Goncharovtilla Williams, Bartholomay & Lopez, 2024

Williams, Kevin A., Cambra, Roberto. A., Bartholomay, Pedro R., Lopez, Vinicius M., Brothers, Denis J., Martins, Herbeson O. J., Ferreira, Vinina S., Koroiva, Ricardo & Guillermo-Ferreira, Rhainer, 2024, Two new genera of Neotropical Dasymutillini (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae, Sphaeropthalminae): Goncharovtilla gen. nov. from Brazil and Dasyphuta gen. nov. from Panama, Zootaxa 5538 (2), pp. 127-152 : 128-130

Goncharovtilla Williams, Bartholomay & Lopez , gen. nov.

Type species. Goncharovtilla oblomovi Williams, Bartholomay & Lopez , sp. nov., designated here.

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Females of Goncharovtilla can be separated from other South American Dasymutillini by having the posterior surface of the head concave and separated from the dorsal surface by a sharp transversely arcuate carina that is thickened laterally. Additionally, the body is blackish with a contrasting pattern of black and whitish setae, the genal carina is distinct anteriorly, the mesosoma has a thick scutellar scale and similarly large, thickened carina antero-lateral to the scale, the T2 disc has the cuticle uniformly blackish, the body is covered with numerous brachyplumose setae, and T6 has a defined pygidial plate. MALE. Males can be differentiated from other Dasymutillini by the following characters: clypeus with longitudinal elevated crest medially and anterior/ ventral margin strongly projected medially, mandible lacking notch or tooth ventrally, mesopleuron not swollen or projected into conspicuous tubercle in dorsal half, S1 with strong tooth-like longitudinal carina, S2 lacking seta-filled pit, metasoma lacking any reddish or orange markings. The genitalia also have useful diagnostic features: the paramere is strongly upcurved apically and densely setose ventrally, somewhat dorsoventrally depressed; the cuspis has an elongate brush of posteroventrally directed setae; and the penis valve has two simple teeth posteroventrally.

Description. FEMALE. Integument. Usually reddish to dark brown, sculpture mostly concealed by dense setation, apparently densely and finely sculptured where visible. Setae predominantly brachyplumose to simple. Head. Subrounded, strongly concave posteriorly, vertex margined by transverse arcuate carina separating dorsal and posterior surfaces; finely and densely sculptured where visible. Occipital carina apparently deeply recessed, not clearly visible. Eye hemispherical, strongly protruding, surface shining, ommatidia clearly discernible. Antennal scrobe poorly developed, short, quadrate, lacking dorsal and lateral carinae. Clypeus slightly protruded basomedially, anteroventral margin virtually straight. Malar space greater than basal height of mandible. Genal carina present. Hypostomal carina strong, extending to posterior mandibular condyle. Scape simple. Pedicel almost as long as wide, shorter than F1; F1 longer than wide and longer than F2. Mandible weakly curved basally, slender, tapering, with small inconspicuous tooth subapically, no ventral basal tooth, notch, or flange. Maxillary palp six-segmented; labial palp four-segmented; basal palpomeres strongly flattened and broadened, densely covered with short erect setae. Mesosoma. Longer than wide, subrectangular, evenly and slightly narrowed posterad, lacking clear constriction on mesonotum in dorsal view, dorsum convex to flat; propodeum weakly rounded posteriorly, disk and declivity indistinct; dorsal and posterior faces of propodeum densely and coarsely sculptured; lateral face of propodeum weakly and sparsely sculptured to unsculptured. Pronotal dorsal face (excluding anterior collar) with anterior margin straight in dorsal view, reclined in lateral view; epaulet at extreme lateral margin of anterior pronotal margin, scarcely distinguished from the latter; humeral angle rounded; posterior margin indiscernible. Scutellar scale present, with conspicuous pair of transverse anterolateral carinae. Pronotal-mesopleural suture distinct, partly concealed by dense setation. Vertical mesopleural ridge present, scarcely swollen, rounded, areolate throughout. Metapleuron predominantly sculptured, almost smooth dorsally. Metapleural-propodeal suture present, inconspicuous, partly concealed by dense setae; endophragmal pit small, inconspicuous, obscured by setae, surrounding area virtually flat. Metasternal process subtriangular, slightly less than a third of metacoxal length. Legs. Tibial spur formula 1–2–2. Foreleg with tarsal comb. Meso- and metatibiae each with two rows of prominent stout spines, few spines in each row, spines smaller basad; apical spurs narrow, finely serrate laterally, outer spur shortened. Metacoxa with strong slightly arcuate carina on inner margin, ending abruptly before coxal apex. Metasoma. Surface finely and densely sculptured, sparser and coarser on sterna and sparser anterolaterally on T2. T1 shorter than wide, its width about 1/3 the width of T2, strongly constricted on anterior third and evenly expanded from constriction apicad, weakly convex in lateral view, anterior and dorsal faces distinct; anterior auricle prominent, vertically lamellate but apparently dentate from above. Lateral felt line of T2 wide. T6 with conspicuous pygidial plate, slightly convex, large, subrounded, defined laterally and apically by carinae, longitudinally and irregularly striate-rugose throughout. S2 evenly convex, with conspicuous medial longitudinal ridge on anterior third, without posterior transverse groove, lacking lateral felt line. S6 posterior margin with strong bilobate projection.

MALE. Integument. Mostly blackish to brownish-black, mostly concealed by dense setation, with strong dense sculpture where visible. Setae mostly brachyplumose, with many simple setae interspersed throughout. Head. Roundly transverse, as wide as mesosoma. Occipital carina distinct dorsally. Vertex slightly swollen posteriorly. Eye broadly hemispherical, strongly protruding, surface shining, ommatidia discernible. Ocelli small. Antennal scrobe shallow, not reaching eye margin, with transverse lamellate carina on dorsal margin. Clypeus slightly depressed immediately below insertion of antennae, conspicuously convex apicomediad, ventral half with conspicuous longitudinal crest medially, almost carinate, terminating in strongly protruding acuminate anterior/ventral margin. Malar space shorter than basal height of mandible. Genal carina absent. Hypostomal carina evident, evenly high throughout, extending in a smooth curve to posterior mandibular condyle. Scape bicarinate ventrally. Pedicel approximately as wide as long, shorter than F1, which slightly longer than F2. Mandible evenly weakly curved, bidentate apically, subapical tooth minute, lacking ventral tooth or notch. Maxillary palp 6-segmented; labial palp 4-segmented; basal palpomeres strongly flattened and broadened, densely covered with short setae. Mesosoma. Surface mostly covered with dense sculpture where visible. Pronotal epaulet weakly defined, reduced to a row or tuft of short setae; humeral angle rounded in dorsal view. Tegula broadly subcircular, convex, almost entirely smooth, except anterior and inner margins sparsely sculptured. Mesoscutum lacking notaulus; parapsis present, inconspicuous, short. Mesoscutellum flat, declivous in lateral view; axilla generally flat dorsally, broadly connected to mesoscutellum, terminating in truncate/rounded lobe, with oblique longitudinal lamella connecting its ventral surface to mesoscutellum; dorsal surface of axilla smooth. Metanotum usually completely concealed by dense setae. Propodeum evenly convex in lateral view, dorsal and lateral faces indistinct. Metasternal process convergent to unidentate apex, shorter than metacoxal length. Wings. Fore wing with elongate sclerotized pterostigma; marginal cell slightly elongate, truncate apically; three closed submarginal cells, apical veins of third often inconspicuous or obliterated. Legs. Tibial spur formula 1–2–2. Mid and hind tibiae with two rows of weak spines; apical spurs finely serrated apically. Metacoxa with weak inner carina. Metasoma. Sculpture generally dense and fine; T1 longer than wide, its width about 1/3 width of T2, anterior and dorsal faces distinct, not constricted apically. T2 with lateral felt line broad and short. S1 with marked longitudinal median carina terminating posteriorly in subacute projection. S 2 in lateral view flattened weakly convex, lacking felt line; slightly elevated and projected anteromedially; with no indication of mesal seta-filled pit. Hypopygium longer than wide, surface almost flat to shallowly convex, posterior margin projected medially into sharp acute projection. Genitalia. Paramere long, free length longer than length from base of genital capsule to apex of parapenial lobe, sub-cylindrical and strongly upcurved at apical third; dorsoventrally flattened at basal 2/3; acute apically. Parapenial lobe well-developed. Cuspis short, somewhat dorsoventrally flattened, approximately 1/3 longer than digitus, paracuspis a somewhat elongated lobe. Digitus narrowly digitiform, slightly wider basad. Penis valve inner surface concave; with two sharp apical teeth on ventral margin; ventral teeth widely separated; without distinct setae.

Distribution. Northeastern Brazil (Pernambuco, Ceará, and Maranhão).

Etymology. This genus is named after the Russian author Ivan Goncharov (1812–1879) and the type species is named after one of his novels (see below). This name references the initial discovery of the genus in the Brazilian city of Russas (Portuguese for Russians [fem.]), Ceará, and tribal affiliation with Gogoltilla Williams, Brothers & Pitts, 2011 from Argentina (named after the Ukrainian-Russian author Nikolai Gogol). The name is feminine.

Remarks. This genus was included in an unpublished molecular phylogeny of American Dasymutillini ( Williams 2012) as an undetermined Traumatomutilla (Genbank accession numbers: JQ945822, JX002751, JQ945901). In that analysis, it was recovered as sister to Tobantilla drosos Williams, Brothers & Pitts, 2011 , a male-based species from Argentina, and this clade was recovered as the sister to the remaining New World Dasymutillini (excluding Lomachaeta Mickel, 1936 ). The male of this genus is structurally similar to other Tobantilla species, particularly in the upcurved paramere and shelf-like clypeus. Females differ from Tobantilla in many features, including body size (all Tobantilla females are less than 6 mm in length), coloration ( Tobantilla females have a pale brown mesosoma and yellowish cuticular patches on T2), and head structure ( Goncharovtilla gen. nov., is unique among Dasymutillini in having the posterior margin of the vertex with a sharp transverse arcuate ridge). Furthermore, the genetic distance between Goncharovtilla and Tobantilla is comparable to that observed between various distinct genera within Dasymutillini and greater than that observed within any single genus of Dasymutillini ( Williams 2012).

In the best available key to Neotropical mutillid genera ( Brothers 2006), females of Goncharovtilla key out in couplet 23 as “ Dasymutilla / Traumatomutilla ”. The unique head structure separates Goncharovtilla from females of those genera. Males of Goncharovtilla also key to “ Dasymutilla / Traumatomutilla ” in couplet 65. They can be separated from those genera by the upcurved paramere and shelf-like clypeus.

The female head morphology is apparently unique, with its transverse arcuate carina separating the dorsal and posterior surfaces. Some North American species in the Dasymutilla monticola species-group approximate this head morphology; unlike Goncharovtilla , all these species lack a genal carina and have the body color predominantly reddish-brown ( Williams 2012).