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Mutillidae

Velvet ants of Africa and Madagascar

Life: Kingdom: Metazoa animals.; Phylum: Arthropoda; Class: Hexapoda; Order: Hymenoptera; Superfamily: Vespoidea.

Classification

Mutillinae
Myrmillinae
Pseudophotopsidinae
Rhopalomutillinae
Sphaeropthalminae
Ticoplinae

Distribution

Cosmopolitan, but more diverse in the tropics.

Diversity

Afrotropical region: 1116 species; Australasian region: 306 species; Nearctic region: 435 species; Neotropical region: 1212 species; Oriental region: 637 species; Palearctic region: 524 species; World: 4230 species.

Biology

Ectoparasitoids of larvae or pupa of other insects.

References

André, E. 1896. Notes pour servir à la connaissance de mutilles paléarctiques et description de quelques espèces nouvelles. Deuxieme partie. Mémoires de la Société Zoologique de France, 9, 261–277.

André, E. 1898. Étude sur les Mutillides du Muséum de Paris. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France, 67, 1–79.

André, E. 1899. Mutilles nouvelles de Madagascar. Bulletin du Muséum National de l’Histoire Naturelle Paris, 5 : 34–37.

André, E. 1899–1903. Species de Hyménoptères d'Europe & d'Algérie. Tome Huitième. Les Mutillides. Vve Dubosclard and A. Hermann, Paris. 480 pp. + 15 pls. (1899b) 1–64 + pl. 1–8; (1900) 65–144; (1901a) 145–304; (1902b) 305–384; (1903) 385–478; (dates?) pl. 9–15.

André, E. 1901–1902. Matériaux pour servir à la connaissance des Mutillides d'Afrique. Zeitschrift für Systematische Hymenopterologie und Dipterologie, (1901b) 1, 279–288, 305–352; (1902a) 2, 17–48.
André, E. 1901. Description de cinq nouvelles espèces de Mutilles de Madagascar. (Hym.). Zeitschrift für Systematische Hymenopterologie und Dipterologie, 1, 137–144.

Ashmead, W.H. 1900–1904. Classification of the fossorial, predaceous and parasitic wasps, or the superfamily Vespoidea. The Canadian Entomologist, (1900) 32, 145–155, 185–188, 295–296; (1902) 34, 79–88, 131–137, 163–166, 203–210, 219–231, 268–273, 287–291; (1903) 35, 3–8, 39–44, 95–107, 155–158, 199–205, 303–310, 323–332; (1904) 36, 5–9.

Bischoff, H. 1920–1921. Monographie der Mutilliden Afrikas. Archiv für Naturgeschichte, (1920) 86A(1/3), 1–480; (1921) 86A(4), 481–830 + plates 1–7.

Brothers, D.J. 1971. The genera of Mutillidae (Hymenoptera) parasitic on tsetse flies (Glossina, Diptera). Journal of the Entomological Society of South Africa 34: 101-102.

Brothers, D.J. 1974. The first recent species of Protomutilla (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae: Myrmosinae). Psyche, 81: 268-271.

Brothers, D.J. 1975. Phylogeny and classification of the aculeate Hymenoptera, with special reference to Mutillidae. The University of Kansas Science Bulletin 50: 483-648, 101 figs.

Brothers, D.J. 1983. Identity and classification of Physetopoda, Chaetotilla and Paramyrme. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 563: 441–445.

Brothers, D.J. 1983. Identity of four species of Mutillidae described mistakenly as from Australia. Journal of the Entomological Society of South Africa 46: 325-330.

Brothers, D.J. 1999. Phylogeny and evolution of wasps, ants and bees (Hymenoptera,

Chrysidoidea, Vespoidea and Apoidea). Zoologica Scripta 28: 233-249.

Brothers, D.J., Carpenter, J.M. 1993. Phylogeny of Aculeata: Chrysidoidea and Vespoidea. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 2: 227-304.

Brothers, D.J. 1989. Alternative life-history styles of mutillid wasps Insecta: Hymenoptera. In: Bruton, M.N. Ed. Alternative life-history styles of animals. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. pp. 279–291.

Brothers, D.J. & Finnamore A.T. 1993. Superfamily Vespoidea pp. 161-278.. In GOULET, H. & HUBER, J. eds.. Hymenoptera of the World: an identification guide to families. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Canada, 668 pp.

Cameron, P. 1906. Descriptions of new species of parasitic Hymenoptera, chiefly in the collection of the South African Museum, Cape Town. Annals of the South African Museum 5:

Cameron, P. 1907. Descriptions of new species of parasitic Hymenoptera, chiefly in the collection of the South African Museum, Cape Town (second paper). Annals of the South African Museum 5:

Hesse, A.J. 1935. Scientific results of the Vernay-Land Kalahari Expedition, March to September 1930; Mutillidae (Hymenoptera). Annals of the Transvaal Museum 16(4): 507-524.

Lelej, A.S. 2002. Catalogue of the Mutillidae Hymenoptera. of the Palaearctic Region. Vladivostok: Dalnauka, 172 p.

Lelej, A.S. 2002. Catalogue of the Mutillidae (Hymenoptera) of the Palaearctic region. Dalnauka, Vladivostok. 171 pp.

Lelej, A.S. 2004. Catalogue of the Mutillidae (Hymenoptera) of the Oriental region. Dalnauka, Vladivostok. 252 pp.

Lelej, A.S. 2007. Biogeography of mutillid wasps Hymenoptera, Mutillidae.. In: RasnitsynA.P. & Gokhman V.E. Eds.. Studies on Hymenopterous Insects. Collection of Scientific Papers. Moscow: KMK Scientific Press Ltd. P. 82–111. In Russian..

Lelej, A.S. & Brothers, D.J. 2008. The genus-group names of Mutillidae Hymenoptera. and their type species, with a new genus, new name, new synonymies, new combinations and lectotypifications. Zootaxa 1889: 1–79.

Lelej, A.S. & van Harten, A. 2006. A review of the Mutillidae (Hymenoptera) of Yemen. Zootaxa 1226: 1-50.

Nonveiller, G. 1973. Recherches sur les Mutillidés de l’Afrique Hymenoptera, Mutillidae. I. Contribution à la connaissance du genre Trispilotilla Bischoff, 1920. Annales de la Faculté

des Sciences du Cameroun 13: 77–134.

Nonveiller, G. 1974. Recherches sur les Mutillidés de l’Afrique Hymenoptera, Mutillidae. V.

Description du mâle encore inconnu de Pseudophotopsis continua F. seul représentant du genre

en Afrique occidentale. Annales de la Faculté des Sciences du Cameroun 18: 95–108.

Nonveiller, G. 1977. Recherches sur les Mutillides de l’Afrique Hymenoptera, Mutillidae.. VII.

Dentotilla gen. nov. Beiträge zur Entomologie, Berlin 272: 245–300

Nonveiller, G. 1978. Recherches sur les Mutillidés de l’Afrique Hymenoptera, Mutillidae. VIII.

Révision des genres Ctenotilla, Cephalotilla et Pseudocephalotilla sensu Bischoff. Memoires

publies par l’Institut pour la Protection des Plantes, Belgrad 13: 1–184.

Nonveiller, G. 1980. Studies on African Mutillids Hymenoptera, Mutillidae. IX. The history and

the present status of our knowledge of the Mutillidae fauna of Africa south of the Sahara

excluding Madagascar. Acta Entomologica Jugoslavica 161–2: 29–41.

Nonveiller, G. 1994a. Description du nouveau genre Afrotropical Spinulomutilla et de onze

espèces nouvelles Hymenoptera: Mutillidae. Première partie. Annales de la Societé Entomologique de France N.S. 303: 329–344.

Nonveiller, G. 1994b. Description du nouveau genre Afrotropical Spinulomutilla et de onze

espèces nouvelles Hymenoptera: Mutillidae. Deuxième partie. Annales de la Societé Entomologique de France N.S. 304: 367–389.

Nonveiller, G. 1994c. Recherches sur les Mutillides de l’Afrique. XVIII. La Mutilla hova Saussure

est à supprimer de la fauna malgache Hymenoptera. Revue française d’Entomologie N.S. 161: 23–26.

Nonveiller, G. 1995. A preliminary approach to a revision of the Afrotropical representatives of the genus Trogaspidia Ashmead, 1899 sensu Bischoff, 1920. Hymenoptera, Mutillidae. Studies

on African Mutillidae XXI. Third contribution to the knowledge of the afrotropical Trogaspidia..

Annales de la Societé Entomologique de France, N.S. 314: 349–368.

Nonveiller, G. 1996a. Révision du genre Afrotropical Odontotilla Bischoff, 1920 mâle et femelle.

Hymenoptera: Mutillidae. Annales de la Societé Entomologique de France, N.S. 323: 299–357.

Nonveiller, G. 1996b. Types de répartition dans la région Afrotropicale basés sur l’étude des

Mutillides Hymenoptera, Mutillidae. Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France 1011: 89–112.

Nonveiller, G. 1996. Allotropidia acuticarinata, nouveau genre et nouvelle espèce de l’Afrique

Hymenoptera, Mutillidae. Bulletin de l’Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique,

Entomologie 66: 75–78.

Nonveiller, G. & Petersen, B. 1994.1995. Recherches sur les Mutillides de l’Afrique

Hymenoptera, Mutillidae. XIX. Remarques concernant la Trogaspidia floralis Klug, 1829.

et formes ou espèces apparentées, déjà connues ou nouvelles. Deuxième contribution à

la connaissance du genre Trogaspidia de l’Afrique. Beiträge zur Entomologie 451: 181–198.

Péringuey, L. 1898. Description of some new or little-known South African Mutillidae in the collection of the South African Museum. Annals of the South African Museum 1: 33–94.

Péringuey, L. 1899. A contribution to the knowledge of South African Mutillidae (order Hymenoptera).  Annals of the South African Museum 1: 352–378 + pl. 8; 1(3), 451.

Péringuey, L. 1899. Description of twelve new species of the genus Mutilla (order Hymenoptera) in the South African Museum. Annals of the South African Museum 1:

Péringuey, L. 1901. Description of seven new species of the family Mutillidae (order Hymenoptera) in the South African Museum. Annals of the South African Museum 2:

Péringuey, L. 1909. New or little known South African Mutillidae (Hymenoptera). Annals of the South African Museum 5: 385–409.

Péringuey, L. 1914. Notes on South African Mutillidae (Hymenoptera), with descriptions of new or little-known species. Annals of the South African Museum 10: 323–358.

Radoszkowski, O. 1885. Revision des armures copulatrices des mâles de la famille de Mutillides. Horae Societatis Entomologicae Rossicae, 19(1–2), 3–49, + 9 pls.

Credits

Photographs © Simon van Noort (Iziko Museums) or © Denis Brothers (University of Kwazulu-Natal).


Web author Simon van Noort (Iziko South African Museum)

Copyright 2004-2011 Iziko Museums

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