Odontomutilla williamsi Lelej, 2025

Odontomutilla williamsi Lelej , sp. nov.

( Figs 5–8)

Type material. Holotype — ♀, Laos, Vientiane Province, Nam Lik Eco-Village , 22.V.2016, M.M. Omelko [ IBSS] . Paratype, Vietnam [ Dong Nai], Cat Tien [national park], 21.IV.2007, V . A. Zryanin, 1♀ [ IBSS] .

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Genal carina strong, extending anteriorly to mandibular base and extending posteriorly to occipital carina where distinctly rounded. Hypostomal carina anteriorly with strong teeth. Head and mesosoma ferruginous-red, metasoma black. T1 dorsally with black setae. T 2 in basal half medially with wide spot (invaginated posterad) of whitish setae and small lateral spots of whitish setae. T3 with narrowly interrupted band of whitish setae. MALE. Unknown.

Description. FEMALE. Body length 10.4–12.0 mm. Coloration and setation. Head and mesosoma ferruginous-red, metasoma black. Head with sparse whitish setae mixed on frons, occiput and genae with sparse erect black setae. Legs black, palps brown. Body setae generally sparse and black, except posterior propodeal face and anterior face of T1 with long dense erect whitish setae; frons, vertex, and mesosomal dorsum with short sparse erect black setae. Mesopleural vertical carina with long erect whitish setae. Legs, especially meso- and metatibia with long dense recumbent yellowish setae. T1 dorsally with dense black setae. T2 with medial large spot invaginated posterad of whitish setae and two lateral small spots located on level of posterior transverse line of medial spot. T3 with narrowly interrupted band of whitish setae, interruption much wider anterad. T6 except pygidial plate with whitish setae. S2–5 with sparse sub-erect long yellowish setae, apically with fringe of dense yellowish setae, S6 with dense yellowish setae oriented backward.

Head.Width behind eye0.93 ×humeral mesosomal width.Frons, vertex, and gena with large confluent punctures. Mandible with dorsal carina extending from base to apex, apex unidentate. Clypeus with elevated anterior border, basomedial portion with two tubercles. Antennal scrobe with arcuate lateral carina. Genal carina strong, extending anteriorly to mandibular base and extending posteriorly to occipital carina where distinctly rounded. Hypostomal carina anteriorly with strong teeth. F1 1.15 × F2 and 1.5 × pedicel length, F2 1.4 × pedicel length.

Mesosoma. Length 1.15 × maximum width. Dorsum of mesosoma with large coarse elongated punctures; mesopleuron convex, punctured, vertical carina ending dorsally to strong tooth. Humeral carina well developed with oblique carina posterad. Ratio of width of humeral angle, anterior spiracle, lateral mesonotal tooth, propodeal spiracle, and posterolateral propodeal angle 70:72:80:70:60. Scutellar scale lacking. Posterior propodeal face abrupt, lateral propodeal face with sparse micropunctures.

Metasoma. T1 broad with distinct anterior and dorsal faces, dorsally with small dense punctures. T2 with large coarse punctures, behind spots with small dense ones, posterior border smooth. T4–5 and S3–5 with small dense punctures, posterior border of T4–5 smooth. S1 with simple longitudinal lamella. S2 with dense large punctures. T2 anterolaterally with deep elongated pubescent fovea. T6 basally and laterally coarsely punctate, setose, apical half with medial part without setae, pygidial plate not carinated laterad even apically, considerably convergent basally, with transverse striae.

MALE unknown.

Distribution. Laos, Vietnam.

Remarks. A new species belongs to the small group of the genus with three spots on T 2 in female: O. spectra ( Bingham, 1908) and O. paderua Das & Girish Kumar in Das et al., 2017 from India; O. chrysococcina (Sichel & Radoszkowski, 1869) from Iran and O. speciosa ( Smith, 1855) from South-East China. Odontomutilla williamsi sp. nov. is most related with O. paderua but easily differs by the position of lateral pale spots on T2 far from base of T2 and by the shape of medial pale spot on T2.

Etymology. I am delighted to name this new species in honor of Kevin A. Williams, world authority on Mutillidae and my best colleague. Treat as a noun in apposition.