Dasylabris egregia ( Klug, 1835 )

Parejo-Pulido, Daniel & Romano, Marcello, 2024, Notes on Iberian Mutillidae (Hymenoptera) part I: a new species, new records and some taxonomic and faunistic remarks, Zootaxa 5477 (5), pp. 501-536 : 506-509

Dasylabris egregia ( Klug, 1835)

( Fig. 1 )

Mutilla egregia Klug, 1835: 93 , ♂; Sichel & Radoszkowski 1870: 276.

Mutilla maura var. atriventris André, 1902: 404 , ♂. Syn. nov.

Mutilla maura var. calonota André, 1902: 389 , ♂ syn. Giner Marí 1944: 110.

Dasylabris egregia : García Mercet 1903c; Junco-Reyes 1941: 185; Giner Marí 1944: 108–110; Suárez 1962: 148,151; Lelej 2002: 92; Baldock et al. 2020a: 23; Pagliano et al. 2020: 118; Matias 2022; Parejo-Pulido et al. 2023: 5.

Dasylabris maura var. atriventris : García Mercet 1903c: 323.

Dasylabris maura var. calonota : García Mercet 1903c: 324; Junco-Reyes 1941: 185.

Dasylabris egregia var. atriventris : Giner Marí 1944: 109; Suárez 1962: 148,150–151; Matias 2022: 5.

Dasylabris egregia f. atriventris: Suárez 1962: 148,150–151.

Dasylabris egregia atriventris : Lelej 2002: 92; Pagliano et al. 2020: 118.

Diagnosis. Male ( Fig. 1 ). Robust and large species with entirely black body ( Fig. 1A, E ) except for the apical part of mandibles, which are dark red, and tibiae and tarsi, which can be brownish. Mandibles apically widened, tridentate at the apex and with an external tooth beneath. Clypeus flat, densely punctate (giving it a rough appearance) and with two distinct tubercles on its anterior border ( Fig. 1C, G ). Rounded head, narrower than mesosoma (head width/mesosoma width just above tegulae = 0.7–0.8, N = 3; Fig. 1A, E ). Small-sized ocelli; POL/OOL = 0.8–1.0; OL:MOD:LOD = 1.0:0.5–0.6:0.4–0.5, N = 3. Tegulae small and densely punctate. Wings darkened ( Fig. 1A, E ). Pronotum covered by dense white-silvery pubescence; rounded antero-lateral angles. Propodeum gently truncated. T1 short, petiolate, much narrower than T2 ( Fig. 1A, E ). S1 with longitudinal carina. S2 with three basal, short carinae, the central one more evident than the other two. Felt lines on lateral sides of T2. T2 1.1 (N = 3) times wider than long, densely punctate. Apical band of orange pubescence on T2. T3–6 completely covered by pubescence of the same colour ( Fig. 1A–B ). Metasoma pubescence covering T2–6 can be entirely black without orange pubescence ( Fig. 1E–F ). Genitalia is shown in Fig. 1D, H . Body length: 13.6–18.0 mm. (N = 8).

Female. Similar to males, females are large and robust, with black body except for red mandibles (except the apical part), antennal tubercles, antennae (darkening towards apex) and legs. The mesosoma is very distinctive, with the anterior half black and the posterior half red, covered with white-silvery pilosity, in addition with two spots of white-silvery pubescence located on both sides of the medial part of the mesosoma. Mandibles acuminate. Clypeus projected forward, with abundant black setae on the anterior border and with a low medial carina. Vertex covered extensively by dense white pubescence. Mesosoma about 1.2 times longer than wide (N = 4), with a small, narrow and protruding black scutellar scale; pronotum with two acute teeth located on both corners; propodeum with a smooth slope. T1 short, petiolate, much narrower than T2 and covered by white-silvery pubescence. T2 approximately as wide as long (T2 width/length range = 1.0–1.1, N = 4); the anterior part of T2 with a spot of white-silvery pubescence in the middle; other two rectangular spots of white-silvery pubescence positioned transversely on both sides of the posterior part of T2, with a concave upper margin. Felt lines long and black, located on lateral sides of T2. As the males, S1 with a longitudinal carina and S2 with three basal, short carinae, the central one more evident than the other two. Medial spots of white-silvery pubescence on T4–5. Pygidial area wide and rounded, with longitudinal parallel striae (see Matias 2022 for an image of it). Body length: 13.0–17.0 mm. (N = 11). For images of the female sex see Matias (2022) and Parejo-Pulido et al. (2023).

For a more detailed description of both sexes see Giner Marí (1944).

Material examined. PORTUGAL. 1♀, Carvalhal, Grândola , Setúbal / 22.7.2016 / J. Halada leg. / [ MR] SPAIN. 1♂, Ruidera, Ciudad Real / C. Bolívar leg. / J. Suárez det. 1959 [ MNCN _Ent 308442]; 1♂, Ruidera , Ciudad Real / C. Bolívar leg. / J. Suárez det. 1962 / Colección J. Suárez [ MNCN _Ent 308458]; 1♂, Torrevieja , Alicante / Escalera leg. / as Mutilla maura var. atriventris E. André det. [ MNCN _Ent 308441]; 1♀, Madrid / García Mercet leg. [ MNCN _Ent 308446]; 1♀, Almería / Colección Giner Marí [ MNCN _Ent 308445]; 1♀, Cartagena , Murcia / S. Gómez / E. André det. [ MNCN _Ent 308448]; 1♂, Montarco , Madrid / 30-7-1903 / Dusmet leg. / García Mercet det. [ MNCN _Ent 308443]; 1♀, Montarco, Madrid / 14-8-1903 / García Mercet leg. / as Dasylabris maura L. v. calonota And. [ MNCN _Ent 308450]; 1♀, Montarco, Madrid / 19.VII.1906 / as Dasylabris maura L. v. calonota And. [ MNCN _Ent 308447]; 1♀, Mazarrón, Murcia / 7-VII-1906 / as Dasylabris maura L. v. calonota And. / Colección Dusmet [ MNCN _Ent 308449]; 1♂, Orihuela, Alicante / 27-VI-1935 / García Mercet leg. / as Dasylabris maura F. var. atriventris Andr. [ MNCN _Ent 308440]; 1♂, Campoamor, Alicante / 27-VI-1935 / Andréu leg. / as Dasylabris egregia var. atriventris J. Suárez det. 1959 [ MNCN _Ent 308439]; 1♀, Puerto de Mazarrón , Murcia / VIII-50 / Andreu leg. / J. Suárez det. 1959 [ MNCN _Ent 308444]; 5♂, Gérgal, Almería / 19-VI-1951 and 23-VI-1951 / J. Suárez leg. / as Dasylabris egregia var. atriventris J. Suárez det. 1951 / Colección J. Suárez [ MNCN _Ent 308453-57]; 1♀, Gérgal, Almería / 5.VII.1953 / Moreno leg. [ MNCN _Ent 308451]; 1♂, Punta Sabinal, Almería / 24-V-1965 / J. Suárez leg. / as Dasylabris egregia var. atriventris J. Suárez det. / Colección J. Suárez [ MNCN _Ent 308452]; 3♀, Playa de Bolonia , Cádiz / 23-VIII-1993 and 6-IX-1993 / J. Ramírez leg. [ MNCN _Ent 367092-93, 205496]; 1♂, Almería / 3.6.2004 / Fr. Houska leg. / as Dasylabris egregia atriventris / [ MR]; 1♀, Almerimar, El Ejido, Almería / 07-07-2004 / J. P. Valcárcel leg. / [ DPP]; 1♂, Lastras de Cuéllar , Segovia / 30-VI-2007 / F. Fresno leg. / ex. Colección F. Fresno [ MNCN _Ent 339252]; 1♀, Hontalbilla, Segovia / 24-VI-2009 / F. Fresno leg. / ex. Colección F. Fresno [ MNCN _Ent 339253]; 1♀, Playa de Bolonia , Tarifa, Cádiz / 7-VII-2019 / A. Pérez-Gómez leg. / [ DPP]. Other material: SPAIN. 1♂, Mijas, Málaga / 15-08-2005 / J. M. Moreno-Benítez Obs.; 1♀, El Rocío, Huelva / 30-07-2022 / [dawn arts] Obs. / iNaturalist; 1♂, Cádiz / 17-05-2023 / [a1virginia] Obs. / iNaturalist; 1♀, Marchenilla, Jimena de la Frontera, Cádiz / 11-06-2023 / [elena_ares] Obs. / iNaturalist; 1♀, Cádiz / 17-05-2023 / [a1virginia] Obs. / iNaturalist; 1♀, Huerta Arriba, Alozaina, Málaga / 15-07-2023 / [palangana] Obs. / iNaturalist.

Distribution. Portugal, Spain ( Pagliano et al. 2020; Matias 2022; this study).

Iberian distribution. Alicante,Almería, Badajoz, Beja, Cádiz, Ciudad Real, Granada, Huelva, Madrid, Málaga, Murcia, Segovia, Setúbal ( Klug 1835; André 1899–1902; García Mercet 1903c; Junco-Reyes 1941; Giner Marí 1944; Suárez 1952; Baldock et al. 2020a; Matias 2022; Parejo-Pulido et al. 2023; this study).

Remarks. The practice of describing colour varieties within mutillid species was common until the end of the 20th century, leading to significant confusion today. These varieties are not taxonomically valid, as they represent only part of intraspecific variability within a species. In the case of mutillids, colour variability appears to be extensive (see Parejo-Pulido et al. 2023). While many of these colour varieties have been upgraded to valid species other than the typical form, others have been synonymised (e.g. Petersen 1988). The issue of varieties became even more confusing after Lelej (2002) and Pagliano et al. (2020), as all remaining unverified ones published before 1961 (including many Iberian ones) were designated as subspecies according to the ICZN, art.45.6.4. Therefore, it is important to individually assess each variety to determine its correct taxonomic status.

One such case is D. egregia atriventris ( Fig. 1E–F ), described as a male colour variety of D. egregia ( Fig. 1A–B ) due to its difference in having metasoma entirely black instead of covered by orange pubescence. While males of D. egregia have been found in Cádiz, Ciudad Real, Granada, Madrid, Málaga and Segovia ( García Mercet 1903c; Giner Marí 1944; Matias 2022; Parejo-Pulido et al. 2023; this study), males of D. egregia atriventris seem to be restricted to Alicante and Almería (André 1899–1902; Giner Marí 1944; Suárez 1962; Matias 2022; this study). Despite the geographical separation of the two males forms, females from both areas do not show any significant distinctions. After an exhaustive review and comparison of available males in the MNCN belonging to both forms, we could not find any considerable differences in their appearance ( Fig. 1A–B, E–F ), dimensions, the structure of clypeus ( Fig. 1C, G ), punctuation or genitalia ( Fig. 1D, H ). The only distinction lies in the pubescence covering T2–6, which is black instead of orange in D. egregia atriventris ( Fig. 1E ). However, colour patterns have been found to be variable within mutillid species. Indeed, García Mercet (1903c) stated that in the specimen from Torrevieja (Alicante), some golden pubescence remains on T5–6. Based on this evidence and considering there are no other morphological differences, we propose D. egregia atriventris as a junior synonym of D. egregia .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dasylabris egregia (Klug), males. A–D Spain, Ruidera, Ciudad Real [MNCN_Ent 308458]. E–G Spain, Gérgal, Almería [MNCN_Ent 308454]. H Spain, Gérgal, Almería. A, E habitus, dorsal view; B, F habitus, lateral view; C, G head, frontal view; D, H genitalia.