ISSN 0013-8738, Entomological Review, 2014, Vol. 94, No. 4, pp. 639–642. © Pleiades Publishing, Inc., 2014. Original Russian Text © A.S. Lelej, A. van Harten, 2014, published in Zoologicheskii Zhurnal, 2014, Vol. 93, No. 1, pp. 205–208.
TAXONOMY
A New Species of the Genus Physetopoda Schuster, 1949 (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) from the United Arab Emirates A. S. Leleja and A. van Hartenb a
Institute of Biology and Soil Science, Far East Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, 690022 Russia e-mail:
[email protected] b Rua Claudio José de Moura 26, 7450-270 Vaiamonte, Portugal e-mail:
[email protected] Received June 24, 2013
Abstract—Physetopoda tschernovi Lelej, sp. n. is described from the United Arab Emirates. The male of new species from the Ph. portschinskii species-group differs from all the known Palaearctic Physetopoda species in having wide transversally rugose notauli and in the longitudinally rugose scuto-scutellar sulcus (smooth in other species). DOI: 10.1134/S0013873814040198
In 2005–2011 A. van Harten collected several thousand specimens of Mutillidae in different biotopes of United Arab Emirates using different kinds of traps (van Harten, 2008). The light traps were the most successful for collecting of mutillids because the velvet ants are mainly nocturnal and crepuscular in the arid areas. The first, second, and third parts of our research have been published recently (Lelej and van Harten, 2010, 2011, 2013). Fourty-one species of the genus Physetopoda Schuster occur in the Palaearctic Region (Suárez, 1958; Invrea, 1960, 1965; Lelej, 2002, Lelej and van Harten, 2013); six occur in the Oriental Region (Lelej, 2005). Species of this genus are definitely distributed in the Afrotropical Region where they have been described in the genus Smicromyrme Thomson, 1870 (Bischoff, 1920–1921); however, revision of Afrotropical material is requiered. Three species known from the male and one species known from the female of Physetopoda are distributed in the United Arab Emirates (Lelej and van Harten, 2013). Recently we discovered in this material 26 specimens of the genus Physetopoda which belong to the new species. Acronyms for the collections from which the specimens were borrowed or are deposited in IBSS (Institute of Biology and Soil Science, Vladivostok, Russia) and in RMNH (the Biodiversity Center, Leiden, the Netherlands). We have used the following morphological abbreviations: POD, to denote the postocellar (interocellar)
distance between the posterior ocelli which is measured from above, and OOD, to denote the ocellocular distance between the posterior ocellus and the compound eye which is measured from above. Physetopoda tschernovi Lelej, sp. n. (figure) Material. Holotype: male, United Arab Emirates: Wadi Wurayah farm, 12–14.IV.2005, Malaise trap and water trap, leg. A.v. Harten [RMNH]. Paratypes: 24 males, as holotype. Wadi Wurayah, 1 male, 14.XI– 4.XII.2006, Malaise trap, leg. A.v. Harten. [Paratypes deposited in RMNH and IBSS]. Description. Male. Body length 6.0–8.8 mm. Head width 0.8–0.9 times maximum pronotum width. Clypeus with preapical transverse shiny area and two weak tubercles on anterior border and short basal median carina; clypeal surface smooth. Scape distinctly bicarinate beneath, lower ridge lamellate, upper one weak. Ocelli rather small, ratio POD : OOD 0.9; distance between posterior ocellus and posterior head margin 1.2–1.3 times OOD. Frons with longitudinal median furrow more evident near antennal tubercles. Carina between antennal scrobe and eye well developed. Occipital carina distinct dorsally, extended into sharp postgenal carina diverging on to ventral surface of head and ending about third distance to proboscidial fossa. Third antennal segment (1st flagellomere) length 1.6–1.7 times its width, 3.8–4.0 times 2nd antennal segment, and 0.7 times 4th antennal segment;
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Male of Physetopoda tschernovi sp. n., paratype (a–d) and Ph. vanharteni Lelej, paratype (e): (a) fore wing; (b, e) sternum VIII (hypopygium); (c, d) genitalia, lateral view (c) и ventral view (d).
latter 1.0–1.05 times 5th antennal segment. Mandible tridentate, with large tooth beneath near base, its basal height (lateral view) 2 times minimum distance between emargination and upper mandibular carina. Frons, vertex, and genae coarsely punctate. Mesosoma with abrupt propodeum. Scutum with well-developed parascutal carinae. Notauli wide, transversally rugose; parapsids visible in posterior scutal half. Scuto-scutellar sulcus deep, longitudinally rugose. Metasternal posterior median process shorter than coxa height, with median denticle. Posterior coxae carinate mesally. Tegulae slightly protruded beyond scuto-scutellar suture, but not protruded beyond scutellar sulcus, densely punctate, with subappressed setae. Pronotum dorsally, scutum, scutellum dorsally even coarsely punctate; mesopleuron lateroposteriorly and lower portion of metapleuron longitudinally striate. Propodeum dorsally and posteriorly reticulate with median dorsal longitudinal cell, laterally glabrous shiny. Fore wing as in figure, a. Relative length of radial cell abscissas 1.8 : 1.5 : 2.0 : 2.0 (in larger specimens) and 1.2 : 0.8 : 1.3 : 1.5 (in smaller specimens). Second abscissa of Rs of fore wing 1.6–2.2 times as long as 3rd abscissa of Rs. Metasomal segment I carinate beneath, segment length less than half its maximal width; segment II with long lateral felt line on tergum and without any lateral line on sternum; tergum II densely punctate; tergum VII with straight posterior border, densely
punctate, more glabrous and shiny medially; sternum VIII (hypopygium) apically with two weak lateral and much longer median projections. Genitalia as in figure, c, d. Basal lobe of volsella with dense long wavy setae; cuspis inside with subbasal tuft of short setae, apical half of cuspis with long straight setae oriented mesally, without apical setae. Head from ferruginous-red to black with ferruginous-red clypeus and parts around eyes (ferruginousred with brown ocellar triangle and hypostomal bridge in holotype). Mandible ferruginous-red with dark brown denticles. Antenna ferruginous-red with brownish or blackish flagellomeres dorsally. Palps ferruginous-red. Mesosoma from totally black to black with ferruginous-red pronotum, tegulae, scutum, and upper part of mesopleuron. Legs from black with brownish red fore legs to ferruginous-red with brownish red hind legs; mid- and hind spurs whitish. Wings hyaline with brown veins, fore and hind wings distinctly infuscate distalward of cells. Body and legs clothed with subappressed short and scattered long erect pale setae; metasomal segments II–VI with apical whitish fringe; felt lines on tergum II yellowish. Female unknown. Diagnosis. The male of the new species differs from the known Palaearctic Physetopoda species in wide transversally rugose notauli and in a longitudinally rugose scuto-scutellar sulcus. The distinctions of ENTOMOLOGICAL REVIEW Vol. 94 No. 4 2014
A NEW SPECIES OF THE GENUS PHYSETOPODA
the new species from the related ones of the Ph. portschinskii species-group are given in the key below. Distribution. The United Arab Emirates. Habitat. This species has small ocelli (this feature is characteristic of the species active in the daytime); it inhabits mountainous areas. The highest point of Wadi Wurayah is 956 m above sea level. Wadi Wurayah is one of the insect richest areas in the United Arab Emirates. This area benefits from significant rainfall in both winter and summer months and possesses permanent water flows (van Harten, 2008). Etymology. The specific name is dedicated to Yury Ivanovich Chernov, the well-known Russian biologist. Remarks. The male characters point to the fact that the new species belongs to the Physetopoda portschinskii (Radoszkowski, 1888) species-group (mandibles tridentate, at least flagellomeres ventrally ferruginousred). This species-group is represented in the South Palaearctic by Ph. pyramidarum (André, 1910) (Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Israel), Ph. vanharteni Lelej (United Arab Emirates, Yemen), and Ph. tschernovi sp. nov. (United Arab Emirates). Probably the male of Smicromyrme pallidulus Bischoff, 1921 (Mauritania, Trarza [eastward of Nouakchott]) also belongs to this group.
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and slightly curved up. Body length 5.5–8.4 mm. Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Israel ................................... ............................. Ph. pyramidarum (André, 1910). —Head totally ferruginous-red. Second abscissa of Rs of fore wing 1.5–1.7 times as long as 3rd abscissa of Rs. Volsellar cuspis of genitalia wider and straight. Body length 4.8–8.8 mm. UAE, Yemen ..... ................................................ Ph. vanharteni Lelej. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We acknowledge the assistance of C. van Achterberg, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, the Netherlands) for the sending of material collected in UAE; Ch. Schmid-Egger (Berlin, Germany), late T. Osten (Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde in Stuttgart, Germany), for the sending of mutillids from the Middle East; F. Gusenleitner (Biologiezentrum, Linz, Austria), D. Zimmermann (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Austria), for the help in the study of type material. We particularly acknowledge the assistance of M. Schwarz (Ansfelden, Austria) for permission to study the type material of F. Invrea from Egypt, which was crucial for the identification of Physetopoda species from United Arab Emirates. This research was performed with support of ASL and the grant of RFBR No. 11-04-00624 and the grant of the Far Eastern Branch of RAS No. 12-I-П30-03. REFERENCES
Key to the South Palaearctic Species of Physetopoda portschinskii Species-group (Males) 1. Notauli wide, transversally rugose. Scuto-scutellar sulcus longitudinally rugose. Volsellar cuspis without long apical setae oriented along gonostyle. Median apical projection of sternum 8 (hypopygium) acuminated and much longer than lateral ones (figure, b). Body length 6.0–8.6 mm. United Arab Emirates ............................... Ph. tschernovi sp. nov. —Notauli not wide, not transversally rugose. Scutoscutellar sulcus smooth, not longitudinally rugose. Volsellar cuspis with few long apical setae oriented along gonostyle. Median apical projection of sternum 8 (hypopygium) obtuse and scarcely longer than lateral ones (figure, e) .................................. 2. 2. Head ferruginous-red with ocellar triangle and frons medially black to brown. Second abscissa of Rs of fore wing more than 2.0 times as long as 3rd abscissa of Rs. Volsellar cuspis of genitalia narrower ENTOMOLOGICAL REVIEW Vol. 94 No. 4 2014
1. Bischoff, H., “Monographie der Mutilliden Afrikas,” Archiv für Naturgeschichte 86A (1–3), 1–480 (1920), 86A (4–5), 481–830 (1921). 2. Invrea, F., “Descrizione di nuovi apterogynidi e mutillidi dell'Egitto con note su altre species della regione (Hymenoptera: Apterogynidae et Mutillidae),” Mem. Soc. Entomol. Italiana 38, Suppl. (Gridelli), part 2, 197– 214 (1960 (1959)). 3. Invrea, F., “Studi sugli Apterogynidi e Mutillidi della Palestina (Hymenoptera),” Mem. Soc. Entomol. Italiana 44, 53–93 (1965). 4. Lelej, A.S., Catalogue of the Mutillidae (Hymenoptera) of the Palaearctic Region (Dal’nauka, Vladivostok, 2002) [in Russian]. 5. Lelej, A.S., Catalogue of the Mutillidae (Hymenoptera) of the Oriental Region (Dal’nauka, Vladivostok, 2005) [in Russian]. 6. Lelej, A.S. and van Harten, A., “Order Hymenoptera, Family Mutillidae. Subfamilies Ticoplinae and Dasylabrinae,” in Arthropod Fauna of the United Arab Emirates. Vol. 3, Ed. by Harten, A. van (Dar Al Ummah Printing, Publishing, Distribution & Advertising, Abu Dhabi 2010), pp. 468–479.
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7. Lelej, A.S. and van Harten, A., “Mutillidae (Hymenoptera) of the United Arab Emirates. Part 2. Genus Dentilla Lelej,” Russ. Entomol. J. 20 (3), 299–302 (2011). 8. Lelej, A.S. and van Harten, A., “Order Hymenoptera, Family Mutillidae. Genus Physetopoda Shuster, 1949,” in Arthropod Fauna of the United Arab Emirates. Vol. 5, Ed. by Harten, A. van (Dar Al Ummah Printing, Publishing, Distribution & Advertising, Abu Dhabi 2013), pp. 505–520.
9. Suárez, F.J., “Especies nuevas o poco conocidas de la fauna Mediterránea (Hym.: Apterogynidae, Mutillidae),” Mem. Soc. Entomol. Italiana 37 (2), 109–116 (1958). 10. Van Harten, A., “Collecting Methods and Localities,” in Arthropod Fauna of the United Arab Emirates. Vol. 1, Ed. by Harten, A. van (Dar Al Ummah Printing, Publishing, Distribution & Advertising, Abu Dhabi, 2008), pp. 14–32.
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