Sinotilla serpa subsp. columnata Okayasu 2018

Sinotilla serpa columnata (Chen, 1957), comb. nov., stat. nov.

(Figs 19–26)

Smicromyrme columnata Chen, 1957: 205, ♁. Type locality: “Kuling [= Guling]” (Jiangxi, China). Holotype: ♁ (TARI), examined.; LELEJ (2005: 58).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♁, Guling, Lushan, Jiangxi, China, 21.ix.1934, O. Piel leg. (TARI). PARATYPES: 1♁, Guling, Lushan, Jiangxi, China, 17.ix.1934, O. Piel leg. (TARI); 1 ♁, Guling, Lushan, Jiangxi, China, 18.ix.1934, O. Piel leg. (TARI); 1 ♁ (Figs 19–26), Chien-Men, Kwangtseh, Fujian, China, 22.–23.viii.1943, T. C. Maa leg. (TARI).

Diagnosis. Male. This species is similar to Si. hong Lelej, 1995, Si. runcina (Zavattari, 1914), and Si. trisecta comb. nov. in having mandible with a weak ventral lobe, but differs in the following combination of characters: mandible beneath weakly excised (Fig. 25; not excised in others: Fig. 39); POL/OOL = 0.668–0.863, 0.781 on average (0.8 in Si. hong; 0.500–0.646, 0.578 on average in Si. runcina; 0.675–0.747, 0.714 on average in Si. trisecta); POL/LOD = 2.86–4.27, 3.56 on average (1.76–2.45, 2.17 on average in Si. runcina; 2.95–4.07, 3.37 on average in Si. trisecta; unknown in Si. hong); frons with wide weak longitudinal carina extending from lateral ocellus (Fig. 24; with wide strong carina in Si. trisecta and probably in Si. hong: Fig. 38); mesosoma yellowish red except propleuron, mesopleuron, metapleuron, and propodeum black (in nominotypical subspecies scutellum, axilla, and metanotum are also black; mesopleuron and metapleuron yellowish red in Si. hong; propleuron dorsally and, mesopleuron and metapleuron in dorsal half yellowish red in Si. runcina; entirely black in Si. trisecta: Fig. 34); metasoma black (T1 on apical and lateral margins and segment 2 entirely yellowish red in Si. trisecta: Fig. 34); apical lobe of parapenial lobe robust (Figs 21, 29; more slender and basally constricted in Si. runcina and Si. trisecta: Fig. 35; unknown in Si. hong).

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. China: Jiangxi, Fujian (CHEN 1957).

Remarks. One out of two paratypes from Kwangtseh could not be found in TARI. Smicromyrme columnatus (mainland China) differs from Sinotilla serpa (Taiwan; Figs 27–29) in yellowish red scutellum, axilla, and metanotum (black in Si. serpa). In other respects, these two taxa are identical including male genitalia. They do not have an overlapping distribution and are only very slightly different from each other. Although such variation in mesosomal color is sometimes observed in a single species even in the same geographical area (e.g. Smicromyrme lewisi Mickel, 1935 in the northern part of Honshû and Hokkaidô, Japan; TSUNEKI 1972, TERAYAMA et al. 2011), I treat Sm. columnatus as a subspecies of Si. serpa here. Discovery of the female or molecular experiments will give more insight into the relationship between them.

A specimen of Si. runcina from Sarawak has setal bands on T2 and T3, while specimens from the Malay Peninsula have setal bands on T1–T3. Therefore, the number of setal bands on the metasoma is not useful in separating Si. serpa and Si. runcina.