Timulla vagans ( Fabricius, 1798 )

Waldren, George C., 2024, Taxonomic notes on velvet ants of the genus Timulla Ashmead, 1899 (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) in the United States of America and Canada, Insecta Mundi 2024 (55), pp. 1-10 : 14-15

Timulla vagans ( Fabricius, 1798)

( Fig. 7 and 8 )

Mutilla vagans Fabricius 1798: 282 . Type ♀ (NHMD).

Mutilla hexagona Say 1836: 295 . Type ♂ (lost or destroyed; refer to Mawdsley (1993)). Junior subjective synonym of Timulla (Timulla) vagans ( Fabricius, 1798) according to Mickel (1937a: 66).

Mutilla ornativentris Cresson 1865: 438 . Holotype ♀ (ANSP). Junior subjective synonym of Timulla (Timulla) vagans ( Fabricius, 1798) according to Mickel (1937a: 66).

Mutilla Briaxus Blake 1871: 277 . Type ♂ (ANSP). Junior subjective synonym of Timulla (Timulla) vagans ( Fabricius, 1798) according to Mickel (1937a: 66).

Mutilla Canadensis Provancher 1887: 250 . Type ♂ (ULQC, missing; refer to Gahan and Rohwer (1918: 103)). Junior primary homonym of Mutilla canadensis Blake, 1871 according to Dalla Torre (1897: 84). Junior subjective synonym of Timulla (Timulla) vagans ( Fabricius, 1798) according to Mickel (1937a: 66).

Mutilla secunda Dalla Torre 1897: 84 . New name for Mutilla canadensis Provancher, 1889 due to being preoccupied by Mutilla canadensis Blake, 1871 as a junior primary homonym. Junior subjective synonym of Timulla (Timulla) vagans ( Fabricius, 1798) according to Mickel (1937a: 66).

Timulla (Timulla) vagans rufinota Mickel 1937a: 78 . Holotype ♂ and allotype ♀ [in copula] (NMNH). New synonym.

Timulla (Timulla) huntleyensi [sic]: Mickel 1937a: 10. Misspelling.

Timulla (Timulla) huntleyensis Mickel 1937a: 82 . Holotype ♂ (UMSP). New synonym.

Remarks. Mickel (1937a) described Timulla vagans rufinota Mickel, 1937 as follows: “Male.—Exactly like vagans except the pronotum and mesonotum entirely and the propodeum more or less, ferruginous. Length, 17 mm. Female.—Indistinguishable from vagans . Length, 9 mm.” The holotype and allotype are a pair that was collected practicing phoretic copulation, which is how Mickel was able compare the female of T. vagans rufinota with those of T. vagans vagans despite them being indistinguishable. Additionally, at the time of description, T. vagans rufinota was known only from Florida, while T. vagans vagans ( Fabricius, 1798) was known from states besides Florida ( Mickel 1937a). The two subspecies of T. vagans are represented in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 . New specimens have been discovered that challenge the geographic distinction between these subspecies. Specimens of both T. vagans rufinota and T. vagans vagans have been collected in Ames, Iowa and Fort Knox, Kentucky. Further, there is another specimen of T. vagans rufinota collected from the vicinity of Spring Green, Wisconsin, which is well inside the range of T. vagans vagans and far from the original known distribution of Florida ( Mickel 1937a). Based on these subspecies being structurally identical and there being no geographic distinction between them, Timulla vagans rufinota Mickel, 1937 is here considered a new synonym of Timulla vagans ( Fabricius, 1798) .

Another taxon described by Mickel (1937a), Timulla huntleyensis Mickel, 1937 , was considered as related to Timulla grotei ( Blake, 1871) due to their similarity in coloration: both species have the metasomal segments covered with fulvous (i.e., orange-red) setae. Mickel (1937a) differentiated the two species in T. huntleyensis having “larger ocelli, the hypopygial carinae dentiform posteriorly, more uniformly punctate second sternite, the black disk of second sternite and pale fuscous pubescence of the head and pronotum.” He also distinguished T. huntleyensis from Timulla suspensa sonora Mickel, 1937 “in the larger ocelli, darker pubescence of the head and pronotum, the greatly dilated scape with its dense brush of pubescence and the less developed lateral tubercles of the seventh sternite.” Another species, Timulla vagan s ( Fabricius, 1798), also differs from T. grotei and T. suspensa sonora in all of the characters Mickel used to distinguish T. huntleyensis from these two species (except for the black S2). The only apparent difference between T. huntleyensis and T. vagans is the coloration of the metasomal setae: orange-red in T. huntleyensis and blackish in T. vagans . Further, T. huntleyensis has most of S2 with blackish cuticle and T. vagans has S2 with orange-red cuticle.

The holotype of T. huntleyensis was collected in Huntley, Montana on August 23, 1915 along with four males of T. vagans . These T. vagans males do not differ in structure from T. huntleyensis . Additionally, one male of T. huntleyensis and two males of T. vagans were collected in Harrison, Nebraska on August 13, 1962 from the same collecting event. Additionally, one male of T. huntleyensis and one male of T. vagans were both collected from Long Island, New York in 1929. A fourth specimen of T. huntleyensis is known from Morill, Nebraska and a fifth specimen from Burrville, Tennessee. Based on the collection of both T. huntleyensis and T. vagans males in three different states at the same time and place, on being identical in structure, in having setal color differences similar to that observed in T. barbigera (orange-red to black setae), and in having S2 coloration differences similar to that observed in T. suspensa (blackish to orange-red cuticle), Timulla huntleyensis Mickel, 1937 is here considered a new synonym of Timulla vagans ( Fabricius, 1798) .

Material examined ( Timulla huntleyensis ) ( 5 ♂). Holotype: USA: Montana: Yellowstone Co.: Huntley, 23.Aug.1915 (1♂ – UMSP). Non-type (s): Nebraska: Scotts Bluff Co. : Morrill, 07.Aug.1930, D.B. Whelan (1♂ – UNSM); Sioux Co. : Harrison, 7 mi. N, 13.Aug.1962, J.G. & B.L. Rozen, “collected on Helianthus ” (1♂ – AMNH). New York: Unknown: Long Island , 1929 (1♂ – INHS – INHS 209,995 ). Tennessee: Morgan Co. : Burrville, 17.Aug.1952, B. Benesh (1♂ – FMNH).

Material examined ( Timulla vagans rufinota ) (8 ♂ and 1 ♀). Holotype and allotype: USA: Florida: Leon Co.: Centerville, 20. Jul. , Hubbard , “taken in copulation” (1♂ 1♀ [in copula]– NMNH – USNMENT 01545788 ). Non-type (s): USA: Iowa: Story Co. : Ames , 22.Jul.1962 (5♂ – UMRM). Kentucky: Hardin Co. : Fort Knox , 15.Jul.1952, R.D. Alexander (1♂ – UMMZ). Wisconsin: Sauk Co. : Spring Green Prairie /TNC, N of Spring Green, 43.199320°N 90.059220°W, 01–07.Aug.2003, C.M. Brabant, “ unbaited Townes Malaise trap in sand/oak barrens” (1♂ – WIRC). Material examined ( Timulla vagans vagans ) (18 ♂). Non-type (s): USA: Iowa: Story Co. : Ames , 05.Aug.1939, W. Buren (2♂ – EMUS) ; 12.Aug.1939, W. Buren (1♂ – EMUS) ; 13.Aug.1939, W. Buren (1♂ – EMUS) ; 01.Aug.1940, W. Buren (1♂ – EMUS). Kentucky: Hardin Co.: Fort Knox, 21.Jun.1953, R.D. Alexander (1♂ – OSUC – OSUC 0098590 ; 1♂ – CASC) 03.Jul.1953, R.D. Alexander (2♂ – OSUC – OSUC 0098591 , OSUC 0098592 ). USA: Montana: Yellowstone Co. : Huntley , 23.Aug.1915 (4♂ – MTEC) ; 18.Aug.1942, C.R. Hunt, “on potatoes” (1♂ – MTEC) ; 23.Jul.1917 (1♂ – WFBM) ; 23.Aug.1915 (1♂ – WFBM). Nebraska: Sioux Co.: Harrison, 7 mi. N, 13.Aug.1962, J.G. & B.L. Rozen, “collected on Helianthus ” (2♂ – AMNH). New York: Unknown : Long Island , 1929 (1♂ – INHS – INHS 210,018 ) .

In total, 1248 ♂ and 1562 ♀ of Timulla vagans ( Fabricius, 1798) were examined ( AMNH, AUEM, BPBPM, CASC, CLEV, CMNH, CNC, CSCA, CSUC, CUIC, DEBU, DGMC, EMEC, EMUS, ENMU, ESUW, FHSM, FMNH, FSCA, GCWC, INHS, ISUI, KSUC, LSAM, MCZ, MEM, MSBA, MSUC, MTEC, NCSM, NHMD, NMNH, NMSU, OMNH, OSAC, OSEC, OSUC, PMAE, PMNH, PSUC, PERC, ROME, SDMC, SDSU, SEMC, SFAC, SHSU, TAMU, UAAM, UAIC, UCDC, UCFC, UCMC, UCMS, UCRC, UGCA, UKIC, UMMZ, UMRM, UNSM, UTIC, VTEC, WFBM, WIRC, WSU).

Figures

Figures 1–8. Lateral habitus of Timulla males. 1) Timulla barbata (Fox, 1899). 2) Timulla ornatipennis (Bradley, 1916). 3) Timulla dubitata dubitata (Smith, 1855). 4) Timulla dubitata fugitiva Mickel, 1937. 5) Timulla euterpe (Blake, 1879). 6) Timulla euterpe (Blake, 1879). 7) Timulla vagans rufinota Mickel, 1937. 8) Timulla vagans vagans (Fabricius, 1798). Scale line = 2.0 mm.