Traumatomutilla aemulata ( Cresson, 1902 )

Bartholomay, Pedro R., Williams, Kevin A., Cambra, Roberto A. & Oliveira, Marcio L., 2022, Revision of the Traumatomutilla indica species-group (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Zootaxa 5108 (1), pp. 1-97 : 12-16

Traumatomutilla aemulata ( Cresson, 1902)

( Figs 1A–C , 2A–G )

Mutilla aemulata Cresson, 1902: 50 , lectotype [designated by ( Cresson, 1916)], ♀, Brazil, [Mato Grosso], Chapada [dos Gui-

marães] (CMNH), examined. Mutilla caneta Cresson, 1902: 73 , lectotype [designated by ( Cresson, 1916)], ♂, Brazil, [Mato Grosso], Chapada [dos Guima-

rães] (CMNH), examined, syn. nov. Ephuta (Traumatomutilla) aemulata: André, 1902: 54 . Ephuta (Traumatomutilla) caneta: André, 1902: 56 . Traumatomutilla aemulata: André, 1904: 40 . Traumatomutilla caneta: André, 1904: 40 .

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Scutellar scale and anterolateral carinae greatly reduced; dorsal face of propodeum as long as posterior face, lateral face of propodeum evenly sculptured throughout, mesonotum as wide as distance between pronotal spiracles, longitudinal setae lines of mesosoma silvery-golden anterad. MALE. Cuspis club-like broad and laterally compressed, mesopleuron distinctly tuberculate, scutellum roundly convex, T2 with anterolateral stripes of silvery-white setae.

Description. FEMALE. Body length 20 mm. Head. Posterior margin virtually straight. Occipital carina evenly arched and equally wide throughout. Vertex width 0.7 × pronotal width. Eye almost circular, its length in frontal view virtually equal to the distance from its ventral margin to mandibular condyle. Head sculpture mostly concealed by dense setation, densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate to punctate where visible. Genal carina present, well-defined. Mandible oblique, tapering slightly towards with small subapical tooth. Dorsal scrobal carina present, extending over antennal tubercles and connecting with well-defined lateral scrobal carina. Antennal tubercle coarsely and irregularly rugose. Flagellomere 1 2.75 × pedicel length; flagellomere 2 1.75 × pedicel length. Mesosoma . Dorsal thoracic length 0.9 × mesosomal width. Mesosomal dorsum densely and coarsely areolate-punctate with conspicuous medial longitudinal carinae extending from anterior margin of mesonotum to scutellar area; areolations on mesonotum gradually less defined to completely absent mediad; scutellar area simply and densely punctate; sculpture of dorsal face of propodeum areolate-punctate throughout with well-defined medial longitudinal carina. Anterior face of pronotum defined, long, as long as pronotal collar, indistinctly and coarsely striated longitudinally at base and dense coarse punctures with interspersed micropunctures elsewhere; dorsal face roundly angulate into anterior face in lateral view. Humeral carina well-defined, broadly separated from low rounded epaulet, anterolateral corners of pronotum subrounded in dorsal view. Pronotal spiracle virtually flat against lateral margin of pronotum, rounded. Lateral face of pronotum densely punctate with dense interspersed micropunctures; with indistinct blunt tubercle on ventral margin anterior to pronotal spiracle; mesopleuron sculpture mostly concealed by dense setation, micropunctate anteriorly and densely foveolate-punctate along mesopleural ridge where visible; metapleuron sculpture partially concealed by dense setation, dorsal third completely asetose, smooth. Lateral face of propodeum densely foveolate-punctate to areolate-punctate throughout. Ratios of width of humeral angles, pronotal spiracles, widest point of mesonotum, narrowest point of mesonotum and propodeum posterior to propodeal spiracles, 71:90:90:62:65. Lateral margin of mesonotum conspicuously constricted anterior to propodeal spiracle, strongly diverging anteriad, mesonotum with expanded lateral margins. Propodeal spiracle projected from lateral margin of mesosoma; post-spiracular area absent. Scutellar scale and anterolateral carinae virtually absent, reduced to transverse irregular intervals delineating scutellar area which is densely and finely punctate; scabrous intervals absent on scutellar area. Propodeum gibbose, dorsal face virtually as long as and rounded into posterior face. Metasoma. Ratios of width of T1, width of T2 and length of T2, 63:70:73. Disc of T2 densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate to punctate with dense interspersed micropunctures; foveolations sparser and micropunctures absent laterally and over integumental spots. T3–5 sculpture predominantly concealed by dense setation, densely and coarsely foveolatepunctate to simply punctate with interspersed micropunctures where visible; T6, except pygidial plate, densely and coarsely punctate. S1 densely, coarsely and confusedly foveolate-punctate, surface cuneiform, ending in sub-sharp longitudinal medial carina terminating in sharp tooth posteriorly. S2 densely foveolate-punctate, with conspicuous unsculptured medial longitudinal area; anteromedial crest-fold indistinct. S3–6 sculpture mostly concealed by dense setation, densely and finely foveolate-punctate with sparse micropunctures where visible. Pygidial plate broadly subpyriform, defined by lateral carinae at apical third of plate; surface mostly irregularly longitudinally rugose; interstice apparently granulose.

MALE. Body length 17 mm. Head. Transversely subrectangular with posterolateral angles rounded in dorsal view. Width virtually equal to pronotal width. Eye almost circular. Ocelli small; OOD 4.0 × DLO, IOD 1.35 × DLO. Occipital carina distinct. Head surface densely and finely punctate with sparse interspersed micropunctate, less densely so around ocelli. Gena ecarinate. Antennal scrobe concave to eye margin, with well-defined transverse dorsal scrobal carina. Clypeus concave laterally immediately below antennal insertion, conspicuously convex medially; densely and coarsely punctate; apical/ventral margin with a pair of medial subrounded free teeth. Scape bicarinate. Flagellomere 1 3.1 × pedicel length; flagellomere 2 4.6 × pedicel length. Mandible obliquely tridentate apically, inner tooth larger than medial tooth; lacking dorsal or ventral projections. Mesosoma . Epaulets well-defined, virtually flat against anterior margin of pronotum, broadly separated from short humeral carina, anterolateral angles of pronotum rounded. Anterior face of pronotum sparsely punctate with interspersed micropunctations laterally, and conspicuous smooth unsculptured area basomedially. Tegula convex, mostly glabrous and impunctate except for dense coarse punctures on along inner and anterior margins. Mesoscutum densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate, notaulus and parapsis present, reduced to posterior half of mesoscutum. Scutellum convex, densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate; with longitudinal broad carina medially. Axilla produced posterolaterally as short acute projection, with conspicuous flat coarsely and densely foveolate-punctate dorsal surface. Metanotum slightly widened laterally, its surface obscured by dense setation. Propodeal dorsum convex, densely areolate, sculpture of lateral face gradually less defined to indistinct anterad; anterior margin of lateral propodeal face mostly smooth, unsculptured; dorsal face rounded into and poorly distinguished from posterior face. Lateral face of pronotum sparsely punctate with dense interspersed micropunctures; mesopleuron with conspicuous blunt tubercle on dorsal half; mesopleural sculpture densely and coarsely areolate-punctate to foveolate-punctate with interspersed micropunctures along anterior margin. Metapleuron sparsely micropunctate to smooth throughout, except for indistinct areolations ventrally. Wings. Forewing with elongate sclerotized pterostigma; marginal cell elongated, truncate apically; three submarginal cells. Legs. Simply setose, no strong spines discernible dorsally; spurs finely serrate on margins. Metasoma. T1 0. 5 × as wide as T2. T2 length virtually equal to width. Dorsal metasomal sculpture partially concealed by dense setation, densely and coarsely punctate with interspersed micropunctures where visible; pygidial plate irregularly, transversely and indistinctly rugose, broader than long, weakly defined by parallel carinae apicolaterally, interstice apparently granulose. S1 longitudinally elevated medially, terminating in slightly concave longitudinal carina. S2 coarsely and sparsely foveolate-punctate to punctate, with interspersed micropunctations laterally; micropunctures absent on anterior third and medially; S2 with conspicuous medial subovate pit densely filled with setae; longitudinal anteromedial crest-fold present. S3–6 sparsely and coarsely foveolate-punctate with sparse interspersed micropunctures; S7 densely foveolate-punctate with well-defined medial longitudinal unsculptured area; longer than broad, well-defined by lateral carinae throughout, posterior margin projected medially, terminating in a pair of very small subacute closely spaced tooth-like structures on posterior margin. Genitalia. Parapenial lobe not at all pronounced apically, subacute. Ratios of free length of paramere, cuspis and digitus, 98:73:22; paramere marginally sinuous in dorsal view, upcurved apically in lateral view; with sparse setae ventrally at basal half; cuspis broad, long, club-like, laterally compressed at apical half, slightly wider apicad in dorsal view and conspicuously wider apicad in lateral view, outer surface somewhat concave; with strong setae on ventral, outer and dorsal margins at apical half; paracuspis well-developed, not sessile, lobe-like, virtually as wide as long with rounded apical margin and densely setose along posteroapical margin in lateral view; setae predominantly longer than or as long as paracuspis; digitus short, slightly curved inward in dorsal view and upcurved in lateral view, sparsely setose basodorsally, apex somewhat expanded, knob-like in lateral view; penis valve with inner surface strongly concave, and well-defined pair of short teeth posteroventrally; posterior tooth acute, subposterior tooth subacute, with externolateral pocket; apical distance between teeth 0.15 × length of valve; dense setae present along truncate posterior margin; inconspicuous setae present at base of subposterior tooth on external surface.

Coloration and variations. FEMALES. Body and appendages predominantly black to brownish-black, except most flagellomeres and mandibles partially reddish-black to reddish-brown; T2 with four linear yellow integumental spots; anterior pair longitudinal; posterior pair transverse, narrowly separated and slightly curved anterad medially. Tibial spurs brownish-yellow. Body setae predominantly silvery-white to silvery-golden varying in density, except the following areas with black to brownish-black setae varying in density: front, dorsal half of gena, posterior half of vertex, dorsum and most of lateral face of pronotum, mesonotum medially, scutellar area, dorsum of propodeum medially, mesopleuron anteriorly, dorsal third of mesopleuron posteriorly, lateral face of propodeum, T1 medially, most of disc of T2, fringes of T2–4 sublaterally, fringe of T5–6 laterally, fringe of S4, S5–6, and tarsi ventrally. MALES. Integument black to brownish-black. Body setae predominantly black varying in density, except following areas with silvery-white setae varying in density: middle of metanotum, propodeal dorsum, hind legs partially, T1, T2 anterolaterally, fringe of T2–3 laterally, S1–3, and fringes of S2–3. Wings dark-brown, conspicuously hyalinebrown at basal third.

Distribution. Brazil.

Material examined. (5♀, 1♂) Type material. Lectotype of Mutilla aemulata , ♀, Brazil, [Mato Grosso], Cha- pada [dos Guimarães] ( CMNH) ; lectotype of Mutilla caneta , ♂, Brazil, [Mato Grosso], Chapada [dos Guimarães] ( CMNH) . Additional material. BRAZIL: Mato Grosso: 1♀ ( MZSP); Chapada [dos Guimarães: 1♀, XI ( ANSP); 1♀, IX ( ANSP); Campo, 1♀ ( MNHN).

Remarks. Traumatomutilla caneta was associated and synonymized with T. aemulata based firstly on their morphological similarity with T. grossa (♀) and T. characterea (♂) which were associated and synonymized through repeated co-occurrence in southern South America. The females ( T. aemulata and T. grossa ) both have a greatly reduced scutellar armature and an overall conspicuously large and stout body. The males ( T. caneta and T. characterea ) both are also large-bodied specimens and have a club-like laterally flattened cuspis that they also share with a third species from the dry regions of southern South America ( T. ingens ). Traumatomutilla caneta and T. aemulata are the only species in Chapada dos Guimarães with the aforementioned characters and, in fact, seem to be restricted to that area. In the midwestern Cerrado regions of Brazil, especially around Chapada dos Guimarães, certain females have dense coppery setal patterns on the mesosomal dorsum, most easily observed in T. unimarginata ( Figs 30A, 30C ), but clearly present also in T. chapada ( Cresson, 1902) of the T. inermis species-group. Traumatomutilla aemulata has the mesosomal stripes pale golden ( Fig. 1A ) which could be an intermediate state between T. unimarginata and the white stripes typical of most Traumatomutilla . There are few specimens of T. aemulata in collections and we have not observed any color variations; the mesosomal setal pattern is, at this point, the easiest way to recognize this species. The male also has a distinctive color character that, so far, was only observed in T. aemulata . The short and longitudinally oblique silvery-white stripes on the basal third of T2 differ from the subcircular patches of silverywhite setae that are commonly observed in other males of Traumatomutilla .

Figures

FIGURE 1A–C. Traumatomutilla aemulata (Cresson, 1902), lectotype, ♀, line 2 mm; A. Dorsal habitus; B. Type labels; C. Lateral habitus.

FIGURES 2A–G. Traumatomutilla caneta (Cresson, 1902), lectotype, ♂, line 2 mm; A. Lateral habitus; B. Type labels; C. Genitalia (halved), dorsal view; D. Genitalia (halved), ventral view; E. Genitalia (halved, penis valve removed), lateral/inner view; F. Cuspis (removed, not to scale), lateral/inner view; G. Penis valve (removed, not to scale), lateral/outer view.

FIGURES 30A–C. Traumatomutilla unimarginata (Cresson, 1902), lectotype, ♀, line 2 mm; A. Dorsal habitus; B. Type labels; C. Lateral habitus.