex longitudinally puncto-striate, intervals micro-punctate; gena with large confluent punctures. Mandible with two weak inner denticles. Mesosoma convergent posteriorly; anterior margin of dorsum of pronotum with a pair of weak pointed tooth; humeral carina weakly developed; scutellar scale narrow, as long as wide. T1 black; T2 with weak bluish metallic luster but without setal spot.

Description. MALE (n = 2). Body length: 7.43 mm– 9.41 mm (holotype: 9.41 mm); fore wing length: 5.78 mm– 7.19 mm (holotype: 7.19 mm).

Color and setae. Head including clypeus black except antennal tubercle and gena above hypostomal carina dark brown to black; frons with sparse long recumbent and sparser long erect pale golden setae; vertex (except posterior margin) with very sparse long erect pale golden setae; posterior margin of vertex with sparse long recumbent pale golden setae; eye dorsally edged with long erect black setae; gena with sparse short recumbent and sparser long erect pale golden setae; antennal scrobe glabrous; clypeus basally and laterally with sparse long appressed pale golden setae and medially with sparse long erect golden setae. Mandible black except median 1/5–1/3 of dorsal face reddish brown with sparse long erect pale golden setae, basally appressed. Prementum and stipes brown to black with sparse short recumbent pale golden setae; palpi yellow with sparse extremely short erect pale golden setae. Scape dark brown with sparse long recumbent and sparser long erect pale golden setae; pedicel dark brown with dense extremely short erect black setae; flagellum brownish black with dense extremely short erect pale golden setae.

Mesosoma including tegula yellowish red except propleuron dark brown; dorsum of pronotum and mesoscutum with sparse short recumbent and sparser short erect pale golden setae; tegula with sparse short recumbent golden to black setae; scutellum, metascutellum and dorsal propodeal face with sparse long erect pale golden setae; metascutellum also with sparse extremely short recumbent pale golden setae; axilla and metanotal trough with dense short appressed pale golden setae; lateral face of pronotum and metapleuron with sparse short appressed pale golden setae except postero-lateral angle of metapleuron with few long erect pale golden setae; propleuron with sparse short appressed and sparser long erect pale golden setae; mesopleuron with sparse long recumbent and sparser long erect pale golden setae; lateral propodeal face ventrally with sparse short appressed pale golden setae, dorsally with sparse long erect pale golden setae.

Wings pale brown, with sparse short erect black, regularly distributed setae.

Legs dark brown, procoxa and protrochanter sometimes yellowish tinged; protibial spur pale brown to dark brown; meso- and metatibial spurs yellowish white; procoxa with sparse short appressed pale golden setae, laterally long, antero-laterally also with few long erect pale golden setae; meso- and metacoxa with sparse long recumbent pale golden setae; trochanters with sparse long erect pale golden setae; femora with sparse short recumbent and sparser long erect pale golden setae; tibiae with sparse long recumbent and sparser long erect pale golden setae; tarsi with dense long appressed pale golden setae.

Metasoma black except S1 dark brown to black, with bluish to violet metallic luster on T1–T6 and S2; T1–T4, S1 and S3–S4 with sparse long erect pale golden setae; T5–T7 and S5–S8 with sparse long erect black setae; S2 with sparse short erect pale golden setae; T2 with long lateral golden felt line; T1–T3 and S2–S3 with apical fringe of sparse long pale golden setae; T4 with black, S4 with black to pale golden apical fringe of sparse long setae.

Structure. Head 1.54–1.64 (holotype: 1.64) times wider than long; lateral margins strongly convergent posteriorly behind eye in dorsal view; vertex elevated posteriorly; POL/OOL = 0.50; OL:MOD:LOD = 1.00:1.20– 1.27:0.90–1.18, 1.00:1.27: 1.18 in holotype; GOI = 1.57–2.00 (holotype: 1.57); median ocellus posteriorly with short longitudinal inconspicuous carina; lateral ocellus posteriorly with long wide carina reaching posterior margin of vertex; lower frons with distinct median longitudinal groove; antennal scrobe with weak dorsal carina reaching inner eye margin; frons and vertex longitudinally striate, intervals with minute dense punctures on frons and with small elongate dense punctures on vertex; inner notch of eye with small rounded dense punctures; posterior margin of vertex with small dense punctures; gena with small dense punctures. Clypeus convex, basomedially elevated; anterior margin medially widely protruding, with median shallow emargination; surface of clypeus with minute sparse punctures. Mandible narrowed to apex, without dorsal crook, apically pointed and tridentate; first inner denticle distinctly smaller than apex; second inner denticle reduced, much smaller than first inner denticle; ventral margin of mandible excised into large tooth basally; surface of mandible with minute sparse punctures. Scape bending medially, with two parallel carinae beneath; surface of scape with small sparse puncture; pedicel with minute dense punctures; F1 length 1.00–1.05 (holotype: 1.05) × its width, 0.59–0.60 (holotype: 0.59) × F2 length; F2–F11 almost same in width; length of F2–F10 each little longer than the following segment; F11 as long as or little longer than F2, conical, weakly compressed; surface of flagellum with minute dense punctures.

Mesosoma broadest at mesonotum including tegulae; ratio between head width:humeral width:pronotal width: mesonotal width = 75:59–63:79–84:100, 75:63:84: 100 in holotype; humeral angle weakly angulate; propodeum weakly convergent posteriorly; mesoscutal width 1.10–1.11 (holotype: 1.10) × its length, 0.60–0.64 (holotype: 0.64) × mesonotal width; tegula protruding posteriorly, at most reaching mesoscuto-scutellar articulation, 1.60–1.67 (holotype: 1.60) times longer than wide; mesoscutum slightly convex; notauli long, reaching anterior margin of mesoscutum, subparallel; parapsidal line short; parascutal carina weakly developed, forming small apically rounded tubercle on postero-lateral angle of mesoscutum; scutellum weakly convex without carina or impunctate line; mesopleuron without transverse mesopleural suture, beneath weakly concave without impunctate line; dorsum of pronotum, mesoscutum, scutellum and metascutellum with large dense punctures; tegula with minute sparse, regularly distributed punctures; dorsal propodeal face areolate, with basomedial elongate tongue-like cell; lateral face of pronotum shallowly transversely striate and with minute sparse punctures; anterior half of mesopleuron, metapleuron and ventral half of lateral propodeal face with minute sparse punctures; posterior half and ventral face of mesopleuron, postero-lateral angle of metapleuron and dorsal half of lateral propodeal face with large confluent punctures.

Coxae, trochanters and femora with minute sparse punctures; tibiae and tarsi with minute dense punctures; metacoxa with weak inner carina throughout; tibiae without outer spines; claws simple, without inner denticle.

T1 with distinct dorsum and with dorso-lateral subbasal rounded tubercle; T2 abruptly convex, 1.25 times wider than long; S1 with straight median longitudinal carina with its outer margin weakly emarginate medially, forming distinct angle or rounded posteriorly; S2 with basomedial short inconspicuous longitudinal carina; T1 except posterior margin with small sparse punctures; T1 on posterior margin with minute dense punctures; T2 disc and S1–S2 with large sparse punctures; T2 around discal area with large dense punctures; T3–T7 and S3–S8 with small dense punctures except T3–T6 with median narrow elongate impunctate line and T7 with wide triangular median impunctate line. Paramere down-curved without inner protuberance; inner face of paramere dorsally with long appressed golden setae on basal half; parapenial lobe narrow, bending, apically pointed, with subapical small rounded lobe on outer margin; volsella without basal external lobe; cuspis slender, basally widened, apically nearly truncate in inner view, incurved in ventral view, with distinct ventral face; dorsal margin of cuspis with row of long, at most little shorter than cuspis length, erect golden setae on basal half and with few short erect golden setae on apical half; ventral face of cuspis with minute dense punctures and with dense long erect golden setae, apically and basally longer, at most 2/3 of cuspis length; inner face of cuspis baso-ventrally with few minute punctures and few long recumbent golden setae, at most 2/3 of cuspis length; digitus short fine, apically without setae; penis valve with apical pointed and subapical rounded lobes.

FEMALE (n = 1). Body length: 5.33 mm.

Color and setae. Head including clypeus black except gena between genal carinae and antennal tubercle reddish brown, dimly shining among punctures; frons and vertex with sparse short to long recumbent golden tinged black and sparser long black setae; eye dorsally edged with long erect black setae; gena with sparse short recumbent white setae; antennal scrobe with sparse short appressed white setae; clypeus with sparse long recumbent pale golden setae. Mandible brown except apical 1/3 black with sparse long erect pale golden setae. Prementum and stipes brown with sparse extremely short erect pale golden setae; palpi yellow with sparse extremely short erect pale golden setae. Antenna brownish black except F2–F10 ventrally reddish yellow; scape with sparse long recumbent pale golden setae; pedicel and F1 with sparse short recumbent pale golden setae; F2–F10 with dense extremely short recumbent pale golden setae.

Mesosoma entirely yellowish red; pronotal collar apically with sparse extremely short recumbent pale golden setae, basally glabrous; thoracic dorsum with sparse short recumbent black setae, anteriorly and laterally mixed with sparser long erect pale golden setae; dorsal propodeal face with sparse long erect white setae; propleuron with sparse long erect pale golden setae; lateral face of mesosoma with sparse short appressed white setae; mesopleuron also with sparser long erect white setae.

Legs yellowish red except extreme apex of femora, tibiae and tarsi reddish brown; tibial spurs yellowish white; coxae with sparse long recumbent pale golden setae; trochanters and femora with sparse long recumbent and sparser long erect pale golden setae; tibiae with sparse long recumbent pale golden setae; tarsi with dense long appressed pale golden setae.

Metasoma black except T1 on basal half and S1 yellowish red, S2 dark brown and pygidial area brown, with bluish metallic luster on T2; T1, T2 around discal area, T3 and S1–S6 with sparse long erect pale golden setae; T2 disc with dense short recumbent black setae;; T4–T5 with sparse long erect black setae; T6 with sparse long erect pale golden setae except pygidial area glabrous, without distinct thickened lateral pygidial fringe; S2–S6 with apical fringe of sparse long pale golden setae; T2 with apical narrow band of dense appressed pale golden setae, slightly triangularly widened medially; T2 with lateral golden felt line; T3 with wide uniform band of dense appressed pale golden setae.

Structure. In dorsal view, outline of head semicircular with anterior margin strongly protruding, 1.28 times wider than long; lateral margins strongly convergent behind eye; posterior margin truncate. In lateral view, outline of head rounded; gena wide with GOI = 0.76. Frons and vertex longitudinally puncto-striated by small confluent punctures, with intervals micro-punctate; frons without median groove or carina; gena with large confluent punctures; genal carina weakly developed, not forming hypostomal tooth on junction with hypostomal carina; antennal scrobe with distinct dorsal carina; eye oval, slightly protruding from head capsule; minimum distance between eyes 1.18 × eye height; eye height 2.00 × malar length. Clypeus with minute sparse punctures, with weak median longitudinal tubercle and transverse lamellate carina on anterior margin; anterior margin of apical lamellate carina truncate, without notch; apex of median tubercle slightly beyond apical margin of transverse carina. Mandible slender, apically pointed with two extremely weak subapical inner denticles; ventral margin not excised. Prementum without dome-like tubercle. Scape bending medially; F1 length 1.25 × its width and 1.50 × F2 length; F2–F9 almost same in length and width; F10 as long as F1, conical; surface of antenna with minute dense punctures.

Mesosoma broadest at pronotal spiracles and distinctly convergent posteriorly in dorsal view; ratio between head width:humeral width:pronotal width:mesonotal width:propodeal width:metasomal width = 100:75:95:81:80:118; dorsal thoracic length 1.00 × pronotal width; anterior margin of dorsum of pronotum weakly arcuate, with a pair of small pointed sublateral teeth; pronotum laterally weakly projecting, forming distinct angle at pronotal spiracle; lateral margin of mesosoma weakly crenulate; humeral angle angulate; humeral carina weakly developed, dorsally rounded; scutellar scale weakly elevated, very small, as long as wide and subequal to diameter of nearby punctures; transverse sulcus absent; postscutellar carina absent; pronotal collar with minute sparse punctures; thoracic dorsum with large confluent punctures; dorsal propodeal face puncto-reticulated by large confluent punctures, many transverse intervals obliterated leaving longitudinal carinae; lateral face of mesosoma with extremely minute dense punctures except ventral half of mesopleuron with large confluent punctures.

Coxae, trochanters, femora, tibiae and tarsi with minute sparse punctures; metacoxa with weak inner carina throughout; meso- and meta tibiae with a pair of longitudinal rows of few spines on outer face; protarsomeres 1–2 each with one short external spine apically; claws simple, without inner denticles.

T1 without distinct dorsum; T2 evenly convex, dorsal T2 length 1.14 × T2 width; S1 with low straight median longitudinal carina with its outer margin weakly emarginate medially; S2 with basomedial short inconspicuous longitudinal carina; T1 on basal half and S1 with minute sparse punctures; T1 on apical half and S2 with small sparse punctures; T2 disc with small confluent punctures; T2 around discal area with small dense punctures; T3–T6 except pygidial area and S3–S6 with minute dense punctures; pygidial area convex, elongate, weakly convergent basally; lateral margins of pygidial area very weakly carinate on apical half; surface of pygidial area unsculptured and polished.

Type material. Holotype: Japan: [Amami Islands] ♂ ( Figs 32 A–B, 34A–B, 35C, 36A–C, 37A, 38A–B), Amami-chûô Forest Road [RXƤ央đû], Naze [×ã], Amami-ôshima Island, 250–300 m alt., 28°20′–22′N 129°26′–29′E, 10–12.VII.2014, So Shimizu leg. [ NIAES] . Paratype: 1♂ 1♀. Japan : 1♂ 1♀: [Amami Islands] 1♂, Ongachi [ ḄṞ], Yamato-son [KƝIJ], Amami-ôshima Island , 1.VII.2000, Hirohisa Suda leg. [ HSC] ; 1♀ ( Figs 33 A–B, 39A–B, 40A–C, 41A, 42A, 43A), Gamôzaki-kankô-kôen park [αṂĦẊẔƃ], Yani [OEḶ], Kasari [= Ḩ], Amami-ôshima Island , 28°29′N 129°38′E, 25–26.V.2016, Hiraku Yoshitake leg. [ EUM] .

Distribution. Japan: Amami Islands (Amami-ôshima Island).

Occurrence in Japan. May–July.

Biology. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific name yoshitakei is dedicated to a Japanese coleopterist Hiraku Yoshitake (NIAES) who collected the female paratype during his field survey in Amami-ôshima Island. Now he is working hard at Ky- ushu Okinawa Agricultural Research Center in Okinawa-jima Island. Hopefully, he will collect even more interesting materials in his Okinawa years.

Comparison. The male of this new species belongs to the naja group and is similar to that of E. brevitegula sp. nov., E. naja and E. suginoi sp. nov. in having the median ocellus with a short posterior longitudinal carina, the flagellum entirely black, the mesosoma more or less yellowish red, the metasoma with bluish metallic luster, the parapenial lobe with small outer lobe and the volsellar cuspis with distinct ventral face, but differs in the mesosoma entirely yellowish red (at least ventral half of mesopleuron, metapleuron and propodeum black in others), the parapsidal line short (long in others), the tegula posteriorly projecting (postero-laterally projecting in E. naja ; rounded in E. brevitegula and E. suginoi ), the mesopleuron beneath without a precoxal impunctate line (present in others), the lateral margins of the propodeum weakly convergent posteriorly (abruptly convergent posteriorly in others), the T2–T3 with sparse apical fringe of pale setae (dense in E. naja ) and the cuspis slender (wider in others).

The female of this new species is similar to that of E. thalia , E. suginoi and E. brevitegula in having the head black, the gena with large confluent punctures, the mandible with two inner denticles, the lateral margins of the mesosoma convergent posteriorly, the dorsum of the pronotum with an anterior tooth and the T2 with bluish metallic luster and without pale spot of setae, but differs in the frons and vertex longitudinally puncto-striate (simply punctate in others) with its intervals micro-punctate (smooth in others), the dorsal pronotal tooth weak but pointed (weak rounded in E. thalia ; strong pointed in E. brevitegula ), the humeral carina weakly projecting (lamellately projecting in others) and the scutellar scale as long as wide (twice wider than long in others). The following specimens of E. thalia were also examined for comparison: holotype, ♀ ( Figs 33 G–H, 39G–H, 40J–L, 41D, 42D, 43D), Dalin, Taiwan, 7.VIII.1911, Hans Sauter leg., E. Zavattari det. 1913 as Promecilla calliope (Smith) [SDEI (DEI-GISHym 16736)]; 1♀, Hengchun, 25.IV–25.V.1918, J. Sonan, K. Miyake & M. Yoshino leg., T. Shiraki det. as Promecilla calliope Smith, B. Petersen det. 1988 as Smicromyrme cyaneiventris naja Zavattari [TARI]; 1♀, Kueitzuchiao, Hengchun, 12.X.1926, J. Sonan leg., B. Petersen det. 1988 as Smicromyrme cyaneiventris naja Zavattari [TARI]; 1♀, same place, 1–4.III.1956, K. S. Lin leg. [TARI]; 1♀, Mt. Tangmadan-shan, Lieng, Taichung, Taiwan, 24°09′N 120°57′E, 28.X.2017, K. Yoshida leg., fogging to a hollow of a pine tree at night [EUM];; 1♀, Kueitzuchiao, Heng- chun, 27.III, J. Yoshioka collection [NSMT].

Remarks. The male of this new species was recorded from Amami-ôshima Island as a color variant of E. naja by Terayama et al. (2011). There is no direct evidence to support the sex association of this species.

Figures

FIGURE 32. Ephucilla spp., ♂, habitus. A–B. Holotype, E. yoshitakei sp. nov.; C–D. holotype, E. suginoi sp. nov.; E–F. holotype, E. brevitegula sp. nov.; G–H. paralectotype, E. naja (Zavattari); A, C, E, G. dorsal view; B, D, F, H. lateral view.

FIGURE 33. Ephucilla spp., ♀, habitus. A–B. Paratype, E. yoshitakei sp. nov.; C–D. paratype, E. suginoi sp. nov.; E–F. paratype, E. brevitegula sp. nov.; G–H. holotype, E. thalia (Mickel); A, C, E, G. dorsal view; B, D, F, H. lateral view.