The new genus Ancistrotilla n. gen., with new species from Vanuatu and New Caledonia (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae)

ABSTRACT The first Mutillidae collected in Vanuatu, on Espiritu Santo, are described as a new genus and species: Ancistrotilla azurea n. gen., n. sp. This extends the known range of distribution of the family on the Pacific islands. Three further species of Ancistrotilla n. gen., A. bleuensis n. gen., n. sp., A. aenigmatica n. gen., n. sp. and A. nigra n. gen., n. sp., are described from New Caledonia; A. caledonica (André, 1896) n. comb, is redescribed and compared, and a lectotype is designated. Several other Australasian species are transferred to Ancistrotilla n. gen.: A. albocaudata (André, 1898) n. comb., A. calcarina (André, 1898) n. comb., A. carbonaria (Smith, 1855) n. comb., A. fabricii (André, 1898) n. comb., A. senilis (André, 1898) n. comb., A. transiens (André, 1898) n. comb., A. transitoria (André, 1903) n. comb, and A. viridiceps (André, 1895) n. comb. The existence of several additional undescribed species of Ancistrotilla n. gen. in Australia and New Guinea is noted. Ancistrotilla n. gen. is distinguished from other sphaeropthalmine genera particularly by: in the male, the antennal scrobe with transverse carina dorsally and separate lamellate projection dorsolaterally, clypeus with pair of large acute teeth medially on anterior/ventral margin, T1 with narrow pale integumental band posteriorly, parapenial lobe medially curved and hook-like apically, and penis valve with single strong apical tooth; in the female, the antennal scrobe with strong dorsal carina almost reaching eye, mentum convex and glossa short and blunt, Tl with narrow pale integumental band posteriorly, T2 without apical medially oriented pubescence, pygidial plate broad and delimited, and hypopygium strongly bidentate medioapically.


INTRODUCTION
Wasps of the family Mutillidae Latreille, 1802 develop as parasitoids of the enclosed immature stages of other endopterygote insects, mainly other Hymenoptera (Brothers 1989). They are unusual in that the females are all apterous, which severely reduces their vagility, although the males (except for a relatively few species) are fully winged. This, and their dependence on finding suitable hosts, means that very few species have been recorded from islands. Mickel (1935) treated the mutillids of the islands of the Pacific Ocean in detail, and stated that no mutillids were known from any oceanic islands, worldwide, but were found on all of the Pacific continental islands except for New Zealand. He recorded two species from the Solomon Islands and one from New Caledonia, these being the easternmost and most remote records. Since then, there has been almost nothing published expanding the information on Pacific-island mutillids. Yasumatsu (1936) recorded a Japanese species from the Bonin Islands, Esaki (1938) recorded one species from Palau, Krombein (1971) added a further species from the Solomon Islands, and Valentine & Walker (1983) recorded an Australian species from New Zealand. Much more recently, Kuhlmann (2006) surveyed the bees and wasps of Polynesia and neighbouring islands, and, although missing some earlier references, indicated no Mutillidae on any other islands.
The collection of several specimens of Mutillidae during the SANTO 2006 expedition to Vanuatu (Villemant 2011) is thus of considerable interest, extending the known distribution of the family. Although the species was reported as a member of the genus Ephutomorpha André, 1902, that genus, even at its establishment, was recognised as an artificial assemblage comprising the Sphaeropthalmini from the Australian and neighbouring regions (André 1902;Mickel 1935;Krombein 1971). I thus take the opportunity to describe a new genus and species based on the Santo material. Coincidentally, some time previously I had been sent 75 specimens of Mutillidae, of about 18 species, collected on New Caledonia, and have recently examined a few more from there.
The male mutillids collected on Santo are clearly all conspecific; a single female was collected in the same trap and over the same period as the largest espèces d'Ancistrotilla n. gen., A. bleuensis n. gen., n. sp., A. aenigmatica n. gen., n. sp. et A. nigra n. gen., n. sp., sont décrites de Nouvelle-Calédonie ; A. caledonica (André, 1896) n. comb. est redécrite et comparée, et son lectotype designé. Plusieurs autres espèces d'Australasie sont transférées dans le genre Ancistrotilla n. gen. : A. albocaudata (André, 1898) n. comb., A. calcarina (André, 1898) n. comb., A. carbonaria (Smith, 1855) n. comb., A. fabricii (André, 1898) n. comb., A. senilis (André, 1898) n. comb., A. transiens (André, 1898) n. comb., A. transitoria (André, 1903) n. comb. et A. viridiceps (André, 1895 n. comb. L'existence de plusieurs autres espèces non décrites d'Ancistrotilla n. gen. est signalée en Australie et en Nouvelle-Guinée. Ancistrotilla n. gen. se distingue notamment des autres genres de Sphaeropthalminae par les caractères suivants : chez le mâle, scrobe antennaire à carène transversale dorsale et projection lamellaire dorsolatérale séparée, clypéus avec une paire médiane de grandes dents aiguës sur sa marge ventrale, T1 avec une étroite bande tégumentaire pâle apicale, lobe parapenial courbe et pointu à l'apex, valve du pénis avec une seule forte dent apicale ; chez la femelle, scrobe antennaire avec une forte carène dorsale atteignant presque l'oeil, mentum convexe et glosse courte et émoussée, T1 avec une étroite bande tégumentaire pâle apicale, apex de T2 sans pubescence orientée vers le milieu, plaque pygidiale large et délimitée, hypopygium fortement bidenté à l'apex. batch of males. I feel that this is sufficient to justify associating the sexes, specially since no other mutillid species has been collected there. I was able to identify the commonest species of male mutillid from New Caledonia (comprising about ⅔ of the specimens seen from there) as another species of the same genus, very similar to that from Santo. I initially concluded that a single congeneric female collected at essentially the same time and place on New Caledonia as several of the males almost certainly represents the same species, but detailed examination of several male specimens putatively associated and collected with Mutilla caledonica André, 1896 females by  revealed no real differences amongst all these males. Comparison of the female with type specimens of M. caledonica showed sufficient differences for me to conclude that they are not conspecific, although similar and congeneric. Since the males therefore cannot be unequivocally associated with either female, I describe the males and the single female as separate new species, and redescribe M. caledonica to enable direct comparison. As a further complication, I have seen three male specimens of yet another congeneric but less similar species from New Caledonia, and describe that as a further new species.
I have been able to survey many other specimens from Australia and New Guinea, and, using these species as a basis, discovered several further species of the genus. These were all used to refine the generic description. When the relevant females were compared with specimens of the type species of Ephutomorpha, Mutilla aurata Fabricius, 1775 (known only from females, and for which there is no extant type material), and with specimens of the other sphaeropthalmine genera described from Australia and surrounds (Ascetotilla Brothers, 1971, Australotilla Lelej, 1983, Bothriomutilla Ashmead, 1899, Eurymutilla Ashmead, 1899, Odontomyrme Lelej, 1983and Ponerotilla Brothers, 1994, it became evident that the Santo and related species should be placed in a new genus.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Terminology is generally standard. Metasomal terga and sterna are referred to by T and S respectively; proportions refer to their normally exposed parts. Body lengths are given as adjusted to compensate for telescoping of the metasomal segments. Setae are referred to as brachyplumose if they have barbs shorter than the width of the shaft, and plumose if the barbs are longer. The head length was measured from above with the head oriented such that the posterodorsal margin appeared approximately straight; for males the length was measured along the midline (excluding the antennal tubercles) but for females (where the antennal tubercles are less protuberant) the length was taken between the anterior and posterior extremities, including the antennal tubercles. The length of T1 for the male was taken laterally between the basal auricle and the posterior dorsal apex, and for the female from the basal auricle to the posterior extremity along the lateral margin. For the holotypes, the labels are transcribed exactly, with line breaks indicated by a forward slash (/) and missing characters placed between square brackets; different labels are separated by semicolons. Where geographic coordinates were not provided on labels, they were obtained using Google Earth and/or the GeoNames Search facility of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency of the USA (http://geonames.nga.mil/ggmagaz/). Mapping was done using SimpleMappr (http:// www.simplemappr.net/) and CorelDRAW X4. Some specimens, particularly ones collected in Malaise traps and which had become encrusted with lepidopteran scales, were cleaned by relaxing them in a moist chamber above a phenol solution, then ultra-sonicating them for a few seconds in each of a series of liquids: water with a trace of detergent, about 50% EtOH, about 95% EtOH and, finally, acetone. The specimens were then dried by rotating them rapidly in the warm air stream from a microscope lamp. The male genitalia were cleared using hot buffered Proteinase-k, washed in water and placed in glycerol.
Photographs were taken with a Canon Powershot G10 digital camera adapted to Wild M7 and Wild M400 microscopes using a Clearshot 600 adapter kit (Alexis Scientific) and stacked using CombineZP software (Hadley 2010 (André, 1903) n. comb., n. stat. from "var." of Ephutomorpha senilis (♂; type locality Australia, Queensland, Cairns, Kuranda) and A. viridiceps (André, 1895) n. comb. from Mutilla (Sphaerophthalma [sic]) (♂; type locality Australia, Queensland, Mackay). In addition, I have seen specimens of several undescribed species from Australia and one from New Guinea. It is premature to attempt to provide a key to the species at this stage, since the necessary revisionary work has not been done, and the generic limits, specially for the females, are still somewhat unclear. Both new species with blue males described below are very similar to A. transitoria, a widespread blue eastern Australian species, but differ strikingly in their penis valves (with the apical tooth longer and entirely separated from the ventral lamellae in ZOOSYSTEMA • 2012 • 34 (2) A. transitoria). The third new species has penis valves similar to A. transitoria but is essentially black and with much less white pubescence on the metasoma.
Mesosoma. 1.45× (1.45-1.51) as long as wide; densely and finely punctate except micropunctate and longitudinally rugose on metepimeron above endophragmal pit, smooth on dorsal ⅔ of metepisternum, and reticulate on propodeum; with semi-decumbent simple and erect simple and brachyplumose setae. Pronotal dorsal face (excluding anterior collar) with anterior margin slightly convex, rounded, epaulet a prominent ovate tuft of fine erect setae; humeral angle narrowly rounded; lateral margin weakly sinuate, anteriorly concave; posterodorsal margin broadly V-shaped. Tegula 0.53× (0.48-0.53, mean 0.50) as long as scutum, broadly ovate, not reaching median level of scuto-scutellar suture, convex but very weakly recurved posteriorly, smooth and glabrous except finely punctate and setose along anterior and mesal margins. Mesoscutum without notaulus, parapsis an almost indistinguishable very short line; posterolateral corner forming a slight flattish lobe discontinuous with axilla. Scutellum flattish; axilla produced as a flattened horizontal flange, forming a blunt tooth posteriorly. Metanotum simple, transverse. Propodeum evenly convex, disk and declivity merging in lateral view but margin between dorsal/posterior and lateral faces abrupt. Metasternal process broadly tridentate but apex strongly emarginate, shorter than metacoxal height. finely and moderately punctate, interspaces distinct, with erect and semi-decumbent simple setae, a few erect brachyplumose setae near posterior margin; felt line narrow and long, 0.42× (0.41-0.45) lateral length of T2. T3-6 very finely and densely punctate, surface indistinctly shagreened, with erect and semi-decumbent simple setae. T7 mostly finely and densely punctate with semi-decumbent simple setae, apical pygidial area irregularly roughened, weakly recurved apically, with strong convex lateral and apical marginal carina. Sterna fairly sparsely punctate with semi-decumbent simple setae and fewer erect simple to brachyplumose or even sparsely plumose setae. S1 with distinct simple longitudinal carina. S2 in lateral view strongly convex anteriorly, weakly concave posteriorly; with well-developed but short felt line, 0.33× (0.33-0.34) as long as felt line on T2. S7 partially exposed, apparently about 0.3× as long as S6, almost entirely smooth. Hypopygium about as long as wide, sparsely punctate, weakly concave, posterior margin with prominent acute tooth on each side near midline.
Genitalia. Paramere elongate, slender, laterally obliquely flattened, acute, apex weakly curved dorsad, basilateral setae moderate and reaching scarcely beyond about half length of paramere. Parapenial lobe well developed, apically hooklike and strongly curved mesad, apex narrowed. Cuspis divided near base, paracuspis a short lobe, ventral lobe cylindrical; digitus elongated and laterally flattened, much shorter than cuspis. Penis valve in lateral view with dorsal margin very weakly sinuate, almost straight anteriorly; anteroventral arm parallel-sided, anterior apex rounded; lateroventral lamella broadly truncate apically, almost reaching apex of tooth, extending ventrally well below inner lamella; only a few small setae apically along dorsal quarter of apical margin; in dorsal view anteroventral arm apically parallel-sided.

Female
Length 8.1 mm. Integument mainly black with weak metallic reflections; head and mesosoma dorsally dark purplish with blue tinge, laterally bluish; metasoma distinctly darkish blue, T1 with narrow yellowish integumental band posteriorly; pygidium and appendages, including tibial spurs, dark reddish brown. Pubescence mainly dark but forming sparse transverse broadly U-shaped white band on meso-metanotal area, sparse whitish setae on apex of pygidium and on T1, fairly dense complete white band apically on T1, sparse whitish setae laterally on T2, sparse narrow band of pale golden setae immediately anterior to dense complete white apical fringe on T2, sparse erect whitish setae anteriorly on T3, dense white tuft on each side of pygidial plate, sparse white setae on S1-4 and sparse whitish apical fringes on S2-3.

Head.
Broadly transverse, 1.64× as wide as long, 1.09× as wide as mesosoma, densely punctate-reticulate, with semi-decumbent fine slender setae and erect sparsely brachyplumose setae. Occipital carina weak, present only dorsally. Sides behind head short, slightly converging, distinct from posterior margin, posterolateral angle rounded; head length behind eye 0.50× eye length. Eye very strongly protruding, frons width 0.59× head width. Antennal tubercles simple, smooth, slightly separated basally. Clypeus with raised broadly triangular punctate and setose region above complete almost-straight strong transverse flange-like carina, itself above depressed transverse smooth area, ventral margin slightly convex. Malar space 1.26× basal height of mandible. Genal carina apparently absent, perhaps represented by ventral irregular carinate elevation near proboscidial fossa. Sharp irregular postgenal carina extending from edge of occipital depression about half distance to proboscidial fossa. Proboscidial fossa slightly longer than smooth postgenal bridge. Scape simple, fairly sparsely punctate above. Pedicel 1.11× as long as wide, 0.57× as long as first flagellomere; first flagellomere 1.37× as long as wide, 1.43× as long as second. Mandible slender, tapering, arcuate, apparently bidentate apically (subapical tooth obliterated through wear in only available specimen), with basal lamellate tooth ventrally; height across basal tooth 0.81× mandibular basal height, height immediately beyond basal tooth 0.65× height across tooth, basal tooth length 0.90× mandibular basal height.
etymology. -The specific name is a noun in the genitive case, derived from the name of the type locality.
DiAgnosis Description Female Length 8.5 mm. Integument mainly black with some very weak metallic reflections; head and mesosoma black; metasoma dark bluish dorsally, very dark reddish brown ventrally, T1 with narrow yellowish integumental band posteriorly; pygidium and appendages, including tibial spurs, very dark reddish brown. Pubescence blackish but forming sparse patch of whitish setae on vertex, transverse broad sparse whitish band on meso-metanotal area, sparse patch of pale golden setae on propodeal declivity, sparse whitish setae on propodeal apex and T1, fairly dense complete pale golden band apically on T1, sparse whitish setae laterally on T2, patch of fairly dense pale golden setae on posterior half of T2 extending anteriorly on each side, dense complete whitish to pale golden apical fringe on T2, sparse pale golden setae on T5, dense whitish tuft on each side of pygidial plate, sparse whitish setae on S1-2 and sparse whitish apical band on S2 and medially on S3.  Mesosoma. 1.27× as long as wide, broadened to point anterior to metathoracic spiracle, then narrowed to projecting propodeal spiracle, maximum width 1.24× width at base of propodeal spiracle; propodeum parallel-sided then rounded posteriorly, disk and declivity merging. Dorsum convex, densely punctate-reticulate, more coarsely and irregularly so posteriorly, clothed with decumbent slender laterally flattened setae and erect simple and brachyplumose setae. Pronotal dorsal face (excluding anterior collar) with anterior margin slightly convex, rounded, epaulet weakly tuberculate, humeral angle blunt; posterodorsal margin indicated by crenulate shallowly concave sinuate ridge. Mesoand metanotum delimited laterally by weak irregular longitudinal ridge. Lateral face of pronotum sparsely punctate; pronotal-mesopleural suture entirely distinct. Mesopleuron almost smooth anteriorly and posteroventrally; vertical mesopleural ridge well developed and coarsely punctate-reticulate, specially ventrally, rounded and broad between prothoracic and metathoracic spiracles dorsally, with erect long brachyplumose setae. Metapleuron smooth and shining. Lateral face of propodeum mainly smooth and shining, with a few scattered minute punctures. Metasternal process medially triangular and apically obtuse, slightly shorter than metacoxal height, basally with strong blunt tubercle on each side.

Legs.
Foreleg with tarsal comb, a few long strong articulated spines on posterior/lateral margins of tarsomeres 1-3. Mid-and hind tibiae each with two rows of prominent spines, three preapical spines in each row; each subapically with distinct secretory pore near base of inner apical spur. Metacoxa with strong even longitudinal carina on inner margin, ending posteriorly well before small apical tooth; inner metatibial spur 1.52× as long as outer spur, 0.76× as long as metabasitarsus.
Metasoma. 1.17× as wide as mesosoma. T1 2.16× as wide as long, 0.51× width of T2, evenly expanded from base, weakly convex, not constricted apically, finely and sparsely punctate, with erect slender brachyplumose setae and posterior fringe of decumbent slender simple setae; anterior auricle prominent, vertically lamellate. T2 0.92× as long as wide in dorsal view, finely and very densely punctate, clothed with decumbent slender laterally flattened to simple setae and erect simple and brachyplumose setae, posterior band of decumbent slender simple setae; lateral felt line broad, 0.30× lateral length of T2. T3-5 shagreened and very finely but moderately punctate, clothed with decumbent slender laterally flattened to simple setae and few erect simple and brachyplumose setae. T6 basolaterally with dense erect simple setae; pyriform flattened pygidial area entirely very finely and densely punctate/granulate, anteriorly narrowed, well defined on posterior third by convex lateral carina ending posteriorly in a blunt angle, posterior margin weakly concave laterally, convex medially. S1 mostly smoothly convex, median carina represented only by anterior tubercle. S2 strongly convex anteromedially, without felt line, finely and sparsely punctate, with erect simple setae and sparse apical fringe of semidecumbent simple setae. S3-6 shagreened and finely but moderately to densely punctate, with erect and decumbent simple setae. Hypopygium (S6) with apex deeply emarginate, forming a posteriorly upturned flange-like acute tooth on each side.

Female
Measurements are means and ranges from six specimens indicated above. Length 6.6 (5.9-7.2) mm. Integument mainly black (sometimes dark reddish brown) with some very weak metallic reflections; head and mesosoma very dark bluish dorsally; metasoma dark bluish dorsally, very dark reddish brown ventrally, T1 with narrow yellowish integumental band posteriorly; pygidium and appendages, including tibial spurs, very dark reddish brown. Pubescence mainly blackish but whitish laterally and ventrally, mainly whitish on head, transverse short sparse whitish band on metanotal area, whitish setae on anterior face of pronotum and on propodeal apex and T1, fairly dense complete whitish band apically on T1, complete indefinite band of pale golden setae merging posteriorly with broad dense complete whitish band apically on T2, sparse erect whitish setae anteriorly on T3, dense whitish to pale golden tuft on each side of pygidial plate.  propodeal spiracle; propodeum parallel-sided then rounded posteriorly, disk and declivity merging. Dorsum convex, densely punctate-reticulate, more coarsely and irregularly so posteriorly, clothed with decumbent slender laterally flattened setae and erect simple and brachyplumose setae. Pronotal dorsal face (excluding anterior collar) with anterior margin slightly convex, rounded, epaulet weakly tuberculate, humeral angle acute; posterodorsal margin indicated by crenulate broadly V-shaped ridge. Meso-and metanotum delimited laterally by strong irregular longitudinal ridge. Lateral face of pronotum moderately punctate; pronotal-mesopleural suture entirely distinct. Mesopleuron almost smooth anteriorly and posteroventrally; vertical mesopleural ridge well developed and coarsely punctate-reticulate, rounded and broad between prothoracic and metathoracic spiracles dorsally, with erect long brachyplumose setae. Metapleuron smooth and shining, with scattered minute punctures ventrally. Lateral face of propodeum mainly smooth and shining, with scattered minute punctures. Metasternal process medially parallel-sided and apically broadly obtuse, slightly shorter than metacoxal height, basally with strong blunt tubercle on each side.

Legs.
Foreleg with tarsal comb, a few long strong articulated spines on posterior/lateral margins of tarsomeres 1-3. Mid-and hind tibiae each with two rows of prominent spines, three preapical spines in each row; each subapically with distinct secretory pore near base of inner apical spur. Metacoxa with strong even longitudinal carina on inner margin, ending posteriorly well before small apical tooth; inner metatibial spur 1.46× (1.36-1.56) as long as outer spur, 0.75× (1.71-1.78) as long as metabasitarsus.

Male
Unknown. remArks This taxon was described from more than one female specimen collected at "Nouméa (Nouvelle-Calédonie)" (collector unspecified) and in André's collection (André 1896). There are six female specimens so identified from that collection in MNHN; all have appropriate collecting data (although "Nouméa" itself does not appear on the labels and they have no dates). Five agree with the description (although the first metasomal tergum has a testaceous band at the apex and the pygidium is shagreened) and are evidently syntypes. The sixth is not contaxic with the others, has a different locality label, and does not agree with the description on numerous points (e.g., it has ferruginous legs and a distinctly striated pygidium); I consider that specimen not to be a syntype. Mickel (1935) stated that the lectotype (specified as from Noumea, presumably based on the locality given in the original description) was ZOOSYSTEMA • 2012 • 34 (2) in MNHN but he did not label any specimen as such and gave no indication that he had traced the syntype series. I have no reason to believe that an appropriate specimen labelled specifically as from Noumea ever existed. It is impossible to be sure which of the syntypes Mickel considered to be the lectotype, and I hereby specify the largest syntype (length about 9.0 mm) as the lectotype. The other four specimens have been labelled as paralectotypes. I have no information which might clarify why André specified Noumea as the type locality, other than the fact that it is the capital of New Caledonia.  collected seven females and five males of what he identified as Ephutomorpha caledonica, almost all from the île des Pins but one female from Noumea, the type locality of E. caledonica. Since only one species was known from New Caledonia at the time, his identification (probably based on his use of Mickel's (1935) key since he had not seen the original description) and his assumption that the males were of the same species, were entirely reasonable. I have directly compared several females collected by him with two paralectotypes of M. caledonica and can confirm that his identification was correct; these specimens have been included in my redescription above. However, the identity of the males is problematic since it is now known that there are additional species of Ancistrotilla n. gen. on New Caledonia; see under A. aenigmatica n. gen., n. sp. below. Ancistrotilla aenigmatica n. sp. (Figs 6; 7; 10B) etymology. -The specific name is a Latin adjective meaning "mysterious", referring to the uncertainty surrounding the identity of these males and their sex association(s), see below.
DiAgnosis. -Male. Integument predominantly dark metallic blue; T6 with mainly black setae, only sparse white apical fringe; S6 entirely black pubescent; no postgenal carina; clypeal tooth with lateral margin straight; third submarginal cell shorter than high, distance between third submarginal cell and wing apex almost 3× length of third submarginal cell; tibial spurs black; pygidium apically flattened with straight transverse apical margin; penis valve with convex dorsal margin, lateroventral lamella extending to same level as inner lamella, both lamellae attaching to apical tooth within ventral quarter, apicodorsal setae on dorsal ⅔ of apical margin. Female. Unknown.

Male
Measurements are for holotype, and range and mean for all 11 specimens indicated above.

Female
Unknown.
remArks I have examined several of the male specimens collected by  with females of A. caledonica n. comb., and have been unable to find any consistent differences between them and specimens collected at the same time and place as the female holotype of A. bleuensis n. gen., n. sp., although there is a tendency for the Williams specimens to have slightly smaller and more distantly spaced ocelli than most of those from Rivière Bleue. Although measurements of all available specimens for this character alone suggested two groups, one with interocellar distance 1.37-1.64× (mean 1.47, SD 0.07, n 35) width of median ocellus and the other with interocellar distance 1.06-1.29× (mean 1.19, SD 0.06, n 27) width of median ocellus, the apparent gap between them (0.08) is minimal and I have not been able to find any other correlated characters which might support these groups; the distributions also overlap almost entirely, with specimens from both putative groups being found at the same localities throughout Grande Terre. This led me to describe A. aenigmatica n. gen., n. sp. as a separate species, since I could not reasonably associate specific specimens with particular female forms. It remains possible, however, that the male specimens listed above may represent a mixed series, or that the two female forms may represent extremes of variability in a single species (something impossible to evaluate because of the paucity of specimens). Resolution of these questions must await more widespread sampling, specially of females which are seldom collected using the most popular survey methods involving Malaise traps. Distribution. -New Caledonia: Grande Terre (Fig. 11).
etymology. -The specific name is a Latin adjective meaning "black", with reference to the predominant body colour.
DiAgnosis. -Male. Integument predominantly black; T6 and S6 mainly black pubescent but with a few whitish setae not forming a fringe; no postgenal carina; clypeal tooth with lateral margin sinuate and weakly concave apically; third submarginal cell shorter than high, distance between third submarginal cell and wing apex at least 3× length of third submarginal cell; tibial spurs black; pygidium apically weakly recurved with gently convex apical margin; penis valve with convex dorsal margin, lateroventral lamella reduced to dorsal flange, inner lamella broad but entirely separate from long apical tooth, apicodorsal setae on dorsal quarter of apical margin. Female. Unknown.

Male
Measurements given for holotype, and range and mean for all three specimens.
Genitalia. Paramere elongate, fairly slender, laterally obliquely flattened, acute, apex weakly curved dorsad, basilateral setae strong and reaching beyond about ⅔ length of paramere. Parapenial lobe well developed, apically weakly hooklike and curved mesad, apex slightly bulbous. Cuspis divided near base, paracuspis a short lobe, ventral lobe cylindrical; digitus elongated and laterally flattened, shorter than cuspis. Penis valve in lateral view with dorsal margin convex but briefly emarginate near each end; anteroventral arm weakly broadened from base then strongly narrowed apically, anterior apex narrowly acute; lateroventral lamella restricted to a flange near dorsal base of apical tooth, inner lamella very broad but entirely separated from apical tooth; apical tooth long with small flange-like expansion laterally near apex; several small setae apically restricted to base of apical tooth; in dorsal view anteroventral arm apically broadened and spatulate.

Female
Unknown. remArks The female of this species is likely also not to have metallic reflections on the integument, so I suspect that it is as yet unknown.