Mickelomyrme chinensis ( Smith, 1855 )

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 : 40-42

Mickelomyrme chinensis ( Smith, 1855)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0A34468C-70F8-47C6-82C6-ACC4805AA38Curn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:223CAAB6-C68D-4DFF-AC86-7C7678BFD5FA

( Figs 13A–13F)

Mutilla chinensis Smith, 1855: 38 , ♀, holotype ♀ (North China) [NHMUK]; Dalla Torre 1897: 23; André 1902b: 38.

Mutilla exacta Smith, 1879: 201 , ♂, holotype ♂ (Shanghai, China) [NHMUK]; Dalla Torre 1897: 38; André 1902b: 39. Synonymized by Zhou et al. (2018a: 25) under Mickelomyrme chinensis ( Smith, 1855) .

Smicromyrme chinensis : Mickel 1933c: 318, ♀; Wu 1941: 134; Hammer 1949: 11, ♀; Yasumatsu 1951: 70, ♀; Chen 1957: 208, ♀; Lelej 2002: 73; He et al. 2004: 948; Lelej 2005: 58; Hua 2006: 301.

Smicromyrme exacta : Mickel 1933c: 323, ♂; Yasumatsu 1948: 73, ♂; Chen 1957: 201, ♂; He et al. 2004: 950, ♂.

Mickelomyrme exacta : Lelej 1995a: 17; Lelej 1996d: 285, ♂; Lelej 2002: 54; Lelej 2005: 43; Hua 2006: 300; Brothers & Lelej 2017: 58, ♂.

Mickelomyrme chinensis : Zhou et al. 2018a: 25, ♂ ♀; Okayasu et al. 2018: 303, ♀; Williams et al. 2019b: 7, ♀; Okayasu 2020: 44; Pagliano et al. 2020: 175; Nguyen & Dang 2024: 57, ♀; Boutin & Vilhelmsen 2024: supplementary table S2, S3, ♀.

Material examined. 21♂ 6♀. Vietnam: CAO BANG: Nguyen Binh, Thanh Cong , 22°32'0"N 105°52'10.4"E, 7.VIII.2012, J. Kojima, H. Nugroho & IED-c [= Insect Ecology Department’s collector] leg. [1♂ IEBR] ; Nguyen Binh , Phia Oac-Phia Den NP, 22°34'17"N 105°32'30"E, 1032 m, 15.VI.2022, IED-c [= Insect Ecology Department’s collector] leg., Malaise trap [1♀ IEBR], 30.VI.2022 [1♂ IEBR] ; Nguyen Binh, Phia Oac-Phia Den NP, 22°34'19"N 105°52'33"E, 1044 m, 1.VI.2023, TTN [= Tran Thi Ngat] leg. [4♂ IEBR] ; TUYEN QUANG: Na Hang Res. [ervoir], 16–24.V.1997, S. Peck leg. [1♂ FSCA] ; BAC KAN: Ba Be National Park, Ba Be (200 m alt.), 22– 23°N 105– 37°E, 1.V.2006, R. Matsumoto leg. [1♂ OMNH] ; VINH PHUC: Tam Dao , 900–1200 m alt., 30.IV.1998, R. Matsumoto leg. [1♂ OMNH] ; Trai Trâu, Me Linh, Doc đuờng mờn. 100m, 24.V.2000, N.T.P. Lien leg. [1♂ IEBR] ; Tam Dao , 1050–1175 m, 14–17.VI.2007, C. v. Achterberg & R. de Vries leg., malaise [1♂ RMNH] ; Tam Dao , 21°27'52"N 105°38'46"E, 1200 m, 19–22.VI.2014, M. Hauser & N. von Ellenrieder leg., malaise [3♂ CSCA] ; Tam Dao, Tam Dao NP,> 950 m, VII.2022, Student of HNU [= Hanoi National University] leg. [1♀ IEBR] ; Phúc Yên, Ng ọc Thanh , Melinh Biodiversity Station , 21.3884995°N 105.712599695°E, 68 m alt., 6.VI.2023, L.T.P. Nguyen et al. leg. [1♀ IEBR] ; NINH BINH: Cuc Phuong , 200–300 m alt., 4.VI.1997, R. Matsumoto leg. [2♂ OMNH], 24.IV.1998 [1♂ OMNH], 25.IV.1998 [1♂ 1♀ OMNH] ; Cuc Phuong National Park , 20°21'01"N 105°35'35"E, 13–17.VI.2014, M. Hauser & N. von Ellenrieder leg., hand collect [1♀ CSCA] ; Cuc Phuong N. P., Nho Quan , 500 m, 20.348°N 105.598°E, 9–11.VIII.2016, Y. Komeda & T. Mita leg., yellow pan trap, 314/BTTNVW [1♀ ELKU] ; HA TINH: Vu Quang, Vu Quang NP, Co RS, 18°17'45"N 105°22'30"E, 78 m, 21.IV.2022, NTPL [= Nguyen Thi Phuong Lien] & TTN [= Tran Thi Ngat] leg. [1♂ IEBR] ; THUA THIEN HUE: Phu Loc District, Phu Loc Town, Bach Ma National Park , 1350–1443 m, 10.V.2015, O. Tominaga leg. [1♂ OMNH] ; DAK LAK: Chu Yang Sin NP, near dam, 800–940 m, 2–10.VI.2007, C. v. Achterberg & R. de Vries leg., malaise [1♂ RMNH] .

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

Previous record. This species was recorded from Ninh Binh and Vinh Phuc by Nguyen & Dang (2024) and Zhou et al. (2018a).

Distribution. China. Indonesia. Laos. Thailand. Vietnam: Cao Bang *, Bac Kan *, Tuyen Quang *, Vinh Phuc, Ninh Binh, Ha Tinh *, Thua Thien Hue*, Dak Lak *.

Occurrence in Vietnam. April to August. South China-Vietnam subtropical evergreen forests, Northern Vietnam lowland rain forests, Northern Annamites rain forests, and Southern Annamites montane rain forests ecoregions. 68–1200 m alt. Forest opening ( Fig. 30A).

Sex association. This species was initially described from the female only. The male was described as Mutilla exacta Smith, 1879 and was associated by Zhou et al. (2018a) based on males and females collected at the same place and time.

Remarks. This species is larger in body size than any other Mickelomyrme species and is apparently the only Mickelomyrme species without lateral setal spots on the second metasomal tergum of females. Most males of M. chinensis have the legs orange in color ( Figs 13A, 13B); the individuals from Dak Lak and Thua Thien Hue, however, have black legs ( Figs 13C, 13D). In all other features, these individuals are apparently identical to typical Mi. chinensis males.