Cameronilla Lelej in Lelej & Krombein, 2001

Brothers, Denis J., Lelej, Arkady S. & Williams, Kevin A., 2019, Genus-group names of Mutillidae (Hymenoptera): corrections and updates since 2008, Zootaxa 4651 (3), pp. 578-588 : 579-580

Cameronilla Lelej in Lelej & Krombein, 2001 . Far East. Entomol. 99: 12. Male.

Gender. Feminine.

Type species. Mutilla oedipus Cameron, 1897 (male), by original designation.

Taxonomic history. Junior subjective synonym of Spilomutilla Ashmead, 1903 . New synonymy. Subjectively invalid name. On the basis of a study of photographs of the holotype male of the type species ( Figs 1–5 ), Arkady Lelej determined that it belongs to the genus Spilomutilla Ashmead, 1903 . It is distinct from other species of that genus in that the male has a strong dorsal median sharp spine on the propodeum. This character, and the three posterior setal spots on metasomal tergum 2 resemble the apterous male of Hindustanilla indica Lelej in Lelej & Krombein, 2001 (Ticoplinae) , leading to Cameronilla mistakenly being described in that subfamily. The first label ( Fig. 4 ) of the imaged specimen, “ Mutilla contracta Cam. type ♂ not ♀ ”, was written by P. Cameron; it was probably a preliminary name for the specimen, which Cameron rejected when he described and figured it under the name oedipus ( Cameron, 1897: 53, pl. 4, fig, 13, male). Later in the same year, Bingham (1897: 27) described both sexes of Mutilla rothneyi Cameron, 1897 (described by Cameron from the female only) and stated that the male was “ M. contracta Cam. ”. He had obviously seen the types of both species and used the name on the label of the male, but added his own label, “ M. rothneyi Cam. ♂ ”, to that specimen. Because Bingham (1897) published the name Mutilla contracta as a synonym of Mutilla rothneyi , and the name contracta has not subsequently been used as a valid name, it is not available (Article 11.6 of the Code, ICZN 1999).

Sex association. The female of the type species has not been recognized. Although Bingham (1897) effectively regarded rothneyi (female) as synonymous with oedipus (see above), Cameron (1897), when he described both species, considered that possibility but rejected it as not supported by sufficient evidence; we thus prefer not to make the association either.

Distribution. Oriental.

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. Mutilla oedipus Cameron, 1897, male, holotype. 1. Habitus, lateral view. 2. Head and mesosoma, lateral view. 3. Mesosoma and metasoma, dorsal view (montage). 4. Labels. 5. Head, frontal view. (Photos M. Kuhlmann).