Tobantilla charrasca Casal, 1969

Williams, Kevin A., Brothers, Denis J. & Pitts, James P., 2011, New species of Tobantilla Casal, 1965 and a new genus and species, Gogoltilla chichikovi gen. et sp. nov., from Argentina (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Zootaxa 3064, pp. 41-68 : 49-50

Tobantilla charrasca Casal, 1969

( Figs 2 , 8 )

Tobantilla charrasca Casal, 1969 . Physis. 29: 102. Holotype Ƥ, Argentina, Rio Negro, Gral. Roca (AMNH).

Diagnosis. FEMALE. The mesosoma is not longer than broad ( Fig. 2 ); the mesosomal dorsum is clothed with concolorous pale golden setae, the sculpture of the pronotum obscured; the scutellar scale is separated from the dorsal propodeal carina; T2 is broadest at about its midlength and has both an anterior and posterior pair of yellow integumental spots; and T4 is clothed with black setae, at least basally.

Description. FEMALE. Body length 3-6.5 mm. Coloration. Body and appendages pale brown except pleura and femora dark brown; T2 with two pairs of separated yellow spots, anterior spots circular, much smaller than posterior triangular to trapezoidal patches. Tibial spurs white. Head and mesosoma clothed with fairly sparse decumbent pale golden or silvery lanceolate setae, except dorsum of head and mesosoma with scattered erect long brachyplumose brown setae; posterior face of propodeum with moderately dense decumbent pale golden setae. T2 clothed with dark brown decumbent lanceolate setae between spots and along apical margin, lateral thirds and integumental spots with sparse silver decumbent and erect setae. T3 entirely clothed with decumbent dark brown lanceolate setae. Disc of T4 clothed with dark brown setae, apical fringe of T5 clothed with pale silver setae. T1, T5 and S1–5 clothed with silvery white decumbent and erect setae. T6 and S6 with erect brown setae. Head. Rounded posteriorly, with occipital carina stronger laterally from base of weak narrowly triangular glabrous tubercle on posterolateral margin. Head width 1.1 × pronotal width. Eye almost circular. Front, vertex and gena reticulate. Genal carina produced, extending anteriorly to hypostomal carina. Mandible oblique, tapering, bidentate apically but preapical inner tooth minute and usually obliterated, unarmed ventrally. Antennal scrobe with distinct lateral vertical carina but no dorsal carina. Antennal tubercle finely and sparsely punctate basally. Scape simply punctate. Flagellomere 1 1.5 × pedicel length; flagellomere 2 1.3 × pedicel length. Mesosoma. Mesosomal length 0.9 × width; pronotal width subequal to mesothorax width. Mesosomal dorsum reticulate. Humeral carina well developed, extending mesally beyond epaulet. Lateral face of pronotum and mesopleuron micropunctate, dull, mesopleural ridge coarsely reticulate; clothed with fine recumbent setae. Metapleuron dorsal to endophragmal pit and dorsal two-thirds of lateral face of propodeum glabrous, smooth; ventral regions of metapleuron and lateral face of propodeum micropunctate and clothed with fine recumbent setae. In dorsal view, lateral margins of mesothorax virtually parallel directly behind pronotal spiracle and anterior to propodeal spiracle, strongly narrowed posterior to anterior portion of mesothorax. Scutellar scale narrow and highly raised, with broadly w-shaped transverse carina anterior to it. Strong transverse carina separating dorsal and posterior propodeal faces on each side. Dorsal propodeal face parallel-sided posterior to spiracle, posterolateral angle nearly perpendicular, posterior face virtually flat, vertical, reticulate and clothed with moderately dense decumbent lanceolate setae on dorsal half. Metasoma. T1 narrow and petiolate, somewhat cylindrical, 0.4 × as wide as T2. T2 1.15 × as long as wide, with maximum width situated medially. Disc of T2 with moderate-sized longitudinally ovate contiguous punctures, except yellow spots sparsely punctate with interspaces wider than punctures; T3–5 densely punctate. S1 with low longitudinal carina, S1–5 moderately punctate, punctures smaller and denser on S3–5. Pygidium well defined by continuous lateral and apical carinae, posterior margin broadly convex, surface weakly convex with about 10 irregular longitudinal striae almost reaching apical margin, spaces between striae irregularly granulate.

MALE. Unknown.

Material examined. Type material: Holotype, Ƥ, ARGENTINA: Rio Negro, G[ene]ral. Roca, I.1962, A. Bachmann ( AMNH); Paratypes, ARGENTINA: Mendoza, Potrerillos, 1 Ƥ, I.1956, Fritz ( AMNH); Rio Negro, G[ene]ral Roca, 1 Ƥ, I.1962, A. Bachmann ( AMNH); C[olo]nel Belisle, 3 Ƥ, 6.XII.1961, A. Bachmann ( AMNH). Other material: ARGENTINA: Cordoba, Xacanto, 1Ƥ, XI.1966, M.A. Fritz ( EMUS); Chubut, 3 km N Puerto Lobos, dunes, 2Ƥ, 14.XII.1966, E.I. Irwin & M. Irwin ( CASC); Rio Negro, Choele-Choel: 1Ƥ, XII.1997, U.&M. Fritz ( EMUS); 4Ƥ, I.1991, U. Fritz (1 DJBC, 3 EMUS); 2Ƥ, 15.XII.1989, M.A. Fritz ( EMUS).

Distribution. Argentina (Cordoba, Chubut, Mendoza, Neuquén [ Casal 1969] and Rio Negro).

Host. Unknown.

Remarks. This species is more widespread than T. montonera and is known from more specimens ( Fig. 39 ). Similarly, T. ephemeros is more widespread and abundant than T. drosos . It seems likely that the male of T. charrasca is T. ephemeros but this is purely speculation, as the males of T. ephemeros and T. drosos share an overlapping range ( Fig. 39 ).

Figures

FIGURE 39. Distribution of Tobantilla species.

FIGURES 1 – 6. Tobantilla species, females, habitus, dorsal view. 1. T. aleatrix sp. nov.; holotype; 2. T. charrasca Casal; 3. T. frigidula (Cresson); 4. T. kolasma sp. nov., holotype; 5. T. krima sp. nov., holotype; 6. T. montonera Casal.

FIGURES 7 – 14. Tobantilla species, females. 7 - 12. Habitus, lateral view. 7. T. aleatrix sp. nov., holotype; 8. T. charrasca Casal; 9. T. frigidula (Cresson); 10. T. kolasma sp. nov., holotype; 11. T. krima sp. nov., holotype; 12. T. montonera Casal. 13, 14. Pygidium (T 6). 13. T. frigidula; 14. T. aleatrix.