Wallacidia oculata ( Fabricius, 1804 )

Okayasu, Juriya, Lelej, Arkady S., Williams, Kevin A., Brabant, Craig M., Nguyen, Lien Thi Phuong, Nguyen, Anh Duc, Pham, Thai Hong & Truong, Tuong Thi Cat, 2025, Current knowledge on the velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae, Myrmosidae) of Vietnam: faunal review and new distributional records, Zootaxa 5668 (1), pp. 1-104 : 79-80

Wallacidia oculata ( Fabricius, 1804)

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urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D6CE4207-144E-4C3A-9653-58552D649359

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( Figs 28A–28D)

Mutilla oculata Fabricius, 1804: 432 , ♀, holotype ♀ ( China) [ZMUC]; Olivier 1811: 60, ♀; Sichel & Radoszkowski 1869: 229, ♀; Dalla Torre 1897: 68; André 1902b: 40; Bingham 1903: iii, ♂; Bingham 1905: 35.

Mutilla novarae de Saussure, 1867: 106 , ♀, holotype ♀ ( Hong Kong , China) [NHMW]; Dalla Torre 1897: 67; André 1902b: 40. Synonymized by Mickel (1933c: 308) under Timulla oculata ( Fabricius, 1804) .

Mutilla malayana Cameron, 1901: 16 , ♂, holotype ♂ (Bukit Besar, Jalor, District of Patani State, Malay Peninsula, [ Malaysia]) [NHMUK]; André 1902b: 71. Synonymized by O’Toole (1975: 232) under Timulla oculata oculata ( Fabricius, 1804) .

Mutilla skeati Cameron, 1901: 17 , ♀, holotype ♀ (Kuala Aring, State of Kelantan, Malay Peninsula, [ Malaysia]) [NHMUK]; André 1902b: 41. Synonymized by Mickel (1933a: 395) under Timulla philippinensis malayana ( Cameron, 1901) . Resurrected to valid species status by Mickel (1935: 230). Synonymized by O’Toole (1975: 232) under Timulla oculata oculata ( Fabricius, 1804) .

Mutilla dimidiata Lepeletier, 1845 : Bingham 1905: 35. Misidentification.

Mutilla amartana Zavattari, 1913: 28 , ♂ ♀, lectotype ♀ (Taihanroku [= Taipan], [Taitung], Formosa [= Taiwan]) [ZMNB], designated by Mickel (1933a: 391); Yano 1932: 327, ♂ ♀; Hirayama 1937: 114, pl. 56, ♂ non ♀. Synonymized by Hammer (1949: 4) under Trogaspidia oculata ( Fabricius, 1804) .

Timulla (Trogaspidia) philippinensis amartana : Mickel 1933a: 391, ♂ ♀; Suzuki 1934: 24; Mickel 1935: 229, ♂ ♀.

Timulla (Trogaspidia) philippinensis malayana : Mickel 1933a: 395, ♂ ♀; Mickel 1935: 230, ♂.

Mutille [sic] amartana : Kato 1934: pl. 42, ♂ ♀.

Timulla (Trogaspidia) philippinensis skeati : Mickel 1935: 230, ♀.

Timulla (Trogaspidia) oculata : Mickel 1933c: 308, ♀; Yasumatsu 1938b: 346, ♂; Wu 1941: 136; Yasumatsu 1948: 83, ♀.

Trogaspidia oculata : Hammer 1949: 4, ♀; Hill 1982: 84, ♀.

Trogaspidia oculata oculata : Chen 1957: 164, ♂ ♀; He et al. 2004: 966, ♂ ♀.

Trogaspidia oculata amartana : Chen 1957: 164, ♂ ♀; Tsuneki 1972b: 6, ♂ ♀; Murota 1973: 119, ♂; Tsuneki 1993: 47, ♂ ♀.

Timulla oculata oculata : O’Toole 1975: 232, ♂ ♀.

Trogaspidia oculata amortana [sic]: Sabi et al. 1977: 42, ♂. Incorrect subsequent spelling.

Radoszkouskius oculata : Lelej 1996b: 17, ♂ ♀; Lelej 2005: 84.

Radoszkouskius oculatus: Hua 2006: 300.

Wallacidia oculata : Lelej & Brothers 2008: 64; Pagliano 2011: 46, ♀; Lo Cascio 2015: 564; Barthélémy et al. 2018: 239 , ♂ ♀; Okayasu et al. 2018: 305: ♀; Williams et al. 2019b: 47 , ♀; Pagliano et al. 2020: 295; Thaochan et al. 2022: 164, ♂ ♀; Nguyen & Dang 2024: 62, ♂ ♀; Boutin & Vilhelmsen 2024: supplementary table S2, S3, ♀; Barthélémy & Guénard 2025: 78, ♂ ♀.

Material examined. 25♂ 17♀. Vietnam: CAO BANG: Nguyen Binh, Tinh Tuc, Phia Oac NP, 20°37'41"N 105°54'41"E, 897 m, 7.V.2021, T.T. Ngat leg. [1♀ IEBR] ; Ha Lang, Dong Loan , bat cave, 22°44'50"N 106°44'44"E, 405 m, 20.IX.2023, NTPL [= Nguyen Thi Phuong Lien] & TTN [= Tran Thi Ngat] leg. [1♀ IEBR] ; LAO CAI: Sapa , ca. 1500 m, 18.V.2003, Y. Arita leg. [1♀ TUA] ; TUYEN QUANG: Pac Ban [= Thác Pác Ban], 23.V–2.VI.1996, D.C. Currie, D.C. Darling & J. Rhydderch leg., Malaise trap (fine) no pans, ROM 963074 [1♂ ROM] ; BAC KAN: Tonkin [= North Vietnam], Bae Kan [= Bac Kan], 1907, P. Lemee leg. [1♀ RBINS] ; THAI NGUYEN: Na Hau Village , forest, open site, 21°35'N 105°36'E, 7.XI.2001, Sk. Yamane leg. [2♀ IBSS] ; Minh Tien , X.2006, Khat Dang Long leg., MT [= Malaise trap] [1♂ IEBR] ; LANG SON: Huu Lung, Huu Lien NR, 21°39'33"N 106°21'48"E, 227 m, 30.VII.2022, Hoang Doan Phu leg. [1♂ IEBR] ; DIEN BIEN: Dien Bien, N 21.26.43 E103.02.42, 24.VIII.2006, L.T.P. Nguyen, F. Saito & J. Kojima leg. [1♂ IEBR] ; SON LA: To Hiep, Cotton , 7.X.2000, Truong Xuan Lam leg. [1♂ IEBR] ; VINH PHUC: Tam Dao , foothill, 400 m, 12–13.V.2002, S. Belokobylskij leg. [1♂ IBSS] ; Tam Dao NP, 21°26'N 105°37'E, 20.VIII.2005, J. Kojima leg. [1♂ IEBR] ; Meninh Biodiversity Station : 21.38438°N 105.71241°E, 60 m, 29.V–5.VI.2013, L.G. Bezark leg., beating vegetation [2♀ CSCA] ; Meninh Biodiversity Station , 21°23'18"N 105°42'46"E, 23–25.VI.2014, M. Hauser & N. von Ellenrieder leg., hand collected [1♂ CSCA] ; Ngoc Thanh, Me Linh Bio-Station , 21°23'01.7"N 105°42'40.7"E, 21–30.V.2020, IED’s coll. [= Insect Ecology Department’s collector] leg., MT [= Malaise trap] [8♂ IEBR], 1–10.VII.2020 [1♀ IEBR] ; Ngoc Thanh, Me Linh Bio-Station , 21°38'96"N 105°71'27"E, 21–30.V.2021, IED’s coll. [= Insect Ecology Department’s collector] leg., MT [= Malaise trap] [1♂ IEBR] ; Tam Dao , 21.440811°N 105.616088°E, 383 m alt., 7.VI.2023, L.T.P. Nguyen leg. [2♀ IEBR] ; HANOI: Ba Vi, Ba Trai, Lam Nghiep , Danh bat doc duong, 8.VII.2017, NTPL [= Nguyen Thi Phuong Lien] & LVT [= Lam V. Tinh] leg. [1♂ IEBR] ; HAI PHONG: Cat Ba, Cat Ba NP, 27.VI–3.VII.2023, Student of HNU [= Hanoi National University] leg. [1♂ IEBR] ; HA TINH: Vu Quang, Vu Quang NP, along the stream, 18°16'32"N 105°22'19"E, 91 m, 8.VII.2023, TXL [= Truong Xuan Lam], NTPL [= Nguyen Thi Phuong Lien], NQC [= Nguyen Quang Cuong] & TTN [= Tran Thi Ngat] leg. [1♂ IEBR] ; QUANG TRI: A Ngo Đakrong, 31.V.06, 150–200 m [1♂ IEBR] ; THUA THIEN HUE: Bach Ma , ca. 800 m, 10.VI.2002, Y. Arita leg. [1♀ TUA] ; A Luoi, Hong Trung , 600 m, 31.V.2006, ISD [= Insect Systematic Department] leg. [1♂ IEBR] ; DA NANG: Hoâ Tho , 9.III.2022 [1♀ IEBR] ; QUANG NAM: Phuoc Son, Phuoc Hiep , <300 m, 30.VII.2004, ISD [= Insect Systematic Department] leg. [1♂ IEBR] ; KON TUM: Sa Thay, Chu Mom Ray NP, Ro Koi RS, 14°27'25"N 107°36'22"E, 267 m, 25.IV.2022, NTPL [= Nguyen Thi Phuong Lien] & TTN [= Tran Thi Ngat] leg. [1♀ IEBR] ; DAK LAK: Yok Don National Park , 24.II.1993, A. Gorochov leg. [1♀ IBSS] ; Cumga, Cusue , 30.IV.2020 [1♂ IEBR] ; DONG NAI: Bien Hoa , 14.VII.1924, R. Vitalis de Salvaza leg. [1♂ TARI] ; KIEN GIANG: U Minh Thuong, An Minh Bac, U Minh Thuong NP, 9°54'6"N 105°8'16"E, 30 m, 11.X.2023, NDA [= Nguyen Duc Anh] & TTN [= Tran Thi Ngat] leg. [1♀ IEBR] ; UNKNOWN PROVINCE: Tonkin [= North Vietnam], I.G.18.293, Coll. Oberthur [1♀ RBINS] .

Identification source. Compared with voucher specimens from China ( Chen 1957) [ TARI].

Previous record. This species was recorded from Hai Phong, Khanh Hoa, Hoa Binh, Nghe An, Quang Ninh, Vinh Phuc, and some ambiguous localities by O’Toole (1975), Lelej (1996b), and Nguyen & Dang (2024).

Distribution. Cambodia. China. Taiwan. Laos. Malaysia. Myanmar. Thailand. Vietnam: Cao Bang *, Lao Cai *, Tuyen Quang *, Bac Kan *, Thai Nguyen *, Lang Son *, Dien Bien *, Son La *, Vinh Phuc, Hanoi *, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Hoa Binh, Nghe An, Ha Tinh *, Quang Tri *, Thua Thien Hue*, Da Nang *, Quang Nam *, Khanh Hoa, Kon Tum *, Dak Lak *, Dong Nai *, Kien Giang *.

Occurrence in Vietnam. February to December. South China-Vietnam subtropical evergreen forests, Northern Indochina subtropical forests, Red River freshwater swamp forests, Northern Vietnam lowland rain forests, Northern Annamites rain forests, Southern Annamites montane rain forests, Southern Vietnam lowland dry forests, Southeast Indochina dry evergreen forests, and Tonle Sap-Mekong peat swamp forests ecoregions. 30–1500 m alt. Forest (open site).

Sex association. This species was initially described from the female only. The male was associated and diagnosed by Chen (1957), but the evidence of this association was not indicated. Lelej (1996b) examined a pair in copula and confirmed this treatment.

Remarks. Many subspecies were recognized by O’Toole (1975) from South and Southeast Asia. Lelej (1996b, 2005), however, regarded them as distinct species. Due to the large body size and wide geographic distribution, this is one of the most commonly observed velvet-ant species in Southeast Asia.