Promecidia ninnii ( Magretti, 1892 )

Promecidia ninnii ( Magretti, 1892)

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( Figs 24E, 24F)

Mutilla ninnii Magretti, 1892: 211 , ♀, holotype ♀ (Monti dei Carin–Chebà (900–1100 m. s./m.) [= mountain area in Karen Hills], [ Myanmar]) [MSNG]; Bingham 1897: 11, ♀; Dalla Torre 1897: 66.

Promecidia ninnii : Lelej 2005: 81, ♀, part; Lelej et al. 2016: 116 View Cited Treatment , ♀; Williams et al. 2019b: 41 View Cited Treatment , ♂ ♀; Pagliano et al. 2020: 257; Pagliano & Scaramozzino 2021: 125, ♂; Boutin & Vilhelmsen 2024: supplementary table S2, S3, ♀.

Material examined. 3♀. Vietnam: DONG NAI: Cat Tien NP, Ficus trail, 100 m, 1–9.X.2005, C. van Achterberg & R. de Vries leg., malaise [3♀ RMNH] .

Identification source. Compared with voucher specimens from Thailand ( Williams et al. 2019b) [ CSCA].

Previous record. This species was recorded from Dong Nai by Lelej et al. (2016).

Distribution. Cambodia. Laos. Malaysia. Myanmar. Thailand. Vietnam: Dong Nai.

Occurrence in Vietnam. June, October. Southeast Indochina dry evergreen forests ecoregion. 100 m alt. Forest.

Sex association. This species was initially described from the female only. The male was recognized by Williams et al. (2019b) based on a pair in copula but has not been formally associated and described.

Remarks. This species is widespread in Indochina. However, JO recognized a morphospecies from Thailand, which is easily confused with Promecidia ninnii based on diagnostic characters discussed in Lelej et al. (2016) and Williams et al. (2019b). Some previous records may involve misidentification of this morphospecies. Careful reexamination of voucher specimens will be needed.

Genus Trogaspidia Ashmead, 1899

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Trogaspidia Ashmead, 1899: 58 , ♂ ♀; Bishoff 1920: 342, ♂ ♀; Skorikov 1935: 311; Hammer 1949: 4, ♂ ♀; Invrea 1954: 150, ♂ ♀; Nonveiller 1980: 82, ♂ ♀; Lelej 1985: 175, ♂ ♀; Nonveiller 1995: 350, ♂ ♀; Lelej 2002: 83; Lelej 2005: 87; Lelej & Brothers 2008: 63 View Cited Treatment ; Pagliano et al. 2020: 273. Type species: Mutilla medon Smith, 1855 (♂), by original designation. Synonymized by André (1902b: 32) under Mutilla Linnaeus, 1758 . Resurrected to valid genus status by Ashmead (1903: 326). Synonymized by Brothers (1975: 592) under Timulla Ashmead, 1899 . Resurrected to valid genus status by Lelej (1978: 72).

Smicromyrme (Trogaspidia) : Bradley & Bequaert 1923: 229, ♂ ♀; Bradley & Bequaert 1928: 90, ♂ ♀.

Timulla (Trogaspidia) : Mickel 1933a: 388, ♂ ♀; Mickel 1934: 143, ♂ ♀; Mickel 1935: 218, ♂ ♀; Mickel 1937a: 4, ♂; Mickel 1938: 531, ♂ ♀.

Diversity and distribution. This is one of the most speciose and widespread mutillid genera in the Old World, with about 330 species from the Afrotropical, Australasian, Oriental, and Palaearctic Regions (Lelej 2005; Pagliano et al. 2020; Brothers 2022). Fifty-three species have been recorded from East Asia including Wallacea. Although six subgenera are recognized for some of the Afrotropical species ( Nonveiller 1995), the Oriental species have not been assigned to any subgenera.

Remarks. Because of the species richness and morphological diversity, Trogaspidia species are difficult to identify. Even though there are already more than 50 species, many potential new species are recognized from East Asia (JO pers. obs.). There is substantial variation among the Afrotropical subgenera and the East Asian species are morphologically distinct from the type and its related species, specifically in the male genitalia ( Nonveiller 1980, 1995). This suggests that a separate genus may be established for East Asian members after extensive revision of the genus.