Bidecoloratilla leopoldina Invrea 1955, comb. nov.
Creators: name: Turrisi, Giuseppe Fabrizio
name: Palmerini, Maurizio Matteini
name: Brothers, Denis J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Mutillidae
Bidecoloratilla
Bidecoloratilla leopoldina

description: Bidecoloratilla leopoldina (Invrea, 1955), comb. nov.
(Figs 25–27)
Mutilla (Myrmilla) Chiesii [sic] var. halensis: André, 1901a: 201 (♀) (key, redescription). Misidentification, possibly of this species.
Myrmilla Leopoldina Invrea, 1955a: 104 (♂, ♀).
Myrmilla leopoldina var. picticephala Invrea, 1955a: 107 (♂, ♀) (infrasubspecific, name unavailable).
Bisigilla Leopoldina: Invrea 1964: 83 (♂, ♀).
Bisigilla Leopoldina var. picticephala: Invrea 1964: 86 (♂, ♀).
Myrmilla (Bisigilla) leopoldina: Schembri 1983: 25 (♂, ♀).
Bisigilla leopoldina: Monastra 1990: 211 (♂, ♀).
Bisigilla leopoldina var. picticephala: Monastra 1990: 211 (♂, ♀).
Bisigilla leopoldina: Matteini Palmerini 1992: 201 (♂, ♀).
Bisigilla leopoldina f. picticephala: Matteini Palmerini 1992: 201 (♂, ♀).
Blakeius leopoldinus: Turrisi 1999: 126 (♂, ♀); Lelej 2002: 30 (catalogued); Lo Cascio & Romano 2004: 230 (♂, ♀); Pagliano & Strumia 2007: 48 (♂, ♀); Koçak & Kemal (2008): 12 (listed); Koçak & Kemal (2009): 20 (listed).
Type locality. “Domus de Maria” (Sardinia, Italy).
Type material examined. Lectotype (present designation): ♂ labelled “Sardegna, Domus de Maria, 15– 30.6.1954, L. Ceresa / Typus / Myrmilla Leopoldina n. sp. olotypus, Determ. F. Invrea / Museo Civico di Genova / Myrmilla leopoldina leopoldina Invrea, B. Petersen det. 1987 / Museo Genova, coll. F. Invrea (acquisto 1973)” (MSNG). Paralectotypes (present designation): 1♂ labelled “Sardegna, Domus de Maria, 15– 30.6.1954, L. Ceresa / Cotypus / Myrmilla Leopoldina Invr. ♂, Determ. F. Invrea / Museo Civico di Genova / Myrmilla leopoldina leopoldina Invrea, B. Petersen det. 1987 / Museo Genova, coll. F. Invrea (acquisto 1973)” (MSNG); 3♂ labelled “Sardegna, Domus de Maria, 15– 30.6.1954, L. Ceresa / Paratypus / Museo Genova, coll. F. Invrea (acquisto 1973) (MSNG); 1♂ labelled “Sardegna, Domus de Maria, 15– 30.6.1954, L. Ceresa / Paratypus / Museo Civico di Genova / Myrmilla leopoldina leopoldina Invrea, B. Petersen det. 1987 / Museo Genova, coll. F. Invrea (acquisto 1973)” (MSNG); 1♀ labelled “Sardegna, Domus de Maria, 15– 31.7.1954, L. Ceresa / Allotypus / Myrmilla Leopoldina n. sp. allotypus, Determ. F. Invrea / Museo Genova, coll. F. Invrea (acquisto 1973)” (MSNG); 4♀ labelled “Sardegna, Domus de Maria, 15– 30.6.1954, L. Ceresa / Paratypus / Museo Genova, coll. F. Invrea (acquisto 1973)” (MSNG); 1♀ labelled “Sardegna, Domus de Maria, 15– 30.6.1954, L. Ceresa / Cotypus / Myrmilla Leopoldina Invr. ♀, Determ. F. Invrea / Museo Genova, coll. F. Invrea (acquisto 1973)” (MSNG); 1♂ labelled “ Paratypus / Sardegna, Domus de Maria, 15– 30.6.1954, L. Ceresa / Myrmilla Leopoldina Invr. ♂, Determ. F. Invrea / MNCN Cat. Tipos N° 12339 / MNCN _Ent, N° Cat. 59550” (MNCN); 1♀ labelled “ Paratypus / Sardegna, Domus de Maria, 15– 30.6.1954, L. Ceresa / Myrmilla Leopoldina Invr. ♀, Determ. F. Invrea / MNCN Cat. Tipos N° 12339 / MNCN _Ent, N° Cat. 59552” (MNCN).
Additional material examined of infrasubspecific name. Myrmilla Leopoldina var. picticephala: 1♂ labelled “Sardegna Domus de Maria, 15–30.VI.1954, L. Ceresa leg. / Typus / M. Leopoldina v. picticephala, Olotypus, Determ. F. Invrea / Museo Civico di Genova / Museo Genova, coll. F. Invrea (acquisto 1973) / Myrmilla leopoldina leopoldina Invrea, B. Petersen det. 1987” (MSNG); 1♀ labelled “Sardegna Domus de Maria, 15– 30.VI.1954, L. Ceresa leg. / Typus / M. Leopoldina v. picticephala, Allotypus, Determ. F. Invrea / Museo Genova, coll. F. Invrea (acquisto 1973)” (MSNG); 1♀ labelled “Sardegna Domus de Maria, 15–30.VI.1954, L. Ceresa leg. / Cotypus / M. Leopoldina Invr. v. picticephala Invr. ♀, Determ. F. Invrea / Museo Genova, coll. F. Invrea (acquisto 1973)” (MSNG); 4♀, 3♂ labelled “Sardegna Domus de Maria, 15–30.VI.1954, L. Ceresa leg. / Paratypus / Museo Genova, coll. F. Invrea (acquisto 1973)” (MSNG); 2♂ labelled “Sardegna Domus de Maria, 15–30.VI.1954, L. Ceresa leg. / Paratypus / Museo Civico di Genova / Museo Genova, coll. F. Invrea (acquisto 1973) / Myrmilla leopoldina leopoldina Invrea, B. Petersen det. 1987” (MSNG); 1♀ labelled “ Paratypus / Sardegna, Domus de Maria, 15– 30.6.1954, L. Ceresa / Myrmilla Leopoldina Inv. var. picticephala Inv., Determ. F. Invrea / MNCN Cat. Tipos N° 12309 / MNCN _Ent N° Cat. 59555” (MNCN).
Additional material examined. ITALY: 1♀, Sardinia, Cagliari, Orto Botanico, vii.1936, F. Hartig leg. (MSNG); 1♀, 4♂, Sardinia, Cagliari, Capo Spartivento, 15–16.vi.1985, M. Matteini Palmerini leg. (MPCR); 13♀, 9♂, Sardinia, Cagliari, Baia Chia, 8–22.vi.1985, M. Matteini Palmerini leg. (MPCR); 1♂, Sardinia, Cagliari, Elmas, vii.1997 (MRCP); 1♀, same data except ix.1997 (MRCP); 2♀, 2♂, Sardinia, Cagliari, Stagno Molentargius, 25.viii.1987, P. Leo leg. (MRCP); 2♀, Sardinia, Oristano, Su Pallosu, 12.vi.1985, M. Matteini Palmerini leg. (MPCR); 13♀, same data except 24.vi.1989 (MPCR); 1♂, Sardinia, Olbia-Tempio, Aglientu, Serra Tamburu, 15– 31.vii.1986, M. Matteini Palmerini leg. (MPCR); 3♀, Sardinia, Sassari, Valledoria, 15–30.vi.1989, M. Matteini Palmerini leg. (MPCR); 1♀, Sardinia, Domus de Maria, 15–31.vii.1954, L. Ceresa [leg.] [det. F. Invrea and D.J. Brothers] (DJBC); 1♀, same locality, vii.1955, L. Ceresa / M. Leopoldina v. picticephala Inv. [probably identified by F. Invrea] (IBSS); 1♂, Sicily, Isole Eolie, Lipari, Pianoconte, 7.vi.1997, G.F. Turrisi leg. (UCTC); 1♂, Sicily, Palermo, Bosco del Cappelliere, 22.vii.1984, F. Torretta leg. (MSNG); 1♂, Sicily, Caltanissetta, Mazzarino, 12.vii.1987, R. Arnone leg. (MSNG); 1♀, Sicily, Enna, Agira, locality Tre Fontane, 26.iv.2009, G.F. Turrisi leg. (UCTC); 1♀, Sicily, Catania, Etna, Milo, Piano Bello, 1100 m, 24.v.2003, G.F. Turrisi leg. (UCTC); 1♂, Sicily, Etna, Zafferana Etnea, Monte Zoccolaro, 1600 m, 30.viii.1995, G.F. Turrisi leg. (UCTC); 2♂, Sicily, Catania province, Piana di Catania, Primosole, 20.vii.1996, G.F. Turrisi leg. (UCTC). MALTESE ISLANDS: 1♀, Malta, Batar-ic-Cagtag, 29.vii. [19]77, S.P. Schembri [leg.] (MNCN); 1♀, same data / Myrmilla leopoldina Invr., J. Suárez det., 1980 (IBSS); 1♂, Malta, Gtain Ritana, 7.ix. [19]77, J.L. Schembri [leg.] (MNCN); 1♀, Malta, Fort St. Lucian (Marsaxllokk), 11.ix.1976, J. Schembri [leg.] (MNCN); 1♀, Malta, Mellieha, 6.v.1965, K.M. Guichard [leg.] (BMNH); 1♀, Gozo, Ramla, 8.xii.2002, G. Sama leg. (MRCP). TUNISIA: 4♀, Tunisi dint. [environs], 1.ii.1882, G. e L. Doria leg. (MSNG); 1♀, same data except 27.ix.1882, Elena [leg.] (MSNG); 2♂, Kairouan, 1919, F. Santschi [leg.] (MNCN); 2♀, same locality and collector, 1917 (MNCN); 3♀, 1♂, Tebourba, 11.vi. [19]61, G. Nonveiller [leg.] (MNCN); 1♀, Tunisi, Sidi Bou Said, 30.iv.1973, J. Gusenleitner leg. (MNCN); 1♀, Hammamet, 26.iv.1955, P.M.F. Verhoeff [leg.] (MNCN); 1♀, Djebel Mrhila, De Vauloger [leg.], Coll. E. Saunders, 1910 (BMNH); 15♀, 1♂, Nabeul, 10–11.IX.1987, M. Matteini Palmerini leg. (MPCR); 1♀, Tunisia, Vauloger [leg.] (MNHN); 1♀, Hammam-Lif, 1.v. [19]62, G. Nonveiller [leg.] [identified as Bisigilla chiesi iberica by G. Nonveiller, det. by D.J. Brothers] (DJBC). ALGERIA: 1♀, Algerie without other data, Standr.[leg.] (MNCN).
Redescription. ♀ (paralectotype, Italy: Sardinia, Domus de Maria). Length: 5.6 mm. Colour. Head dark reddish brown with moderately dense mixed erect and recumbent setae, dark brownish on dorsal areas, whitish on clypeus, mandible, antenna and ventral area; antennal rim (tubercle) reddish; clypeus dark reddish orange; mandible dark reddish orange with inner margin darker and apex blackish; antenna with A1 and A2 dark reddish orange, remaining part much darker; mesosoma reddish orange, except sides and ventral part, extensively darker; legs reddish orange; metasoma blackish with moderately dense, long, mixed erect and recumbent whitish mostly brownish and blackish setae; T2 with two round wide cuticular faint yellow spots, very close to anterior margin, diameter of each spot more than their distance from each other; T3 with broad whitish pubescent band, entire; T4 without pale pubescent band. Head shiny, with coarse, deep and moderately dense (frons) to dense punctures (distance between punctures 0.5–2.0 × puncture diameter); head width/length: 1.15; head width/pronotum width: 1.40; genal area (dorsal view) moderately long, margin slightly square toward occiput; gena (lateral view) with lower half slim, strongly angulate, bearing fair evident denticle; gena length/eye length: 1.00; frontal carina not touching inner margin of eye; antennal rim well exposed, recognizable in dorsal view; supra-antennal tooth absent; clypeus triangle shaped, moderately wide (axis of lateral process about at level of antennal insertion), prominent dorsally, anterior margin weakly concave with developed acute denticle laterally; postgena (behind oral fossa) weakly concave; oral fossa long (width less than length); mandible tridentate, without inner basal tooth; inner apical tooth equal in size to mid apical tooth; ratios A2:A3:A4 = 5:8:5. Mesosoma length/width: 1.4; coarsely punctate dorsally, side polished and shiny; humeral angle square, slightly pointed, with epomial carina weak, far from pronotal spiracle; fore coxa slender, apex bearing acute ventral denticle; mid and hind tibia with three dorsal pre-apical spines arranged in single row. Metasoma ovoidal, slender, shiny, punctate, punctures very dense, moderately coarse to coarse (on cuticular spots); T2 1.20 × as wide as long; S6 flat.
♂ (lectotype). Length: 6.0 mm. Colour. Head dark reddish brown with moderately dense mixed erect and recumbent setae, dark brownish on dorsal areas, whitish on clypeus, mandible, antenna and ventral area; antennal rim (tubercle) reddish; clypeus dark reddish orange; mandible dark reddish orange with inner margin darker and apex blackish; antenna with A1 and A2 reddish orange, remaining part darker; mesosoma reddish orange, except sides and ventral part, extensively darker; legs reddish orange; metasoma blackish with moderately dense, long, mixed erect and recumbent whitish mostly brownish and blackish setae; T2 with two round small cuticular yellow spots, very close to anterior margin, diameter of each spot about half their distance from each other; T3 with broad whitish pubescent band, entire; T4 without pale pubescent band. Head shiny, with coarse, deep and moderately dense (frons) to dense punctures (distance between punctures 05–2.0 × puncture diameter); head width/length: 1.13; head width/pronotum width: 1.23; genal area (dorsal view) moderately long, margin moderately convergent and slightly square toward occiput; gena (lateral view) convex, slightly angulate, without denticle; gena length/eye length: 1.13; longitudinal frontal furrow absent; antennal rim well exposed, recognizable in dorsal view; clypeus triangle shaped, moderately wide (axis of lateral process about at level of antennal insertion), regularly convex dorsally, anterior margin fairly concave with developed acute denticle, laterally; ocelli well developed, distance between anterior and posterior ocelli equal than distance between posterior ocelli; OOL:POL = 1.10:1.00; postgena (behind oral fossa) weakly concave; oral fossa long (width less than length); mandible tridentate, with wide and prominent inner basal tooth, larger than inner apical tooth; ratios A2:A3:A4 = 5:10:8. Mesosoma length/width: 1.8; coarsely punctate dorsally, except propodeum, coarsely areolate-rugose, mesopleuron concave, shiny, polished; humeral angle square angulate, slightly pointed; sutures of mesoscutum reduced but well distinct; mesoscutum flat; mesoscutellum weakly defined, flat; propodeum (dorsal view) fairly more than pronotum width; tegula subcircular, strongly reduced and weakly recognizable; wings completely absent; fore coxa slender; mid and hind tibia without pre-apical spines. Metasoma ovoidal, slender, shiny, punctate, punctures very dense, fine to coarse (on cuticular spots); T2 1.26 × as wide as long; S2 with pad-shaped process in middle on ventral surface; S8 elongate with sides strongly convergent toward apex, distal margin emarginated medially, length/width 1.18, with small and weak medial tooth-like process on ventral surface; genital capsule: paramere harpe straight apically; cuspis of volsella stout, shield-shaped, sharply pointed, strongly convex, ending below mid length of paramere harpe, without longitudinal carina; digitus of volsella equal in length of cuspis; midventral process of penis valve short and almost straight.
Intraspecific variation. Examined 91♀, 43♂. Female. Length: 3.6–6.3 mm; the colour is moderately variable, whereas the size is more variable; the head is blackish with dark reddish tones in most specimens, very frequently with a wide reddish spot on the vertex and occiput (specimens referred to as B. leopoldina var. picticephala); the antenna has the basal antennomeres (A1–A3) reddish orange to reddish and the remaining antennomeres progressively darkened toward apex, dark reddish to blackish; the mesosoma is reddish orange, with the sides concolourous to fairly darkened; the legs are reddish to dark reddish with the femora slightly to moderately darker to uniformly blackish with reddish tones (e.g., in the African specimens); the cuticular spots on T2 are pale yellow (weakly evident) to light lemon yellow (evident), variable in size (distance between spots 0.7–1.2 × diameter of each spot); in a specimen from Algeria the spots are very small but evident, distance between spots about 3.0 × diameter of a spot; in a few specimens these spots are weak, but never obsolescent. Male. Length: 3.7–6.3 mm; the colour is moderately variable, whereas the size is more variable, similarly to the female; some North African specimens are entirely darkended; the head is blackish in most specimens, sometimes with reddish tones and frequently with a moderately wide reddish spot on the vertex and occiput (specimens referred to as B. leopoldina var. picticephala); the antenna has the basal antennomeres (A1–A2, sometimes A1–A3) reddish orange to reddish and the remainder blackish; the mesosoma is reddish orange, with the sides concolourous to moderately darkened, including the propodeal declivity; the legs are reddish to dark reddish with the femora slightly to moderately darker, to extensively blackish with reddish tones (e.g., in the African specimens); the size of the process on S2 is variable, almost pad-shaped to moderately raised, but very weak in some specimens; the cuticular spots on T2 are mostly pale yellow (weakly evident), rarely light lemon yellow (evident), small to very small in most specimens (distance between spots 1.0–3.2 × diameter of each spot, mostly 2.0–3.0); in a few specimens these spots are weak, but never obsolescent.
Distribution. Europe: Italy (Peninsular?, Sicily, including Egadi Islands: Levanzo and Marettimo and Aeolian Islands: Lipari; Sardinia, including Sant’Antioco Island). Maltese Islands: Malta, Gozo and Comino. North Africa (*): Tunisia, Algeria (Fig. 37).
Remarks. Invrea (1955a) did not indicate the exact number of type specimens nor the specimen selected as holotype. He mentioned approximately 120 specimens of which about 20 males and about 20 females having the head blackish, the remainder with reddish vertex which he described as “ Myrmilla Leopoldina var. picticephala ”. In the Invrea collection (MSNG) there is a long series of type specimens, from which we have examined thirteen, one of them (♂) bearing a blue handwritten label by Invrea with the indication “ Typus ”, the others being labelled differently as “allotypus”, “cotypus”, “ paratypus ”. Additional paratypes are stored in the Suárez collection (examined) (MNCN). In our opinion, all the type specimens of Myr. leopoldina should be properly regarded as syntypes, from which we formally designate the lectotype ♂ (labelled as “ Typus ”, MSNG), the remaining becoming paralectotypes, mostly stored in MSNG and partly in MNCN (see material examined).
Invrea (1955a) considered the specimens having the head and some other parts of the body, e.g., antennae and legs, extensively reddish, merely as a colour variety (described as “ Myrmilla Leopoldina var. picticephala ”), followed by some authors (Invrea 1964; Monastra 1990; Matteini Palmerini 1992). We agree with such treatment, because the specimens with this colour pattern (purported type series examined, see above) are otherwise similar to those having the head entirely blackish and the other part of the body darker, and in our opinion they are all conspecific. Although the “var.” described by Invrea (1955a: 107) is an addition to a binomen, thus putatively of subspecific rank, the author clearly gave it an infrasubspecific rank considering it merely as a colour variety; according to Articles 45.5 and 45.6 of ICZN (1999), this infrasubspecific name must be regarded as not available.
The species is newly recorded from Africa (Tunisia and Algeria). It is recorded from Peninsular Italy, Tuscany and Latium (Monastra 1990: 211; Pagliano & Strumia 2007); we have examined specimens of Bid. leopoldinanegrei group from several Regions of Peninsular Italy: Marche, Latium, Abruzzo, Apulia, Campania and Calabria (including those from Marche identified as Blakeius leopoldinus in the “Forum Entomologi Italiani”, http:// www.entomologiitaliani.net/public/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=20414), but they clearly all belong to Bid. negrei. Therefore, we consider the records of Bid. leopoldina for Peninsular Italy at least doubtful, for possible misidentifications of Bid. negrei.
Biology. Based on the material examined, the species was observed from February to September (female) and June to September (male). The finding of a female specimen in the first half of December, Maltese Island, Gozo is remarkable.
description: Published as part of Turrisi, Giuseppe Fabrizio, Palmerini, Maurizio Matteini & Brothers, Denis J., 2015, Systematic revision and phylogeny of the genera Blakeius Ashmead, 1903 and Liomutilla André, 1907, with description of two new genera (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae, Myrmillinae), pp. 1-78 in Zootaxa 4010 (1) on pages 50-56, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4010.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/289318