Bischoffitilla tokay Williams, 2019

Williams, Kevin A., Lelej, Arkady S., Okayasu, Juriya, Borkent, Christopher J., Malee, Rufeah, Thoawan, Kodeeyah & Thaochan, Narit, 2019, The female velvet ants (aka modkhong) of southern Thailand (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), with a key to the genera of southeast Asia, Zootaxa 4602 (1), pp. 1-69 : 14-15

4d. Bischoffitilla tokay Williams , sp. nov.

( Figs 45–47 )

Diagnosis. FEMALE. This species can be recognized by a unique combination of characters: the genal carina is simple; clypeus is bidentate, with the basomedial area shallowly concave; the mesopleural lamella is short, but distinct; the dorsoposterior propodeal row is distinct and complete; the posterior propodeal face is reticulate; and T2–3 each have a broad medial whitish spot, while T4–5 have the setae predominantly blackish. Other useful features include: antennal tubercle armed with smooth tubercle; mesosomal dorsum with complete, but sometimes weak, longitudinal carina; and T1 apicomedially with white to golden spot not continuing to base of T2. Body length 4.5–5.5 mm. MALE. Unknown.

Description. FEMALE. Body length 5.3 mm. Coloration. Head black, except antennal scrobe, venter, clypeus, mandible, and antenna partly reddened. Mesosoma and coxae brownish-red, other parts of legs variably darkened brown. Metasoma black, except T1 and S1–6 partly reddened and whitish yellow beneath setal patches of T1–2. Head, lateral and ventral portions of mesosoma and metasoma, legs, and T6 with setae mostly silvery; vertex with denser more gold-tinted setae. Mesosomal dorsum with brown and silvery sparse setae. Metasomal dorsum with black setae, except having dense white narrow patch apicomedially on T1 and broad transverse patches on T2 and T3. Head. Width behind eye subequal to mesosoma width. Frons, vertex, and gena punctures moderate to dense. Mandible apex obscure tridentate. Clypeus with apicolateral tooth distinct, medial lobe shallow concave, densely punctate. Antennal scrobe with dorsal carina. Antennal tubercle obscure tubercle. Genal carina present in posterior half, obliterated anteriorly. F1 3.1 × pedicel length, F2 2.0 × pedicel length. Mesosoma. Length 1.2 × width (at lateral mesonotal teeth). Dorsum of mesosoma with confluent longitudinal punctures, many transverse interspaces obliterated, leaving apparent carinae of various lengths. Side of mesosoma micropunctate with dense short setae, lateral propodeal face with dense punctures. Mesopleural lamella short, but distinct. Humeral angle sharp. Ratio of width of humeral angle, anterior spiracle, lateral mesonotal tooth, propodeal spiracle, and widest point of propodeum 63:59:65:57:60. Mesosomal dorsum with complete longitudinal carina directed by various puncture edges. Dorsoposterior propodeal row with nine teeth, middle tooth largest. Metatibio-tarsal ratio 130:65:39:30:26:23. Metasoma. Terga 1–5 with small dense punctures. S1 without longitudinal carina. S2 with weak basomedial longitudinal swelling. T2 felt line 0.5 × T2 total length. T6 convex, lacking pygidium, setose throughout. S6 posterior margin rounded.

Material examined. Holotype ♀, Kanchanaburi, Thong Pha Phum, Vimarndin farm stay, 14.655 o N 98.521 o E, 200 m, 17–20.V.2018, MKT (CSCA). Paratypes (2 ♀), Same data as Holotype (2♀ CSCA) .

Distribution. Thailand (Kanchanaburi).

Etymology. This species is named for the Tokay Gecko, Gekko gecko ( Linnaeus, 1758) , ต๊กแก ุin Thai, a charismatic lizard species found throughout southeastern Asia. Treat as a noun in apposition.

Remarks. In Chen’s (1957) treatment, this species keys to B. sauteri lingnani and can be separated from that species by having T4–5 with the setae mostly black and without a medial golden setal spots. In Mickel’s (1935) treatment, it keys to B. malica ( Zavattari 1913) or B. opipara ( Zavattari 1913) , depending on how one scores the presence of lateral mesosomal teeth; B. tokay sp. nov. can be recognized by having T3 with a large transverse white setal patch.

Figures

FIGURES 36–47. Myrmillinae: Bischoffitilla females. 36–38. B. lamellata; 39–41. B. perakensis; 42–44. B. cambrai, sp. nov.; 45–47. B. tokay, sp. nov. 36, 39, 42, 45. Habitus, dorsal view; 37, 40, 43, 46. Habitus, lateral view; 38, 41, 44, 47. Face view.