Dentilla Lelej in Lelej et Kabakov, 1980

Lelej, Arkady S., 2025, Revision of the genus Dentilla Lelej in Lelej et Kabakov, 1980 (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Zootaxa 5633 (2), pp. 288-315 : 289-291

Dentilla Lelej in Lelej et Kabakov, 1980

Dentilla Lelej in Lelej & Kabakov, 1980: 195, ♂, ♀ (as subgenus of Smicromyrme Thomson, 1870 ); Lelej 1985: 190, ♂, ♀; Lelej & Brothers 2008: 19; Brothers & Lelej 2017: 95, ♂, ♀; Pagliano et al. 2020: 170; Gadallah et al. 2020: 145; Lelej & Williams 2023: 111, ♂, ♀.

Ephutomma (non Ashmead, 1899): André 1900: 136 (♂ non ♀) (partim, as subgenus of Mutilla Linnaeus, 1758 ); 1902: 19 (♂ non ♀) (partim); Bischoff 1920: 144 ♂ non ♀) (partim).

Eremomyrme (non Suárez, 1965): Invrea 1965: 90, ♂

Edrionotus (partim): Radoszkowski 1885: 33, ♂; Nagy 1972: 4 (♀) (as subgenus of Smicromyrme Thomson, 1870 ).

Smicromyrme : Skorikov 1935: 312, ♂, part.

Type species. Mutilla erronea André, 1900 , ♂, by original designation (junior subjective synonym of Mutilla curtiventris André, 1901 according to Pagliano & Strumia (2007: 69), resurrected to valid species by Lelej & Yildirim (2009: 15).

Diagnosis. MALE. Inner eye margin with weak notch. Mandible strongly widened apically, quadridentate, rarely tridentate, beneath with large subbasal tooth; preapical inner teeth equal to apical one or larger than it. Clypeus concave, anterior border usually with protruding medial part. Stigmatic cell 1.4 × distance between base of stigmatic cell and origin of base RS on Sc. T2 with long lateral felt lines, S2 with short (reduced) lateral felt lines. FEMALE. Head not widened posterad, posteriorly rounded. Mandible tridentate. Meso- and metafemur with two row of well developed setae. Pronotum with protruding humeral part, distinctly wider than propodeum. Scutellar scale more or less developed. T2 with one or three basal spots of pale setae, rarely with basal band of pale setae. Pygidial area widely triangular, carinated laterally, surface with divergent striae.

Sex association. The female of the type species was associated and identified (as Mutilla curtiventris André, 1901: 269 ) by Pagliano & Strumia 2007: 69; and collected in copula in Turkey ( Lelej & Yildirim 2009).

Species-groups included. ErrОПеа, dichroa and saharica species-groups are proposed here. For diagnosis see the key to the species below.

Diversity and distribution. Twenty species (11 based on males only, four based on females only, and five known from both sexes) are recognised predominantly from the Palaearctic Region; there are six Afrotropical species (two of which penetrate from the Palaearctic); and Dentilla irana Lelej, 1985 and D. malinka ( Nurse, 1903) occur in the Palaearctic and Oriental Regions.

Remarks. All but two of the species are dull brown in color and apparently nocturnal in their behavior. These nocturnal species are somewhat commonly encountered in arid habitats from North Africa east to India ( Lelej 2002, 2005). The more colorful diurnal species occur mainly in the Mediterranean ( Lelej 2002). Lelej’s (1985) key includes about half of the currently recognized species.

Key to the species of Dentilla

Males

(unknown in arabica , malinka , socotrana , and speciosa )

1. Ocelli small, OOD 6–7 × diameter of lateral ocellus. The head is black. Wings are dark. (Durnal) ( erronea species-group) .. ................................................................................................... 2

– Ocelli large, OOD 2 × diameter of lateral ocellus. The head is reddish-brown. Wings are hyaline with darkened apex or preapical area. (Nocturnal)............................................................................. 3

2. Mesosoma ferruginous-red with blackish mesopleuron beneath. Metasoma with pale band on T3–4 and pale apical fringe on T1–2. T7 apically rounded. 7.5–14.0 mm. Albania, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, Syria, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, North Macedonia, Italy (including Sicily), Algeria.......... 1. D. еrrопеа (André, 1900) ( = curtiventris auct., cretica Nonveiller )

– 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. 9.5–12.0 mm. Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Palestine...................................................................................... 2. D. persica ( Sichel et Radoszkowski, 1869)

3. Anterior border of clypeus with a narrow medial projection whose dorsal length is about equal to its width ( dichroa species-group) .............................................................................................. 4

– Anterior border of clypeus with a broad medial projection whose dorsal length is about half its width ( saharica species-group)............................................................................................ 10

4. Basal half of T2 with coarse elongate foveae mixed with longitudinal striae. 7.2–12.0 mm. UAE, Oman............................................................................. 8. D. rasnitsyni Lelej in Lelej & van Harten, 2011

– Basal half of T2 at least with dense separate punctures....................................................... 5

5. POD:OOD ratio 0.5–0.6 ×, ocelli small. Upper carina of mandible weak, mandible almost flat. Longitudinal carina between antennal tubercles and base of clypeus scarcely visible. 7.5–8.5 mm. Iran................ 5. D. beludzhistana Lelej, 1985

– POD:OOD ratio 0.8 × and more, ocelli large. Upper carina of mandible high. Longitudinal carina between antennal tubercles and base of clypeus well developed...................................................................... 6

6. First subbasal tooth of mandible inside with long carina approximately equal to distance from base of carina to base of mandible .................................................................................................... 7

– First subbasal tooth of mandible inside with short carina much less than the distance from base of this carina to the base of mandible........................................................................................... 8

7. Second subbasal tooth of mandible located approximately in the middle between first subbasal tooth and apical tooth. Distance between posterior ocellus and occipital carina 2.0 × POD. 6.9–12.3 mm. Yemen, Saudi Arabia................................................................................... 10. D. ehrenbergi Lelej in Lelej & van Harten, 2006

– Second subbasal tooth of mandible located closer to first subbasal tooth than apical tooth. Distance between posterior ocellus and occipital carina 1.73 × POD. 6.9–12.3 mm. Yemen ( Socotra, Samha)..................................................................................................... 11. D. purcharti Lo Cascio, Romano & Grita, 2012

8. T7 apically with weak notch. T1 length less than its maximal width............................................. 9

– T7 apically rounded. T1 length more than its maximal width.—Height of lower subbasal tooth of mandible approximately equal to smallest distance between notch and upper carina of mandible. Metasoma pale towards apex. 7.5–11.0 mm. Iran, India, Pakistan......................................................... 4. D. irana Lelej, 1985 ( = kompantsevi Lelej )

9. Lower subbasal lobe of mandible invaginated below, height of subbasal tooth more than smallest distance between notch and upper carina of mandible ( Fig. 26 ). 9.5–13.0 mm. Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt (Sinai)...................... 3. D. dichroa ( Sichel et Radoszkowski, 1869) ( = sabulosa Skorikov )

– Lower subbasal lobe of mandible scarcely invaginated below, height of subbasal tooth less than smallest distance between notch and upper carina of mandible ( Fig. 30 ). 7.2–9.9 mm. Iran (Isfahan)...................... 6. D. dehghanii sp. nov.

10. Whole body light yellow-brown.—Propodeum abrupt, reticulate with median dorsal longitudinal cell distinctly delimited posteriorly by two denticles. 10.4 mm. Yemen, Saudi Arabia............................. 16. D. testacea ( Klug, 1829)

– At least metasoma dark brown or blackish................................................................. 11

11. Mandible below with large apical lobe ( Fig. 67 ). Length of first metasomal segment 1.2 × its maximum width. 7.2–10.0 mm. South Iran......................................................... 17. D. osteni Lelej in Lelej & Osten, 2004

– Mandible below without large apical lobe or with weak apical widening. Length of first metasomal segment less than its maximum width..................................................................................... 12

12. OOD slightly larger than diameter of lateral ocellus.—Head darker than mesosoma. Metasternum bidentate with median notch. Mandible below with weak apical widening. Body length 9.0–12.0 mm. India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkmenistan; Oman, United Arab Emirates.................................. 15. D. sabulicola ( Skorikov, 1935) ( = zаrudnуi Lelej )

– OOD nearly 2 × diameter of lateral ocellus................................................................ 13

13. T1 pale, strongly contrasting with the dark T2. Mandible tridentate with lower subbasal tooth. Body length 9.0–11.0 mm. Algeria, Sudan.................................................................... 20. D. bischoffi sp. nov.

– T1 dark or slightly red. Mandible quadridentate with lower subbasal tooth....................................... 14

14. Legs pale, slightly brownish. 8.0– 12.5 mm. Western Sahara, Algeria, Morocco......... 14. D. saharica ( Giner Mari, 1945)

– Legs black.—Medial cell of propodeum not bordered posterad by carina........................................ 15

15. Propodeum shorter, posterior face abrupt. 12.0 mm. Libya, Egypt.....................18. D. semirubra ( Bischoff, 1920)

– Propodeum longer, posterior face gentle. 12.0 mm. Tunisia..........................19. D. gabesiana ( Bischoff, 1920)

Females

(unknown in beludzhistana , bischoffi , ehrenbergi, gabesiana , irana , osteni , purcharti , rasnitsyni , saharica, semirubra , and testacea )

1. T2 without basal medial spot or band of pale setae. 5.5–6.5 mm. Yemen ( Socotra)............................................................................................ 12. D. socotrana Lo Cascio, Romano & Grita, 2012

– T2 with basal medial spot or band of pale setae............................................................. 2

2. T4–5 with black setae................................................................................. 3

– T4–5 with pale setae................................................................................... 4

3. Mesosoma black or dark brown, dorsum dark red with dense yellowish-white setae. Pygidial area wide ( Fig. 23 ). 9.2–12.0 mm................................................ 2. D. persica ( Sichel et Radoszkowski, 1869) ( = ursina Nagy )

– Mesosoma ferruginous to brownish red, with sparse golden or silvery setae dorsally. Pygidial area narrow ( Fig. 19 ). 7.0–9.0 mm.......................................................................... 1. D. erronea (André, 1900)

4. Eye located at about same distance from articulation of mandible and posterior margin of vertex. Ratio of smallest distance between eyes to longitudinal eye diameter 1.6–1.8. T2 with basal medial spot of pale setae........................... 5

– Eye closer to posterior margin of vertex than to articulation of mandible. Ratio of smallest distance between eyes to longitudinal eye diameter 1.3. T2 with basal band of pale setae 7.0–9.0 mm...................... 15. D. sabulicola ( Skorikov, 1935)

5. Length T2 0.8 × its maximal width ( Fig. 33 ). 9.0–10.0 mm................ 3. D. dichroa ( Sichel et Radoszkowski, 1869)

– Length T2 0.9–0.95 × its maximal width ( Fig. 42 )........................................................... 6

6. Species from India. 4.0– 5.9 mm. India (Gujarat, Maharashtra)........................... 9. D. malinka ( Nurse, 1903)

– Species from Palaearctic and Arabian Peninsula............................................................. 7

7. Pygidial area longitudinally striate, striae slightly divergent apically. 7.0 mm. Yemen........13. D. arabica ( Hammer, 1962)

– Pygidial area granulose at least in apical half............................................................... 8

8. Mesosoma dorsally with coarse punctures; scutellar scale larger (dark), with distinct tubercles around scutellar scale. 7.0– 7.5 mm. Afghanistan................................................................ 7. D. speciosa ( Lelej, 1980)

– Mesosoma dorsally with reticulate punctures; scutellar scale smaller (less visible), without distinct tubercles around scutellar scale. 6.4–7.2 mm ................................................................. 6. D. dehghanii sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 24–32. Dentilla, males. 24–28. D. dichroa, Iran, Shiraz. 29–32. D. dehghanii sp. nov., holotype. 24, 29. Habitus, dorsal view; 25, 31. Habitus, lateral view; 26, 30. Mandible; 27. Head, face veiw; 28. Genitalia, ventral view; 32. Genitalia, dorsal view.

FIGURES 55–67. Dentilla, males. 55–57. D. saharica. 58–62. D. rasnitsyni, paratype. 63. D. irana (=kompantsevi, holotype). 64. D. ehrenbergi, holotype. 65–67. D. osteni, paratype. 55. Habitus, dorsal view; 56. Habitus, lateral view; 57. Head, face view; 58. Genitalia, ventral view; 59, 63, 66. Mandible, dorsal view; 60, 67. Mandible, face view; 61. Forewing; 62. Hind wing; 64, 65. Genitalia ventrally, left part, inner view. (58–62 from Lelej & van Harten 2011; 63 from Lelej 1995; 64 from Lelej & van Harten 2006; 65–67 from Lelej & Osten 2004).

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.

FIGURES 33–38. Dentilla, females. 33–35. D. dichroa (=sabulosa Skorikov, 1935), Iran, Shiraz. 36–38. D. sabulicola Skorikov, 1935, holotype. 33, 36. Habitus, dorsal view; 34, 37. Habitus, lateral view; 35, 38. Pygidial area, dorsal view.

FIGURES 39–44. Dentilla, females. 39–41. D. speciosa Lelej, 1985, holotype. 42–44. D. dehghanii sp. nov., paratype. 39, 42. Habitus, dorsal view; 40, 43. Habitus, lateral view; 41, 44. Pygidial area, dorsal view.