Review of the genus Promecidia Lelej, 1996, with description of two new species from China (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae, Trogaspidiini)

Abstract

Eleven species of Promecidia Lelej, 1996 are reviewed and keyed, and the diagnosis of the genus is given. The genus Promecidia is newly recorded from China and Promecidia abnormis Lelej, sp. n. (China: Guangdong, Hainan) and Promecidia chui Lelej & Xu, sp. n. (China: Yunnan, Hainan) are described and illustrated. New combination is proposed for Promecidia boopis (Kohl, 1882), comb. n. (from the genus Petersenidia Lelej, 1996). New status is proposed for Promecidia saturnia (Mickel, 1935), stat. n. and Promecidia samawangensis (Mickel, 1935), stat. n.

Phylogeny and higher classification of Mutillidae (Hymenoptera) based on morphological reanalyses

“…7), both Karlissaidia and Trogaspidia were non-monophyletic. In the case of Karlissaidia, this is not surprising since our allocation of K. sexmaculata to this genus was based on a putative but highly likely association of male and female specimens collected at the same time and place, and differed from its position in Lelej's (2005) catalogue of Oriental species (there placed in Radoszkowskius Ashmead, actually Wallacidia, the currently valid name for the genus, see Lelej and Brothers 2008). Trog aspidia is recognized as needing revision; several genera or subgenera were proposed by Nonveiller (1995) as a first attempt at subdividing it, and we therefore limited our choice of exemplars to a few Afrotropical species expressly included in Trogaspidia s.s., so it is surprising that its two versions emerged as paraphyletic.…”

“…The subtribe is Afrotropical, Oriental and Palaearctic in distribution, with 10 genera; females are known for 100% and males for 60% of the taxa. It should be noted that Standfussidia Lelej, originally described as a pseudomethocine based on the female only (see Lelej, 2005), is similar in appearance to a small Ronisia, and falls here (Appendix 4).…”

“…The subtribe is Neotropical, Oriental, Nearctic, Afrotropical, Palaearctic and Australian in distribu-tion, with 12 sub/genera (but Ephuta and relatives are New World, and Odontomutilla and relatives are Old World, the two components of the subtribe thus not only being morphologically but also biogeographically distinct); females are known for 50% and males for 83% of the taxa. It should be noted that Cockerellidia Lelej & Krombein and Karlidia Lelej, originally described as pseudomethocines based on females only (see Lelej, 2005), are actually close to Odontomutilla and thus fall here (Appendix 4).…”

“…Although the arrangement and taxonomic levels of the taxa near the bases of the trees is very similar (excepting the consideration of Myrmosinae to include Kudakrumiinae or not), the major differences between the schemes are as follows (DB = Brothers, LN = Lelej & Nemkov): DB considers Dasylabrini as a tribe within Sphaeropthalminae and sister to the remaining Sphaeropthalminae, but LN has Dasylabrinae as a subfamily sister to Ephutinae, and both sister to Sphaeropthalminae; DB considers Ephutini as a tribe within Mutillinae, and not closely related to Odontomutilla and relatives (which DB places in Mutillina), which are placed as a tribe within Ephutinae by LN; apart from the exclusion of Ephutinae from Mutillinae by LN, DB's subtribe Smicromyrmina is divided into three tribes (Trogaspidiini, Petersenidiini and Smicromyrmini) by LN, although retained in Mutillinae. These differences are obviously potentially confusing, specially when they occur in major manuals and catalogues; for example, DB's classification was used in a manual of world Hymenoptera (Brothers 1993), manuals of Neotropical Hymenoptera (Brothers 2006a(Brothers , 2006b), a catalogue of Neotropical mutillids (but considering Myrmosidae as distinct) (Nonveiller 1990), and LN's classification was used in catalogues of Palaearctic and Oriental Mutillidae (Lelej 2002(Lelej , 2005) and a catalogue of Malagasy Mutillidae . Consequently, in 2008 Brothers contacted Lelej and suggested that they collaborate on a new, more comprehensive, analysis of mutillid diversity with the aim of deriving a revised single and mutually agreed classification.…”

Three new species and one new country record of velvet ants (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae) from Thailand

“…In Thailand, studies of velvet ants (Mutillidae) are rare and a systematic nation-wide survey is still crucial to study the diversity of these wasps in the country. Before 2019, Thai velvet ants were only discussed in catalogs or revisions of various genera in the Oriental Region (Lelej and Krombein 1999;Lelej 2005;Lelej et al 2016Lelej et al , 2017Okayasu et al 2018Okayasu et al , 2021a) and 33 species were recorded from Thailand (25 known from females). The first survey focused on Thailand was written by Williams et al (2019) and treated female specimens in southern Thailand.…”