Tobantilla Casal 1965
Creators: name: Williams, Kevin A.
name: Brothers, Denis J.
name: Pitts, James P.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Mutillidae
Tobantilla

description: Tobantilla Casal, 1965
(Figs 1–39)
Tobantilla Casal, 1965. Rev. Soc. Mex. Hist. Nat. 25: 209–215.
Type species. Tobantilla montonera Casal, 1965, by original designation.
Diagnosis. FEMALE. Distinguished from all other New World mutillid genera by the following combination of characters: the mesosoma is dorsally flattened or concave in lateral view and has a well defined scutellar scale; the dorsal and posterior propodeal faces are more or less perpendicular and usually separated by lateral transverse carinae; the tibial spurs are white or yellow, being paler than the tibiae and tarsi; the first metasomal segment is clearly petiolate and posteriorly constricted.
MALE. Distinguished from other New World mutillid genera by the following combination of characters: the clypeus is anteriorly produced into either a medial tooth or a shallowly emarginate plate; the axillae are impunctate and asetose postero-dorsally and truncate posteriorly; the first metasomal segment is petiolate and posteriorly constricted; S2 lacks a median seta-filled pit; the pygidium is margined with posterolateral carinae; and brachyplumose setae are present, especially obvious on the head, propodeum and basal metasomal segments.
Description. FEMALE. T2 with paired pale integumental spots. Head. Broadly transverse, dull, vertex and gena shallowly and coarsely reticulate, mostly clothed with stout lanceolate decumbent setae and scattered slender finely brachyplumose erect setae. Occipital carina well developed dorsally. Vertex posterolaterally with a subtriangular glabrous tubercle merging with occipital carina. Eye circular, protruding, ommatidia distinct. Antennal tubercles smooth, basally contiguous. Antennal scrobe with lateral carina, without dorsal carina. Clypeus with complete strong setose transverse carina above short smooth transverse concave area, ventral margin straightish medially. Malar space almost as high as combined length of pedicel + flagellomere 1. Genal carina weak, irregular, ventrally reaching hypostomal carina and dorsally not reaching vertex. Hypostomal carina distinct, even, ending laterally at posterior mandibular condyle. Proboscidal and mandibular fossae narrowly confluent anteriorly; proboscidal fossa about 0.6 × length of ventral surface of head. Scape simple, punctate above. Pedicel slightly longer than wide, shorter than first flagellomere; first flagellomere much longer than wide, longer than second. Mandible nearly straight, tapering distad, unidentate apically, unarmed ventrally. Maxillary palp 6-segmented; labial palp 4-segmented; intermediate palpomeres slightly expanded apicad. Mentum smooth, weakly convex. Mesosoma. Slightly elongate, coffin-shaped, widest at pronotal spiracle. Dorsum dull, shallowly and coarsely reticulate, clothed with stout lanceolate decumbent setae and scattered slender finely brachyplumose erect setae. Pronotal dorsal face (excluding anterior collar/flange) with anterior margin almost straight, weakly carinate, epaulet dentate, humeral angle blunt; anterior face and collar longitudinally striate. Posterodorsal margin of pronotum faintly indicated by very weak ridge, specially laterally. Scutellar scale strong, protruding, basally interrupting well developed metathoracic-propodeal suture. Propodeal disk short, posteriorly carinate on each side, distinct from and perpendicular to posterior declivity. Lateral face of pronotum densely and finely punctate, clothed with fine decumbent setae; pronotal-mesopleural suture scarcely discernible. Mesopleuron anteriorly finely and sparsely punctate, posteriorly reticulate, with fine decumbent setae. Metapleuron finely punctate, clothed with fine decumbent setae. Metapleural-propodeal suture obliterated dorsal to endophragmal pit. Lateral face of propodeum almost entirely smooth and shining, with a few fine decumbent setae ventrally; posterior face reticulate dorsally, smooth ventrally, with stout lanceolate decumbent setae near dorsal margin, scattered finely brachyplumose erect setae ventrally. Metasternal process triangular, unidentate acute apically, as long as metacoxal height. Legs. Tibial spur formula 1-2-2. Foreleg with tarsal comb, a few long strong articulated spines on posterior/lateral margins of tarsomeres. Mid- and hind tibiae each with two rows of prominent spines, about 4 spines in each row, apical spines not inserted on any process; subapically with small inconspicuous secretory pore near base of inner spur; apical spurs broad, finely and deeply pectinate. Metacoxa with weak irregular longitudinal carina on inner/posterior margin. Metasoma. T1 about as wide as long, <0.5 × width of T2, almost parallel-sided in dorsal view, oblique anterior and horizontal dorsal faces distinct, with fine decumbent pubescence and brachyplumose erect setae; anterior auricle prominent, dentate. T2 clothed with laterally flattened lanceolate setae medially between pale spots and in apical band; lateral felt line broad, about 0.3 × as long as T2 laterally. T3–5 clothed with lanceolate decumbent setae. T6 with well defined longitudinally striate pygidial area. S1 with strong simple median carina. S2 without felt line.
MALE. Without defined pubescent or integumental spots. Head. Broadly transverse, at least as wide as mesosoma, surface shiny, densely punctate, clothed with simple decumbent and brachyplumose erect setae. Occipital carina distinct. Vertex weakly swollen and produced behind ocelli. Eye transversely ovate, protruding, ommatidia distinct. Ocelli small, but median ocellus distinctly larger than lateral ocelli. Antennal tubercles simple, mostly smooth, contiguous. Antennal scrobe broadly concave to eye margin, with prominent complete flangelike transverse carina above. Clypeus with anterior/ventral lobelike process medially. Malar space about half basal height of mandible, about as long as pedicel. Gena ecarinate. Hypostomal carina distinct but weak, even, ending laterally at posterior mandibular condyle. Proboscidal and mandibular fossae very narrowly confluent anteriorly; proboscidal fossa about 0.6 × length of ventral surface of head. Scape strongly bicarinate anteriorly. Pedicel about as long as wide, shorter than first flagellomere, which much shorter than second flagellomere. Mandible tapering, bidentate apically, unarmed ventrally, in dorsal/anterior view with lateral margin broadly and obtusely angulate at midlength and almost straight basally and apically. Maxillary palp 6-segmented; labial palp 4-segmented; intermediate palpomeres slightly flattened and expanded apicad. Mentum smooth, with distinct median longitudinal carina. Mesosoma. Surface shiny, densely punctate except smooth on anterior face of pronotum, axillar tooth, metapleuron and lateral face of propodeum, and reticulate on remainder of propodeum; clothed with simple decumbent setae and brachyplumose erect setae. Pronotal dorsal face (excluding anterior collar/flange) with anterior margin almost straight, weakly carinate medially above depression on anterior face, epaulet scarcely evident, humeral angle blunt. Posterodorsal margin of pronotum broadly V-shaped. Tegula ovate, evenly convex, almost entirely smooth and glabrous. Mesoscutum with notaulus forming an elongate depression on posterior fifth at most, parapsis almost indistinguishable; posterolateral corner forming a raised lobe continuous with axilla. Scutellum pulvinate. Axilla laterally produced as a prominent obliquely projecting blunt tooth. Metanotum simple, transverse. Propodeum strongly convex, disk and declivity fairly distinct in lateral view. Metasternal process unidentate, acute, almost as long as metacoxal height. Wings. Forewing with moderate ovate sclerotized pterostigma; marginal cell short, truncate apically; two closed submarginal cells. Legs. Tibial spur formula 1-2-2. Mid- and hind tibiae each with a few strong spines and several strong slender semi-erect macrosetae dorsally, apical spines not inserted on any process; subapically with small secretory pore near base of inner spur; apical spurs almost cylindrical, densely clothed with microsetae. Metacoxa with weak irregular longitudinal carina on inner/posterior margin, there with patch of erect plumose setae. Metasoma. T1 petiolate, longer than wide, <0.5 × width of T2, posteriorly weakly constricted in dorsal view, oblique anterior and horizontal dorsal faces distinct, punctate with finely brachyplumose erect setae; anterior auricle moderate, forming rounded oblique flattened lobe. T2 punctate, with brachyplumose erect and narrowly lanceolate semi-decumbent setae; felt line broad and long. T3–6 punctate, with brachyplumose to simple erect and narrowly lanceolate semi-decumbent setae. T7 punctate with simple to brachyplumose narrowly lanceolate erect setae basally; pygidial area distinct, convex, with apical marginal carina. Sterna punctate with brachyplumose to simple erect to semi-decumbent setae. S1 with weak longitudinal carina. S2 simple, evenly convex, without felt line. S7 very short, almost entirely concealed. Hypopygium long with median lobe or tooth on posterior margin. Genitalia. Paramere and/or cuspis with long shaggy plumose erect setae. Paramere elongate, more or less cylindrical, acute, dorsally recurved apically. Parapenial lobe well developed. Cuspis deeply divided near base, both components cylindrical; digitus at least as long as cuspis. Penis valve asetose, bidentate apicoventrally, teeth separated.
Distribution. This genus likely occurs throughout South America, except Chile. It is recorded from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, and Venezuela (Fig. 39).
Remarks. We agree with Casal’s (1969) discussion regarding the males of Tobantilla. The Tobantilla males described below were collected in countries where Tobantilla females occur, are similar in size to Tobantilla females and, like Tobantilla females, have brachyplumose setae on the scape, clypeus, posterior head margin, posteroventral propodeal face and base of T1–2.
Currently, none of the Tobantilla species is known from both sexes. When biological observations, molecular data, or large series become available, sex associations can be made and some species described below may need to be synonymized.
Many members of Dasymutilla Ashmead, 1899, particularly those from the D. monticola species-group, closely resemble this genus. They are generally small bodied, have a well developed scutellar scale and orange head and mesosomal integument in females, and have at least T2 reddish and the head and mesosoma clothed with silver and black setae in males. Tobantilla can be separated from Dasymutilla by the male genitalic structure and by the dorsally flattened mesosoma in females. Additionally, none of the Dasymutilla that could easily be confused with Tobantilla is found in South America.
description: Published as part of Williams, Kevin A., Brothers, Denis J. & Pitts, James P., 2011, New species of Tobantilla Casal, 1965 and a new genus and species, Gogoltilla chichikovi gen. et sp. nov., from Argentina (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), pp. 41-68 in Zootaxa 3064 on pages 42-44, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.278958