Bidecoloratilla negrei (Suárez, 1958) Suarez, 1958

Turrisi, Giuseppe Fabrizio, Palmerini, Maurizio Matteini & Brothers, Denis J., 2015, Systematic revision and phylogeny of the genera Blakeius Ashmead, 1903 and Liomutilla André, 1907, with description of two new genera (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae, Myrmillinae), Zootaxa 4010 (1), pp. 1-78 : 56-62

Bidecoloratilla negrei (Suárez, 1958) , comb. nov.

( Figs 4 D, 28–31)

Mutilla (Myrmilla) Chiesii [sic] Var. halensis: André, 1901a: 201 (♀) (key, redescription). Misidentification, possibly of this species.

Myrmilla chiesii [sic] negrei Suárez, 1958a: 96 (♂); Suárez 1958b: 111 (♀); Monastra 1990: 211 (♀).

Bisigilla Chiesii [sic] Negrei : Invrea 1964: 82 (♂, ♀).

Bisigilla negrei: Matteini Palmerini 1992: 201 (♂).

Blakeius negrei: Turrisi 1999: 127 (listed).

Blakeius chiesi negrei: Lelej 2002: 30 (catalogued); Pagliano & Strumia 2007: 47 (♂, ♀); Pagliano & Matteini Palmerini 2014: 178 (♀).

Type locality. “Málaga ( Hispania)” ( Spain).

Type material examined. Holotype: ♂ labelled “Málaga ( Hispania), Cobos Sanchez / Myrmilla chiesii subsp. negrei nov. ♂, J. Suárez det. 1956, Holotipo / MNCN Cat. Tipos N° 12312 / MNCN _Ent, N° Cat. 59548” ( MNCN).

Additional material examined. FRANCE: 1♀, South France, Herault, Feniéres, Castries, 27.vi.1985, A. Foucart leg. ( UCTC). ITALY: 1♀, Marche, Pesaro-Urbino, Baratoff, 22.viii.1995, M. Paglialunga leg. ( MPPU); 1♀, same data except 10.vii.2005 ( MPPU); 1♀, same data except 14.iv.2011 ( MPPU); 1♀, Marche, Pesaro-Urbino, Borgo Santa Maria, 26.iv.2014, M. Paglialunga leg. ( MPPU); 1♂, Abruzzo, Pescara, Silvi environs, 150 m, 15.vii.1973, Dioli leg. ( MRCP); 1♂, Latium, Roma, Cuttarella, 31.viii.1988, P. Cosimi leg. ( MRCP); 1♀, Latium, Albano, Pantanelle, 150 m, x.1996, E. Colonnelli leg. ( MRCP); 6♀, Latium, Roma, Colle Romito, 5.v.1986, M. Matteini Palmerini leg. ( MPCR); 1♀, Apulia, Foggia, Gargano, San Nicandro, Bosco Spinapulci, 610 m, 1.vi.2012, Bellò & Chemello leg. ( MRCP); 1♂, Campania, Foce Volturno, 21.vii.1966, G. Binaghi leg. ( MSNG); 1♀, Calabria, Reggio Calabria, Ferruzzano, 70 m, 23.i.2003, F. Angelini leg. ( MRCP); 2♀, Calabria, Reggio Calabria (beach), vii.1934, C. Lona leg. ( MSNG); 1♂, Calabria, Reggio Calabria, Gallico, G. Pagliano leg., G. Nonveiller det. 1982 ( MPCR); 1♀, Sicilia, Coll. Gribodo ( MSNG); 1♀, Sicily, Palermo, Madonie, Rocca Busambra, 25.v.1963, P. Alicata leg. ( UCTC); 1♀, Sicily, Palermo, Petralia Sottana, G. Pagliano leg., B. Petersen det. 1985 ( MPCR); 1♀, Sicily, Palermo, Madonie, Piano Battaglietta, 1600 m, 19.vii.1992, M. Arnone leg. ( MSNG); 1♂, Sicily, Palermo, Madonie, Vallone Pomieri, 1500 m, 22.vii.1981, M. Arnone leg. ( MSNG); 1♀, Sicily, Palermo, Madonie, Bosco Ficuzza: Valle Maria, 9.v.1981, M. Arnone leg. ( MSNG); 1♀, Sicily, Palermo, Terrasini, 15.v.1994, M. Arnone leg. ( MSNG); 2♀, Sicily, Palermo, Capaci: Zarcati, 10.v.1981, M. Arnone leg. ( MSNG); 1♂, same locality, 2.vi.1986 ( MSNG); 2♂, same locality, 18.vi.1981, M. Romano leg. ( MRCP); 2♀, same locality, 18.ix.1989, M. Romano leg. ( MRCP); 1♂, Sicily, Trapani, Foce Fiume Belice, 28.vi.1981, M. Romano leg. ( UCTC); 1♂, Sicily, Caltanissetta, Biviere di Gela, 5.viii.1984, M. Arnone leg. ( MSNG); 5♀, 1♂, same locality, 16–17.vii.2005, G.F. Turrisi leg. ( UCTC); 1♀, Sicily, Messina, Nebrodi, Mt. Trefinaidi, 1000 m, 31.v.1981, M. Arnone leg. ( MSNG); 1♀, Sicily, Messina, Bordonaro, 6.vii.2007, G.F. Turrisi leg. ( UCTC); 1♂, Sicily, Etna, Catania, Ragalna, Monte Vetore, 1740 m, 31.viii.1997, G.F. Turrisi leg. ( UCTC); 2♂, Sicily, Etna, Catania, Ragalna, Serra La Nave, 1730 m, 7.ix.1997, G.F. Turrisi leg. ( UCTC); 1♀, Sicily, Catania, Paternò, Fiume Simeto, locality Rotondella, 29.viii.1992, G.F. Turrisi leg. ( UCTC); 4♂, same data except 1.ix.1992, ( UCTC); 1♀, Sicily, Catania, Piana di Catania, Primosole, 13.v.1996, G.F. Turrisi leg. ( UCTC); 1♂, same data except 19.vii.1995 ( UCTC); 1♀, 1♂, same data except 20.vii.1996 ( UCTC); 1♂, same data except 3.viii.1996 ( UCTC); 4♀, same data except 17.viii.1996 ( UCTC); 2♀, same data except 7.viii.1997 ( UCTC); 1♀, Sicily, Catania, Piana di Catania, Fiume Simeto, 3 km NE of Ponte Impero, 20.iv.1998, S. Bella leg. ( UCTC); 1♂, Sicily, Catania, Foce Fiume Simeto, 7.vi.1981, M. Arnone leg. ( MSNG); same locality, 11.vi.1982, M. Romano leg. ( UCTC); 1♀, same data except 11.vi.1982 ( MSNG); 1♀, Sicily, Iblei, Catania, Vizzini, Poggio Morbano 600 m, 1.vi.1996, G.F. Turrisi leg. ( UCTC); 1♀, same data except 1.x.1996 ( UCTC); 1♂, Sicily, Iblei, Catania, Vizzini, Poggio del Lago 600 m, 28.x.1995, G.F. Turrisi leg. ( UCTC); 1♀, Sicily, Iblei, Catania, Vizzini, Passo di Cava, 16.v.1999, G.F. Turrisi leg. ( UCTC); 1♀, Sicily, Iblei, Catania, Vizzini, Contrada Rubalà 320 m, 2.v.1999, G.F. Turrisi leg. ( UCTC); 1♀, 1♂, Sicily, Iblei, Syracuse, Valle dell’Anapo, Contrada Fusco, 320 m, 20.vii.1996, S. Bella leg. ( UCTC). TUNISIA: 3♀, 2♂, Tebourba, 11.vi.1961, G. Nonveiller leg. ( MSNG); 1♀, same locality, 14.v. [19]61, G. Nonveiller [leg.] [identified as Bisigilla chiesi iberica by G. Nonveiller, det. by D.J. Brothers] ( DJBC); 1♂, Nabeul, 2.vii. [19]61, G. Nonveiller [leg.] [identified as Bisigilla chiesi iberica by G. Nonveiller, det. by D.J. Brothers] ( DJBC); 2♀, Carthago, 30.iii.1899, Coll. P. Magretti ( MSNG); 1♀, same locality, Coll. Dusmet ( MNCN); 1♀, Kairouan, 24.iii.1899, Coll. P. Magretti ( MSNG). ALGERIA: 2♀, Algeria, Coll. P. Magretti ( MSNG); 2♀, Algeri, Coll. Gribodo ( MSNG); 1♀, Lambèze, vi. 1885, L. Bleuse [leg.] ( MNHN); 3♀, Bône [= Annaba], coll. J. Pérez, 1915 ( MNHN); 2♀, Algeria, [locality not readable], 26.iv. [year not readable], Coll. J. De Gaulle, 1919 ( MNHN). MOROCCO: 1♀ labelled “Paratipo / Sefrou, 21.7.39, Otin / Colección Giner Marí / Myrmilla chiesii negrei Suár. Paratipo ♀, J. Suárez det. 195 / MNCN _Ent, N° Cat. 59482” ( MNCN); 1♂, Petit Jean, 24.vi.1940, Bleton [leg.], Coll. Giner Marí ( MNCN); 1♂, same data except 1.vii. [19]40 ( MNCN); 3♂, Souk, Tuine des Cheraga, 25.vii.1940, Mahjoub leg. ( MNCN); 1♀, Fés, 9.vi. [19]39, Bleton [leg.] ( MNCN); 1♂, same data, 29.vii. [19]42 ( MNCN); 1♀, Fés, 14.viii. [19]40, Bleton [leg.], Coll. Giner Marí ( MNCN); 1♀, same data except 30.viii. [19]40 ( MNCN); 1♀, same data except 10.ix. [19]40 ( MNCN); 1♀, Jb. Haskoura, 15 km NNE Taza, 1.v.1941, Mahjoub leg., Coll. Giner Marí ( MNCN); 1♀, Bon Iblane, Moyenne Atlas, about 2000 m, 15.vii. [19]39, H. Otin leg. ( MNCN); 1♀, Bon Iblane, Foret Tafert, Moyenne Atlas, 1970 m, 14.vii.1939, H. Otin leg. ( MNCN); 1♀, same locality, 2000 m, 15.vii.1939 ( MNCN); 1♀, Rabat, 1921, A. Théry [leg.] ( MNCN); 1♀, Ifrane, 1700 m, 1.viii. [19]40, Coll. Giner Marí ( MNCN); 1♀, same locality, 1.viii. [19]40, Otin [leg.] ( MNCN); 1♀, Casablanca, vii.1936, M. Antoine [leg.] ( MNHN); 1♀, Lorc Sidi Ali, iii.1932, M. Antoine [leg.] ( MNHN). Material without geographic data: 1♀, Coll. O. Sichel, 1867 ( MNHN).

Redescription. ♀ ( Morocco: Ifrane). Length: 4.9 mm. Colour. Head dark reddish brown with moderately dense mixed erect dark brownish setae and recumbent light brownish to whitish setae dorsally, otherwise whitish, recumbent setae denser on vertex and occiput; antennal rim (tubercle) reddish orange; clypeus reddish orange with apical teeth darker; mandible reddish orange with inner margin and apex darker; antenna with A1 and A2 reddish orange, remaining part much darker; mesosoma reddish orange, except margin of scutum, sides and ventral part, darker; legs reddish orange extensively darkened; metasoma blackish with moderately dense, long, mixed erect and recumbent whitish mostly brownish and blackish setae; T2 with two round wide cuticular faint yellow spots, very close to anterior margin, diameter of each spot about equal to their distance from each other; T3 with broad whitish pubescent band, entire; T4 without pale pubescent band. Head shiny, with coarse, deep and dense punctures (distance between punctures 0.5–1.0 × puncture diameter), less dense on frons; head width/length: 1.11; head width/pronotum width: 1.03; genal area (dorsal view) moderately long, with margin sligthly square toward occiput; gena (lateral view) with lower half slim, strongly angulate, with a fair evident denticle; gena length/eye length: 1.07; frontal carina not touching inner margin of eye; antennal rim well exposed, recognizable in dorsal view; supra-antennal tooth absent; clypeus triangle shaped, moderately wide (axis of lateral proces slightly less than antennal insertion), prominent dorsally, anterior margin weakly concave with moderately developed stout denticle laterally, with median lamella between denticles; postgena (behind oral fossa) weakly concave; oral fossa long (width less than length); mandible tridentate, without inner basal tooth; inner apical tooth equal in size to mid apical tooth; ratios A2:A3:A4 = 5:8:5. Mesosoma length/width: 1.3; coarsely punctate dorsally and laterally on propodeum, remaining sides polished and shiny with scattered coarse punctures on mesopleuron; humeral angle square, slightly pointed, with epomial carina weak, far from pronotal spiracle; fore coxa slender, apex bearing acute ventral denticle; mid and hind tibia with three dorsal pre-apical spines arranged in single row. Metasoma ovoidal, slender, shiny, punctate, punctures very dense, moderately coarse to coarse (on cuticular spots); T2 1.10 × as wide as long; S6 flat.

♂ (holotype). Length: 4.2 mm. Colour. Head dark reddish brown with moderately dense mixed erect and recumbent light brownish setae; antennal rim (tubercle) reddish orange; clypeus light reddish orange; mandible light reddish orange with inner margin and apex darker; antenna with A1 and A2 reddish orange, remaining part much darker; mesosoma reddish orange, except side and ventral part, extensively darker; legs reddish orange extensively darkened; metasoma blackish with moderately dense, long, mixed erect and recumbent whitish mostly brownish and blackish setae; T2 with cuticular spots oblitered; T3 with broad whitish pubescent band, entire; T4 without pale pubescent band. Head shiny, with coarse, deep and moderately dense to dense punctures (distance between punctures 1.0–2.0 × puncture diameter); head width/length: 1.11; head width/pronotum width: 1.24; genal area (dorsal view) moderately long, margin moderately convergent and slightly square toward occiput; gena (lateral view) regularly convex, without tooth-like process; gena length/eye length: 1.18; longitudinal frontal furrow absent; antennal rim well exposed, recognizable in dorsal view; clypeus triangle shaped, moderately wide (axis of lateral process slightly less than antennal insertion), regularly convex dorsally, anterior margin weakly concave with weak denticle laterally; ocelli well developed, distance between anterior and posterior ocelli equal to distance between posterior ocelli; OOL:POL = 1.00:1.00; postgena (behind oral fossa) weakly concave; oral fossa long (width less than length); mandible tridentate, with wide and prominent inner basal tooth, much larger than inner apical tooth; ratios A2:A3:A4 = 4:7:6. Mesosoma length/width: 1.7; coarsely punctate dorsally, except propodeum, coarsely areolate-rugose, mesopleuron concave, shiny, mostly polished to punctate; humeral angle square, angulate, slightly pointed; sutures of mesonotum reduced but distinct; mesoscutum flat; mesoscutellum weakly defined, flat; propodeum (dorsal view) fairly more than pronotum width; tegula subcircular, strongly reduced, weakly recognizable; wings completely absent; fore coxa slender; mid and hind tibia without pre-apical spines. Metasoma ovoidal, slender, shiny, punctate, punctures very dense, moderately coarse to coarse; T2 1.15 × as wide as long; S2 with weak curved tooth-like process in middle on ventral surface; S8 elongate with sides strongly convergent toward apex, distal margin emarginated medially, length/width: 1.32, with small and weakly raised tooth-like process in middle on ventral surface; genital capsule: paramere harpe straight apically; cuspis of volsella stout, shield-shaped, sharply pointed, strongly convex, ending below mid length of paramere harpe, without longitudinal carina; digitus of volsella equal in length of cuspis; midventral process of penis valve short and almost straight.

Intraspecific variation. Examined 80♀, 33♂. Female. Length: 3.3–6.2 mm; the colour is moderately variable, whereas the size is more variable; the head is blackish in most specimens, but frequently there are dark reddish tones and rarely a small to wide reddish spot on the vertex and occiput; the antenna varies from dark reddish orange to brownish to dark brownish with A2 and A3 lighter (most specimens), but it is almost uniformly light reddish orange in some specimens; the mesosoma is reddish orange, with the sides concolourous to moderately darkened; the legs are reddish orange to dark reddish, with the femora and tibiae darker, to extensively blackish, with the articular areas reddish orange; the metasoma is mostly blackish, with dark reddish tones in some specimens; the cuticular spots on T2 are pale yellow (weakly evident) in most specimens, frequently with long and moderately dense recumbent setae overhanging the cuticular-spot boundaries; the spots are light lemon yellow (evident) in a few specimens; the spots are quite variable in size (distance between spots 0.5–2.5 × diameter of each spot), obsolescent in several specimens (more frequently in the North African specimens). Male. Length: 2.9–5.9 mm; the colour is moderately variable, whereas the size is more variable, similarly to the female; the head is blackish in most specimens, but some specimens have dark reddish tones and rarely a small reddish spot on the vertex and occiput; the antenna varies from dark reddish orange to brownish to dark brownish, with A2 and the basal half of A3 lighter (most specimens); the mesosoma is entirely reddish orange in most specimens, sometimes with the sides slightly darkened; the legs are reddish orange to dark reddish, with the femora and tibiae darker, to extensively blackish, with articular areas reddish orange; the metasoma is mostly blackish; the process on S2 is very weak to absent in most specimens; the cuticular spots on T2 are light yellow, moderately evident in most specimens, frequently with long and moderately dense recumbent setae overhanging the cuticular spot boundaries; the spots are light lemon yellow (evident) in a few specimens; the spots are very variable in size (distance between spots 0.5–3.0 × diameter of each spot), obsolescent in many specimens (including the holotype and many North African specimens).

Distribution. Europe: Spain, Portugal, southern France (*), central and southern Italy, Sicily; North Africa: Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco ( Fig. 37 ).

Remarks. The female was described subsequently ( Suárez 1958b) and, although indicated and labelled as allotypus and paratypes, the females described by Suárez (1958b) (examined) obviously do not belong to the type series, according to Article 72.4 of ICZN (1999).

The separation of this species from Bid. leopoldina is somewhat problematic, especially due to the wide range of variability of the size of the body of both species, which renders some features (e.g., processes on clypeus and shape of the head) less evident in some specimens; the size of the cuticular spots on T2 is also very variable in both species and it is not a good diagnostic feature. The characters indicated in the key allow the identification of most specimens, with a confidence of about 90%.

It is newly recorded from France.

Biology. Based on material examined, the species was observed from March to October (female) and June to October (male). The finding of a female specimen active in the late January, Southern Italy (Calabria) is remarkable.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Blakeius bipunctatus, ♀ (A) and ♂ (E): (A) head ventro-lateral view; (E) wings. Oral fossa, ventral view, ♀ (B – D): (B) Myrmilla (Myrmilla) calva (Villers, 1789); (C) Blakeius cobosi; (D) Bidecoloratilla negrei. Scale bars = 0.5 mm (except E, 1.0 mm).

FIGURE 37. Distributions of species of Bidecoloratilla and Liomutilla, according to the material examined and selected and checked literature data.