Dentilla sabulicola ( Skorikov, 1935 )

Lelej, Arkady S., 2025, Revision of the genus Dentilla Lelej in Lelej et Kabakov, 1980 (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Zootaxa 5633 (2), pp. 288-315 : 308

15. Dentilla sabulicola ( Skorikov, 1935)

( Figs 36–38 )

Smicromyrme sabulicola Skorikov, 1935: 313 , 316, tab. 1, fig. 8; tab. 3, fig. 8, ♀, holotype, ♀, "г. Бампур и его окрестн., ЮВ ПерсиЯ, 12–18.IV.1901, Зарудный" [ Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan, Bampur and its vicinities, 12–18.IV.1901, N. Zarudny] [ ZIN], examined.

Smicromyrnme (Dentilla) sabulicola : Lelej & Kabakov 1980: 195, ♀.

Dentilla sabulicola : Lelej 1985: 196, ♀; 2002: 52, ♀; Pagliano et al. 2020: 171, ♀.

Dentilla sp. 1 : Lelej & van Harten 2011: 301, ♀.

Dentilla zarudnyi Lelej, 1985: 195 , ♂, holotype, Eastern Iran " Керман, страна Саргад, ДуЗаб, 16–18.V.1901, Н.Зарудный" [ Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan] [ ZIN], examined; 2002: 52; Lelej & Osten 2004: 257, ♂; Lelej & van Harten 2011: 301, ♂; Pagliano et al. 2020: 171; Gadallah et al. 2020: 146, ♂. Syn. nov.

Diagnosis. MALE. Anterior border of clypeus with broad medial projection whose dorsal length is about half its width. Mandible below with weak apical widening. OOD slightly larger than diameter of lateral ocellus. Head darker than mesosoma. Metasternum 2-toothed with medial notch. Body length 9.0–12.0 mm. FEMALE. T2 with broad basal band of long appressed silvery setae. T4–5 with pale setae. Eyes closer to posterior margin of vertex than to articulation of mandible. Ratio of smallest distance between eyes to longitudinal diameter of eye is 1.3 ×. Body length 7.0–9.0 mm.

Material examined. (557♂, 6♀). Type material. Holotypes of Smicromyrme sabulicola Skorikov, 1935 , ♀ and Dentilla zarudnyi Lelej, 1985 , ♂ [ ZIN] and 62 paratypes of D. zarudnyi Lelej, 1985 , ♂ from Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan [ ZMMU, ZIN, IBSS, NHMD, MZLU]. Additional material. Iran: 58 ♂ ( Lelej & Osten 2004) . United Arab Emirates: 424 ♂ and 3♀ . Oman: 5 ♂ ( Lelej & van Harten 2011) . Iran: Yazd Prov., ca 23 km SW Kharanaq, 1600 m, on light, 32°11ʹN 54°30ʹE, A. Timokhov, 1♂ [ IBSS]; Horrnozgan, Bila'i , 13–14.V.1977 (loc. no. 329), 1♀, Exped. Nat. Mus. Praha [Praha] . Pakistan: Baluchistan, Taftan-Quetta road, 160 km W of Quetta, 22.VI.2003, S. Ovtchinnikov, 3♂; 490 km W of Quetta , 26.VII.2005, S. Ovtchinnikov, 1♂ [ ZIN] . India: Rajasthan, 15 km W Jaisalmer , 24.VIII.2004, on light, T. Osten, 1♂ [ IBSS] . United Arab Emirates: Jebel Hafeet, 293 m, Green Mub dam, 24°03ʹ18.5ʺN, 55°26ʹ36.9ʺE, 4.XI.2010, 1♀, H. Roberts [ IBSS] . Oman: South of Sur , 15 km W of Al Askharah, 13.III.2015, M. Snižek, 1♂ [ IBSS] .

Distribution. Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan (new record), India (new record), Turkmenistan ( Lelej 2002); Oman, United Arab Emirates ( Lelej & van Harten 2011).

Natural history. This nocturnal species inhabits mountainous areas, i.e. stony deserts, and is rarely found in sandy deserts.

Remarks. The record of D. zarudnyi from Yemen ( Lelej & van Harten 2011) was incorrect; this species was not recorded by Lelej & van Harten (2006) from Yemen, nor by Lo Cascio et al. (2012) from Socotra.

The female of D. zarudnyi Lelej, 1985 may eventually be recognized as D. sabulicola ( Skorikov, 1935) due to its co-occurrence in Iran (Sistan & Baluchestan: Bampur and its vicinities, 14♂, 1♀, 12–18.IV.1901, N. Zarudny), and United Arab Emirates (Wadi Bih dam, 19♂, 1♀, 30.IV–4.VI.2008, LT, leg. A.van Harten). There is no direct evidence (pair collected in copula) to support this relationship.

Figures

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.