Darditilla amabilis (Gerstaecker, 1874)

Luz, David R. & Williams, Kevin A., 2014, The first sexual associations in the genus Darditilla Casal, 1965 (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae), ZooKeys 454, pp. 41-68 : 44-45

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Mutillidae

Darditilla amabilis (Gerstaecker, 1874) Figs 1-2, 9-12

Mutilla amabilis Gerstaecker, 1874. Arch. Naturgesch. 40: 63. Lectotype female, Brasilien, Alegrette, Sello S. (ZMB, examined), presently designated.

Mutilla braconina Burmeister, 1875. Bol. Acad. Nac. Sci. Cordoba 1: 488. Holotype female, (? MACN, not examined).

Darditilla botija Casal, 1965. Eos, Madrid 41: 14. Holotype male, República Argentina, Entre Ríos, Colón, II-1961, M. A. Zelich (AMNH, examined). syn. n.

Diagnosis.

Male. Males of Darditilla amabilis have a unique clypeus (Fig. 1D), which is widely transverse, almost covering the mandibles, with the ventral margin raised broadly and medially coming to an obtuse point with a subapical brush of golden setae, and have the penis valve unidentate apically (Fig. 11).

Female. The female of Darditilla amabilis can be recognized by having T1, T2, S1 and S6 entirely orange (Fig. 2A), having an arcuate transverse band of recumbent pale golden setae on the vertex, and having a pair of longitudinal pale golden stripes in the mesosomal dorsum, which extend to the anterior margin of mesonotum (Fig. 2A).

Description.

Male. Body length 8.5 mm. The male was adequately described (as Darditilla botija ) by Casal (1965).

Extended female diagnosis. Body length 7.6 mm. Coloration. Body and appendages reddish-black, except T1, T2, S1 and S6 entirely orange. Tibial spurs whitish. Vertex with dense, arcuate transverse band of recumbent pale golden setae, front and remainder of vertex with recumbent black setae; genal setae silver. Mesosomal dorsum covered with recumbent black setae, except laterally, with a pair of longitudinal pale golden stripes, extending to anterior margin of mesonotum. Posterior fringes of T1 and T2 black; T2 setae black anteriorly and posteriorly, pale golden mixed with black laterally, and reddish orange on orange integumental spots; T3-T6 clothed with black setae laterally and pale golden setae medially. Head. Transverse, posterior margin flat, occipital carina weak, but distinct. Head width 1.2 × pronotal width. Eye slightly ovate transversely, ommatidia distinct. Front, vertex and gena densely punctate. Genal carina well-defined, terminating in slightly sharp angle posterior to hypostomal carina. Clypeus with transverse glabrous concavity, margined by dorsal and ventral carinae, between widely separated lateral teeth. Mandible slender, tapering, bidentate apically (subapical tooth minute, distant from apex and usually obliterated through wear), unarmed ventrally. Antennal scrobe with complete dorsal carina. Antennal tubercle punctate basally, with weak scratches on anterior face, glabrous dorsally. Scape simple, moderately punctate. Flagellomere 1 1,7 × pedicel length; flagellomere 2 1.3 × pedicel length. Mesosoma. Mesosomal length 1.4 × width. Mesosomal dorsum coarsely reticulate, propodeal reticulae broader and shallower. Lateral pronotal carina extending to epaulet, humeral angle with moderately sharp obtuse angle. Mesopleuron densely punctate and setose, posterior margin defined by vertical carina. Metapleuron and lateral face of propodeum smooth and shining dorsally with isolated fine setae, micropunctate and densely setose ventrally. In dorsal view, mesosoma broadened to anterior third, strongly narrowed at propodeal spiracle, propodeum abruptly broadened. Scutellar scale lacking. Propodeum convex, dorsal and lateral faces not obviously differentiated. Legs. Foreleg with a few long strong articulated spines on posterior/lateral margins of tarsomeres. Mid- and hind tibiae each with one rows of prominent spines, 5 spines in each row; apical spurs finely serrated laterally. Hind tibia with distinct secretory pore on inner/posterior surface near base of inner spur. Metasoma. T1gradually broadened from base, not constricted apically, sessile with T2, 0.6 × as wide as T2; anterior face moderately punctate and setose. T2 densely punctate, punctures slightly smaller and sparser on orange spots; felt line broad, 0.5 × as long as T2 laterally. T3-5 densely punctate. Pygidium broad and slightly convex, lateral margins defined by distinct weakly bowed carina, posterior margin rounded and defined by indistinct carina, finely granulate. S1 punctate, with weak darkened median longitudinal carina. S2 moderately punctate. S3-5 densely punctate. S6 moderately punctate.

Material examined.

Type material. Holotype: Darditilla botija , ‘República Argentina\Entre Ríos\Colón \II-1961\M.A. Zelich’ (handwritten label) ‘HOLOTYPUS’ (red label) ' Darditilla [male symbol]\ botija \ Casal 1965 ' (red label) [1 male: AMNH]; Lectotype: Mutilla amabilis , 'Brasilien\Alegrette\Sello S.' (handwritten label) ‘6611’ ‘Type’ (red label) [1 female: ZMB]. Other material. 2 males and 2 females as follows: ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires: Bolivar, I-60 (R.J. Llano) [1 female: DZUP]; BRAZIL: Rio Grande do Sul: Pelotas, 16m, 31°44'39"S, 52°13'22"W, 26.III.2004 (R.F. Krüger) [1 female: AMNH]; same locality, 16.IV.2004 (R.F. Krüger) [1 male: UFES]; Rio Grande, Taim, Mata do Nicola 32.5557°S, 52.5006W, 10-18.XII.2011, Arm. Malaise ( Krüger & Kirst) [1 male: DZUP].

Distribution.

This species is widespread in Argentina and also occurs in Rio Grande do Sul, and Uruguay ( Nonveiller 1990).

Host.

Unknown.

Remarks.

Gerstaecker (1874) described Mutilla amabilis based on two female specimens, one from Alegrete, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil and another from Paraná, Entre Ríos Province, Argentina. The specimen from Alegrete, deposited in the ZMB and bearing the labels cited above, was examined and is herein designated as a lectotype.

Casal (1965) hypothesized that Darditilla botija was the male of Darditilla amabilis based on geographical distribution in northern Argentina. Yet another overlapping distribution was found in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Only two other Darditilla females are known from Rio Grande do Sul: Darditilla debilis and Darditilla infantilis (Burmeister, 1875). The male of Darditilla debilis is described below; Darditilla infantilis is structurally similar to Darditilla bejaranoi and has a consistently small body size, precluding it from association with Darditilla botija . The newly described male of Darditilla felina has similar genitalia and clypeal modifications to Darditilla botija . Likewise, females of Darditilla felina are similar to those of Darditilla amabilis in the integumental markings of T2 and the genal carina. Distribution, similar body size, and morphological similarities to both sexes of Darditilla felina support the synonymy of Darditilla botija under Darditilla amabilis .

Burmeister (1875) had briefly described the supposed male of Mutilla amabilis from Paraná, Entre Ríos, Argentina. Later, André (1908) studied and redescribed the male that Burmeister (1875) originally associated with Mutilla amabilis ; he pointed out that its identity and sexual association were doubtful. This male is clearly not conspecific with the male of Darditilla amabilis described above, most notably differing in its reddish basal metasomal segments. The description of this putative Darditilla amabilis male is, however, consistent with some Argentinean Pseudomethoca males.