Dentilla persica ( Sichel et Radoszkowski, 1869 )

Lelej, Arkady S., 2025, Revision of the genus Dentilla Lelej in Lelej et Kabakov, 1980 (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Zootaxa 5633 (2), pp. 288-315 : 294-295

2. Dentilla persica ( Sichel et Radoszkowski, 1869)

( Figs 11–15 , 20–23 )

Mutilla persica Sichel et Radoszkowski, 1869: 160 (in key), 269 (description), ♂; syntypes 2 ♂,"Persia" [ Iran] [1 syntype in ISEA-PAN], examined by photo; André 1899a: 9, ♂; 1902: 352, ♂.

Smicromyrme persica : Invrea 1965: 87, ♂ ( Israel, Palestina).

Smicromyrme (Dentilla) persica : Lelej & Kabakov 1980: 195, ♂.

Dentilla persica : Lelej 1985: 193, ♂, ♀; 2002: 53; Lelej et al. 2003: 129; Lelej & Yildirim 2009: 15 , ♂; Pagliano et al. 2020: 171; Standfuss & Standfuss 2012: 461, 463, ♂; Lelej et al. 2022: 71, ♂, ♀.

Smicromyrme (Edrionotus) ursina Nagy, 1972: 4 , ♀, holotype, ♀, Turkey, Salt Lake (Tuz-Gölü), Ankara [Nagy's coll., depository unknown ( Kimsey & Brothers 2016)]. Syn. nov.

Smicromyrme (Dentilla) ursina : Lelej & Kabakov 1980: 195, ♀.

Dentilla ursina : Lelej 1985: 191, ♀; 2002: 52, ♀; Pagliano et al. 2020: 171, ♀.

Diagnosis. MALE. Ocelli small, OOD 6–7 × diameter of lateral ocellus. Head black. Wings dark. Mesosoma black with ferruginous-red dorsum or totally black. Metasoma with pale band on T3 and pale apical fringe on T1–2. T7 apically straight. Body length 9.5–12.0 mm. FEMALE. T2 with basal medial spot of pale setae. T4–5 with black setae. Mesosoma black or dark brown, dorsum dark red with dense yellowish-white setae. Pygidial area very wide. Body length 9.2–12.0 mm.

Material examined. (22♂, 10♀). Greece: 2♂, 5♀ ( Lelej et al. 2003). Turkey: 2♂ ( Lelej & Yildirim 2009). Azerbaijan: 3♂, 4♀ ( Lelej et al. 2022). Armenia: Arazdayan, 15.VII.1961, 10♂, 1♀, D. Panfilov [ ZMMU]; Asni, 28.VI.1971, 3♂, V. Rikhter [ IBSS] . Jordan: Wadi el Heidan, 8.V.1995, 1♂, K. Deneš [ OLML] . Palestine: 5 km W Jericho, Wadi Qelet St.Georg , 30°57ʹN 35°08ʹE, 1♂, Ch. Schmid-Egger [ IBSS] .

Distribution. Azerbaijan, Armenia, Greece, Iran, Turkey, Jordan (new record), Palestine.

Remarks. The morphological characters of Dentilla ursina ( Nagy, 1972) , ♀, especially the wide pygidial area and the shape of the head, as well as the coloration of the mesosoma, are similar to those of Dentilla persica , ♀, and I consider the former to be a synonym of the latter.

Figures

FIGURES 11–15. Dentilla persica, male. 11, 12, 15. Azerbaijan, Mardakan; 13, 14. Armenia, Asni. 11. Habitus, dorsal view; 12. Habitus, lateral view; 13. Genitalia, dorsal view; 14. Genitalia, ventral view; 15. Head, face view.

FIGURES 16–23. Dentilla, females. 16–19. D. erronea, Greece, Platania, Volos. 20–23. D. persica, Azerbaijan, Mardakan. 16, 20. Habitus, dorsal view; 17, 21. Habitus, lateral view; 18, 22. Head, face view; 19, 23. Pygidial area, dorsal view.