Darditilla araxa ( Cresson, 1902 )

Lopez, Vinicius M., Guillermo-Ferreira, Rhainer, Trad, Bhrenno M. & Silvestre, Rogerio, 2018, Description of the male of Darditilla araxa (Cresson, 1902) (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae) with geographical distribution, biological notes and key to males of Brazil, Zootaxa 4532 (1), pp. 104-112 : 105-107

Darditilla araxa ( Cresson, 1902)

Mutilla araxa Cresson, 1902 , Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 28:34, female.

Darditilla araxa: Nonveiller, 1990 ; 28.

Diagnosis. Male. ( Figs. 1–10 ). Males of D. araxa can be recognized by the slightly triangular clypeus, with the ventral margin slightly oblique with protruded lamella ( Fig. 4 ) and tegula convex and obovoid in dorsal view ( Fig. 1 ). Penis valve similar to D. amabilis , but in D. araxa the preapical process is more acute and the apical tooth is shorter in relation to the process ( Fig 8 ).

Female. ( Figs. 11–15 ). Body length 9.8 mm. Mesosoma with a pair of silvery or yellow pubescent longitudinal stripes along the entire length of its lateral margins ( Fig. 11 ). Metasoma with two yellow/reddish spots, segments 2- 5 have lateral and medial patches of dense silvery setae that together appear to form uninterrupted stripes of silvery setae ( Fig. 12, 14 ).

Material examined. 1³, 1♀ in copula, Brazil: Mato Grosso do Sul, Jardim, Rio da Prata , 27-31/X/2014, Trad, B.M. et. al. col. (MuBIO) ; 1♀, Brazil: Mato Grosso do Sul, Itahum , 31/X/2014, Lopez, V.M. col. (MuBIO) ; 1♀, Brazil: Mato Grosso do Sul, Três Lagoas, ( MZSP) ; 1♀, Brazil: Mato Grosso, Barra do Tapirapé , 28/XII/1962, Malkin, B. col. ( CASC) ; 1♀, same locality, ( MZSP) ; 2♀, Brazil: Mato Grosso, Chapada dos Parecis , 1-15/XII/2001, Foucart, A. col. ( EMUS) ; 1♀, same locality, 1-15/XII/2000, same col. ( EMUS) ; 1♀, Brazil: Mato Grosso, Diaman- tino, Alto Rio Arinos , X/1983, Silva, B. col. ( MNRJ) ; 1♀, Brazil: Mato Grosso, Barra dos Bugres , XI/1983, Roppa col. ( MNRJ) ; 1♀, Brazil: Mato Grosso, Chapada dos Guimarães, Fazenda Buriti , 16/XI/1982, Zanute, M. & Overal, W. col. ( MPEG) ; 1♀, Brazil: Mato Grosso, Utiariti ( MZSP) ; 1♀, Brazil: Mato Grosso, Rosario Oeste, ( MZSP) ; 4♀, Brazil: São Paulo, Luís Antônio, Estação Ecológica de Jatai , 10/X/1999, Melo, G.A.R. col. ( DZUP) ; 1♀, Brazil: São Paulo, Itirapira , 16/XII/1992, Azevedo, C.O. col. ( UFES) ; 1♀, Brazil: Rondônia, Vilhena , 27/XII/1986, Elias, C. col. ( DZUP) ; 1♀, Brazil: Minas Gerais, Uberlândia , CCPI-Cerrado, 23/X/2004, Augosto, S.C. col. ( DZUP) ; 2♀, Brazil: Maranhão, Mirador, Parq. Mirador, Volta do Rio , 9/XII/2009, Borges, R.C. col. ( DZUP) ; 2♀, Brazil: Mara- nhão, Rt. 316, 30 km W of Caxias, 24/I/2001, Pitts, J.P. col. ( EMUS) ; 1♀, Brazil: Maranhão, Carolina , 20/V/1956, Alvarenga, M. col. ( MNRJ) ; 2♀, Brazil: Goiás, Campinas , XII/1936, Borgmeier & Lopes, col. ( MNRJ) ; 2♀, Brazil: Goiás, Jataí, Faz. Aceiro, Exp. Dep. Zool. , X/1962, Silva, Becker & Roppa, col. ( MNRJ) ; 1♀, Paraguay: Cororo, Rio Ypane , XI/1979, Fritz, M.A. col. ( CASC) ; 1♀, Paraguay: Caaguazu, XII/1979, same col. ( CASC) ; 10♀, Pa- raguay: San Pedro, Rio Ypane , Cororo, Fritz, col. ( EMUS) ; 1♀, Paraguay: Concepcion, Cororo , 25/II-1/III/1997, Garcete, B. col. ( EMUS) .

Description. Male. Body length 10.14 mm. Coloration. Body and appendages black, except tarsal segments brown apically, mandible and palps brown. Tibial spurs translucid white. Strigilis brown. Forewing and hindwing membrane infuscated at tip, wing cells less infuscated with less setae then wing tip, venation brown. Body covered with whitish setae, mesoscutum black with black setae, T6 and T7 with thick dark brown setae, bristles of tergal fringes white in T1–4 and dark brown in T5–7. Head. Head (except appendices) densely covered with white setae except for ventral anterior region with scattered bristles. Posterior margin transverse in dorsal view ( Fig. 3 ). Ocellocular distance 7.1 × length of lateral ocellus. Occipital carina obscure. Front and gena densely micropunctate and vertex moderately punctate, when comparing to pronotum. Gena ecarinate. Antennal scrobe broadly concave to eye margin, with transverse tubercle dorsally. Clypeus densely punctate, ventral margin with protruded lamella, slightly oblique ( Fig. 4 ). Mandibles with bidentate apex, dorsal carina gradually becoming obsolete towards apical part; edentate ventrally. Mesosoma . Epaulets smoothly rounded in dorsal view. Pronotum punctate and densely covered with white setae; smooth anteriorly; lateral surface punctate. Tegula convex and obovoid in dorsal view, glabrous except for long recumbent setae anterolaterally and posteromedially ( Fig. 1–2 ). Mesoscutum densely covered with black setae and with deep punctures when comparing to punctures in pronotum; lateral margins forming irregular pattern of reentrances undulated in lateral view; posterolateral margin forming a small angulate lobe in dorsal view. Scutellum densely covered with white setae, slightly convex dorsally, with punctures. Axilla flat and punctate, covered with white setae. Metanotum surface covered with white setae. Propodeum convex, Areolate-Rugose, with fine and sparse white setae, except smooth and shining in region adjacent to metapleuron. Lateral face of propodeum punctate, with fine minute white setae. Mesopleuron densely covered with white setae. Metapleuron mostly smooth and shiny, except for small ventral portion near metacoxa, the posterior margin and small patch on dorsal surface with fine white setae ( Fig. 2 ). Wings. Forewing with elongate sclerotized pterostigma; marginal cell rounded and slightly expanded after pterostigma in dorsal view, rounded apically; three submarginal cells. Legs. Mid- and hind tibiae lacking strong spines, and with finely serrate spurs apically. Metasoma. T1 gradually broadened from base, not constricted apically, sessile with T2, 0.6 × width of T2, punctate; apex with fringe of thickened white bristles. T2 punctuated and sparsely covered with setae; apex with thick fringes, parallel and recumbent; felt line 0.5 × lateral length of T2. T3–7 finely pointed, with erect bristles interspersed with short bristles, except fringes with rows of bristles as in T2 ( Fig. 5 ). T7 posterior half with oval pygidium margined laterally and posteriorly by strong sharp carina, apical margin rounded and up-curved, granulate with numerous large irregular transverse rugae ( Fig 6 ). In S1, punctation and setae scattered, with medial longitudinal carina extending from base to apex. S2 moderately punctate with white setae. S3–6 moderately and finely punctate, with fairly sparse erect and recumbent setae. Hypopygium transversely rectangular and coarsely punctate, posterior margin with a medial process with a small apical tooth and two lateral processes. Genitalia ( Figs. 7–10 ) Paramere rounded and with long setae apically, in lateral view upcurved apically and curved medially, scattered smaller setae along inner and lateral margins. Cuspis short and pad-like, extending ~0.4 × free length of paramere, densely setose. Digitus truncate with convex process apically, ~0.2 × free length of paramere, asetose. Penis valve asetose, with apical tooth and preapical process, with basal prolongation and slight medial expansion on basoventral margin.

Distribution: D. araxa occurs in Brazil (S„o Paulo, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás, Maranh„o, Rondônia, Minas Gerais) and Paraguay ( Fig. 16 ).

Host: Unknown.

Biological notes. One female from Itahum, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil (21°59’S 55°19’W) was observed entering a nest of the crabronid Bicyrtes variegatus (Oliver) . The nest was excavated, but no oviposition was observed. Another female was seen digging a sandy patch, with its head down and antennating the upturned sand, but apparently it gave up searching for the host on the sand and walked towards the savannah where it was lost. Most females were observed from 8:00h to 11:00h and from 15:00h to 18:00h (hourly observations, unpublished data). An observable increase in female density occurs after males arrive at the sand patch where females commonly forage. Males were seen flying around the patch and approaching females to mate, which often escaped from male mating attempts. We observed mites on several body parts, and on other mutillids collected at the same site (both males and females).

Etymology. The etymology of the species name is not mentioned by Cresson (1902). However, Araxa is a Tupi-Guarani word (indigenous languages) which means “a place where you can see the world or vast horizons; highlands; plateau”, from the root “ara” (world) and “eca” (to see) (Chiradia 2018). Cresson mentions D. araxa was collected in Chapada, Mato Grosso State in Brazil, which is a plateau. Probably, Cresson referred to this region by using the indigenous language of the people inhabiting the site at that time. Additionally, Araxá is also a small town in Minas Gerais State in Brazil and, since “a few Mutill a from Minas Geraes were given to [Cresson] by [a] friend Sr. Carvalho...” ( Cresson, 1902), there could be a possible relationship with this town, although Cresson recorded this species from Chapada and Corumba only.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Map of South America, with emphasis on the biogeographical provinces where Darditilla araxa occurs.

FIGURES 1–6. Darditilla araxa, male: 1. Habitus, dorsal view; 2. Habitus, lateral view; 3. Head, dorsal view; 4. Head, anterior view; 5. Metasoma, dorsal view; 6. Pygidium, T5 and T6 in dorsal view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURES 7–10. Darditilla araxa, male genitalia: 7. Dorsal view; 8. Penis valve, lateral view; 9. Ventral view; 10. Lateral view with penis valve removed.

FIGURES 11–15. Darditilla araxa, female: 11. Habitus, dorsal view; 12. Habitus, lateral view; 13. Head, frontal view; 14. Metasoma, dorsal view; 15. Pygidium and T5, posterodorsal view. Scale bars: 1 mm.