Traumatomutilla ursina ( Gerstaecker, 1874 )

Bartholomay, Pedro R., Williams, Kevin A., Cambra, Roberto A., Lopez, Vinícius M. & Oliveira, Marcio L., 2025, Revision of the Traumatomutilla quadrinotata species-group (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae, Sphaeropthalminae): new synonyms, sex associations, and a new species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, European Journal of Taxonomy 995, pp. 1-75 : 68-71

Traumatomutilla ursina ( Gerstaecker, 1874)

Fig. 20

Mutilla ursina Gerstaecker, 1874: 74 .

Ephuta (Traumatomutilla) ursina – André 1902: 56.

Traumatomutilla ursina – André 1904: 40.

Diagnosis

Female

In addition to the structural characters referenced in the species groups diagnosis, T. ursina can be defined by three unique features, body almost entirely covered by dense, long, brownish-black setae; lateral tubercles of mesonotum greatly reduced, as far apart as pronotal spiracles; and anterolateral corners of T2 devoid of sculpture and setae, smooth, shining.

Type material

Holotype BRAZIL • ♀; ZMB.

Other material examined (3 ♀♀)

BRAZIL – Mato Grosso • 1 ♀; Vaccaria; Nov. 1922; ZMB . – Minas Gerais • 1 ♀; Corumbai [sic]; Nov. 1963; DZUP • 1 ♀; Araxá ; 5 May 1965; C. Elias leg.; DZUP .

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 16–17 mm.

HEAD. Posterior margin almost straight. Occipital carina evenly arched and equally wide throughout. Vertex width 0.8 × pronotal width. Eye almost circular, its length in frontal view 0.9× distance from its ventral margin to mandibular condyle. Head densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate to areolate-punctate. Genal carina poorly defined, nearly vestigial. Mandible elongate, oblique, tapering slightly towards with small subapical tooth. Dorsal scrobal carina present, well defined, disconnected from antennal tubercles and lateral scrobal carina. Antennal tubercle coarsely and irregularly rugose. Flagellomere 1 3.1× pedicel length; flagellomere 2 2.0× pedicel length.

MESOSOMA. Length 0.9 × width. Mesosomal dorsum mostly concealed by dense setation, densely and coarsely areolate-punctate with apparent scabrous intervals medially where visible. Anterior surface of propodeum defined, short, slightly shorter than pronotal collar, coarsely striated longitudinally throughout with dense coarse punctures dorsomedially; dorsal surface rounded into anterior surface in lateral view. Humeral carina welldefined, projected dorsally, broadly separated from conspicuously projected angulate epaulet; anterolateral corners of pronotum sharply angulate in dorsal view. Pronotal spiracle slightly projected from lateral margin of pronotum, rounded, bulging. Lateral surface of pronotum sparsely punctate with dense micropunctures except at smooth conspicuous subacute tubercle anterior to pronotal spiracle; mesopleuron densely micropunctate anteriorly, sparsely and vestigially punctate to foveolate-punctate to areolate-punctate ventrad on mesopleural ridge; dorsal half of mesopleural ridge simply micropunctate; metapleuron unsculptured, smooth shining on dorsal fourth, densely, coarsely and confusedly areolate on basal fourth, and with concealed by dense setation elsewhere. Lateral surface of propodeum sparsely and coarsely foveolate-punctate posterad; smooth and shining anterad; with vestigially rugose intervals posterad. Ratios of width of humeral angles, pronotal spiracles, widest point of mesonotum, narrowest point of mesonotum and propodeum posterior to propodeal spiracles, 70: 77: 77:56: 53. Lateral margin of mesonotum 217 conspicuously constricted anterior to propodeal spiracle, strongly diverging anterad, medially projected, into short, inconspicuous blunt process; with very small conspicuous tubercle posterior to lateral process. Propodeal spiracle strongly projected from lateral margin of mesosoma; post-spiracular area vestigial. Scutellar scale present, reduced, as narrow as surrounding sculpture; anterolateral carinae absent; scabrous intervals present on scutellar area. Propodeum slightly elongate, dorsal surface longer than and poorly distinguished from posterior surface.

METASOMA. Ratios of width of T1, width of T2 and length of T2, 41: 84: 84. Disc of T2 mostly concealed by dense setation, densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate to punctate with dense, interspersed micropunctures where visible; foveolations sparser and micropunctures absent laterally and over integumental spots; anterolateral corners of T2 devoid of setae and sculpture, smooth, shining. T3–6 sculpture, except pygidial plate, predominantly concealed by dense setation, densely and coarsely foveolate-punctate to simply punctate with interspersed micropunctures where visible. S1 sparsely, coarsely and confusedly foveolate-punctate, surface cuneiform, ending in short blunt longitudinal carina, slightly higher medially. S2 sparsely foveolate-punctate, sculpture conspicuously sparser posteromediad; anteromedial crest-fold vestigial. S3–4 sculpture mostly concealed by dense setation, densely and finely foveolate-punctate with sparse micropunctures where visible; S4 densely foveolate-punctate; S6 sparsely foveolate-punctate. Pygidial plate subpyriform, defined by lateral carinae at apical fourth of plate; surface irregularly rugose; interstice apparently granulose.

Coloration and variations

Integument black, except antennal flagellomeres and mandibles partially reddish-brown. Body setae predominantly and very densely black to brownish-black, except the following areas with silvery-white to silvery-golden setae varying in density: mesonotum, scutellar area, and propodeal dorsum laterally; mesopleuron, metapleuron, and lateral surface of propodeum; T1 laterally, lateral felt lines of T2, lateral margins of T2, lateral areas of T2 disc, fringe of T2–4, fringe of T5 medially, S1–3, and fringe of S2–3.

Distribution

Brazil (Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso).

Remarks

Traumatomutilla ursina is unusual, especially due to the conspicuously long brownish dorsal setae and the asetose and unsculptured anterolateral portion of T2. Both these characters are unprecedented in South American Dasymutillini . Additionally, the head in frontal view seems to be wider than most Traumatomutilla species, especially related to how protuberant the eyes appear to be in frontal view. No structural or color variations were observed in the few specimens available for study, which, save for the specimen from Araxá (DZUP), have no other indication of locality except country and/or state. As mentioned before, T. ursina is one of four putative females that may be associated with either T. infernalis or T. pompiliformis .

Figures

Fig. 20. Traumatomutilla ursina (Gerstaecker, 1874), holotype, ♀ (ZMB). A. Dorsal habitus. B. Type labels. C. Lateral habitus. Scale bars = 2 mm.