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Type: Article
Published: 2019-05-23
Page range: 201–224
Abstract views: 113
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Four new species of Australian velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae, Aglaotilla) reared from bee and wasp nests, with a review of Australian mutillid host records

School of Biology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009 School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, GPO BoxU1987, Perth, WA 6845
School of Biology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009
School of Biology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009
School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209 South Africa.
Hymenoptera Taxonomy Sphaeropthalminae Dasymutillini parasitoids DNA barcoding host records lectotype designation

Abstract

Four species of velvet ants (Mutillidae) were reared from nests of solitary bees and wasps collected using trap nests in southwest Australia and identified using morphological and DNA barcoding approaches. All four species, Aglaotilla micra sp. nov., A. lathronymphos sp. nov., A. chalcea sp. nov. and A. schadophaga sp. nov., are described as new, the last three from both sexes. A. micra, A. lathronymphos and A. chalcea are parasitoids of wasps in the genera Pison and Aulacophilinus (Crabronidae), with A. chalcea also recorded from Paralastor (Vespidae). Aglaotilla schadophaga is a parasitoid of bees in the genus Megachile (Megachilidae). The biologies and known hosts of Australian Mutillidae are reviewed. Photographs are also provided of type material for Ephutomorpha aeneidorsis Turner, 1914 (=Aglaotilla discolor Brothers, 2018), Mutilla metallica Smith, 1855 and Ephutomorpha subelegans Rayment, 1933. The lectotype of E. subelegans is formally designated.

 

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