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Type: Article
Published: 2015-05-13
Page range: 49–58
Abstract views: 44
PDF downloaded: 2

Frigitilla gen. nov., a new genus of Amazonian Mutillidae (Hymenoptera)

Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia, Laboratório de Hymenoptera, Av. André Araújo, 2936, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
Florida State Collection of Arthropods, Division of Plant Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 1911 SW 34th St., Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
Laboratório de Biologia Comparada de Hymenoptera, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná. Caixa Postal 19020, 81531-980 Curitiba, PR, Brazil
Universidade Federal do Acre, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Natureza, Coordenação do Mestrado em Ecologia e Manejo de Recursos Naturais, Distrito Industrial, 69915-900, Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil
Sphaeropthalminae Sphaeropthalmini velvet ants Traumatomutilla Tobantilla trap nests Crabronidae Trypoxylon

Abstract

Mutilla frigidula Cresson, 1902 was transferred to Tobantilla by Williams et al. (2011), based on morphological similarities with females of that genus. Discovery of the male of this species indicated significant morphological differences from Tobantilla. We therefore erect the genus, Frigitilla gen. nov., for Mutilla frigidula. Herein, we describe the male of F. frigidula (Cresson, 1902), comb. nov., associate it with its host (Trypoxylon spp.), and discuss its relations to other mutillid genera. The impact of collecting method and specimen age on the integumental coloration of specimens is discussed, emphasizing the need to diagnose species on consistent structural features rather than differences in color pattern.