Traumatomutilla protuberans ( Gerstaecker, 1874 )

Bartholomay, Pedro R., Williams, Kevin A., Cambra, Roberto A. & Oliveira, Marcio L., 2022, Revision of the Traumatomutilla indica species-group (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Zootaxa 5108 (1), pp. 1-97 : 60-62

Traumatomutilla protuberans ( Gerstaecker, 1874)

( Figs 21A–G )

Mutilla protuberans Gerstaecker, 1874: 318 , holotype, ♂, Argentina, Catamarca (MLUH), examined.

Ephuta (Traumatomutilla) protuberans: André, 1902: 55 .

Traumatomutilla protuberans: André, 1904: 40 .

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Unknown. MALE. Cuspis elongate, slender; mesopleuron tuberculate on dorsal half; meso and metatibial spurs yellowish-white; scutellum gibbose with nearly vertical posterior face; axillar projections transversely truncate, conspicuously narrower apicad in dorsal view; penis valve with posterior tooth conspicuously shorter than anterior tooth.

Description. FEMALE. Unknown. MALE. Body length 20 mm. Head. Transversely subrectangular with posterolateral angles rounded in dorsal view, 0.75 × as wide as pronotal width. Eye almost circular. Ocelli small; OOD 5.8 × DLO, IOD 2.0 × DLO. Occipital carina distinct. Head surface densely and coarsely punctate with sparse interspersed micropunctate; conspicuously denser and coarse on front. Gena ecarinate. Antennal scrobe concave to eye margin, with well-defined transverse dorsal scrobal carina. Clypeus concave laterally immediately below antennal insertion, conspicuously convex medially; densely and coarsely punctate; apical/ventral margin with a pair of medial subrounded subsessile teeth. Scape bicarinate. Flagellomere 1 2.0 × pedicel length; flagellomere 2 2.6 × pedicel length. Mandible obliquely tridentate apically, inner tooth larger than medial tooth; lacking dorsal or ventral projections. Mesosoma . Epaulets well-defined, slightly projected from anterior margin of pronotum, broadly separated from short humeral carina, anterolateral angles of pronotum subrounded. Anterior face of pronotum sparsely punctate with interspersed micropunctations except medially mostly unsculptured smooth and shinning. Tegula convex, mostly glabrous and impunctate except for dense coarse punctures on along inner and anterior margins. Mesoscutum densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate, notaulus present and parapsis indistinct, reduced to posterior half of mesoscutum. Scutellum gibbose, with well-defined dorsal and posterior faces densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate; with irregular somewhat elevated “carina-like” longitudinal medial are on dorsal face. Axilla produced posterolaterally as short and narrow truncate projection, with conspicuous flat coarsely and densely foveolate-punctate dorsal surface. Metanotum slightly wider laterally, its surface obscured by dense setation. Propodeal dorsum convex, densely areolate; lateral face with sculpture indistinct on anterior margin; dorsal face rounded into and poorly distinguished from posterior face. Lateral face of pronotum sparsely and indistinctly rugose-punctate with dense interspersed micropunctures; mesopleuron with large blunt tubercle on dorsal half; mesopleural sculpture densely and coarsely areolate-punctate to foveolate-punctate with interspersed micropunctures; areolations/foveolations gradually sparser anteriad. Metapleuron sparsely micropunctate to smooth throughout, except for indistinct areolations on basal third and indistinct rugosities on apical fourth. Wings. Forewing with elongate sclerotized pterostigma; marginal cell elongated, truncate apically; three submarginal cells. Legs. Simply setose, no strong spines discernible dorsally; spurs finely serrate on margins. Metasoma. T1 0.55 × as wide as T2. T2 length 0.85 × its width. Dorsal metasomal sculpture partially concealed by dense setation, densely and coarsely punctate with interspersed micropunctures where visible. Pygidial plate irregularly, transversely and indistinctly rugose, broader than long, weakly defined by parallel carinae apicolaterally, interstice apparently granulose. S1 longitudinally elevated medially, terminating in longitudinal carina with conspicuous subacute spine-like projection posteriorly. S2 coarsely and sparsely foveolate-punctate to punctate, with reduced anteromedial pit filled with setae; longitudinal anteromedial crest-fold present. S3–6 sparsely and coarsely foveolate-punctate with sparse interspersed micropunctures; S7 densely foveolate-punctate with well-defined medial longitudinal unsculptured area; longer than broad, well-defined by lateral carinae throughout, posterior margin projected medially into a single tooth-like structure on posterior margin; apex of projections bilobate. Genitalia. Parapenial lobe not at all pronounced apically, rounded. Ratios of free length of paramere, cuspis and digitus, 67:58:15; paramere marginally sinuous in dorsal view, curved outward apically in dorsal view and upcurved apically in lateral view; with dense setae ventrally at basal half; cuspis thin, slender, elongate, slightly wider apically, equally wide throughout in lateral view except apex conspicuously wider, subcapitate; with dense long setae apically and sparse inconspicuous short setae elsewhere; paracuspis well-developed, not sessile, virtually as long as wide, subtriangulate and with densely setose posterodorsal margin in lateral view; setae as long as or shorter than paracuspis; digitus short, slightly curved inward in dorsal view and upcurved in lateral view, sparsely setose basodorsally, apex somewhat expanded, subcapitate in lateral view; penis valve with inner surface strongly concave, and well-defined pair of short teeth posteroventrally; posterior tooth acute shorter than subacute subposterior tooth; externolateral pocket well-developed; apical distance between teeth 0.1 × length of valve; dense setae present along subtruncate, shelf-like posterior margin; inconspicuous setae present at base of subposterior tooth on external surface.

Coloration and variations. FEMALES. Unknown. MALES. Integument black to brownish-black. Body setae predominantly black varying in density, except following areas with black setae varying in density: posterior face of propodeum, T1, basal third of T2, lateral margins of T2, fringe of T2–3 laterally, and S1–4.

Distribution. Argentina.

Material examined. ( 1♂) Type material. Holotype Mutilla protuberans , ♂, ARGENTINA, Catamarca ( MLUH).

Remarks. The peculiar axillar projection and strongly produced anterior tooth of the penis valve in T. protuberans set this specimen apart from every other male of the T. indica species-group examined in this study. We have not seen any other specimen with this character combination except this holotype. Two possible explanations for this single male include: 1. Based on distribution and size, this is a putative male for T. contempta in Argentina; 2. Based on morphological similarities, this could be an unusual variant of T. spectabilis or T. vidua . Either way, both hypotheses can only be confirmed with more specimens with the same characters of T. protuberans or specimens that bear intermediate characters between this species and others.

Figures

FIGURES 21A–G. Traumatomutilla protuberans (Gerstaecker, 1874), holotype, ♂, 2 mm; A. Lateral habitus; B. Type labels; C. Genitalia (halved), dorsal view; D. Genitalia (halved), ventral view; E. Genitalia (halved, penis valve removed), lateral/inner view; F. Cuspis (removed, not to scale), lateral/inner view; G. Penis valve (removed, not to scale), lateral/outer view.