Smicromyrme sicanus (De Stefani, 1887)

(Fig. 15)

Mutilla ephippium var. sicana De Stefani, 1887: 62, ♂; De Stefani 1897: 81.

Smicromyrme pusilla septentrionalis Hoffer, 1936: 162, ♀ syn. Petersen 1988.

Smicromyrme pusilla septentrionalis f. gregory Hoffer, 1936: 163, ♀ syn. Petersen 1988.

Smicromyrme rufipes var. lutescens Invrea, 1954: 153, ♂ syn. Petersen 1988.

Smicromyrme septentrionalis: Lelej 1984: 82–83, 1985: 236–238.

Smicromyrme sicana: Petersen 1988: 194; Pagliano 1995: 101; Turrisi 1999: 148; Lelej 2002: 69; Lelej et al. 2003: 133; Lelej & Schmid-Egger 2005: 1532–1533; Bogusch 2006: 141–142; Pagliano & Strumia 2007: 95; Strumia & Pagliano 2007: 86; Standfuss & Standfuss 2012: 462; Lo Cascio 2015: 559; Pagliano & Agnoli 2018: 130.

Smicromyrme sicanus: Lelej & Yildirim, 2009: 4, 21; Muskovits & György 2011: 109–110; Lelej et al., 2016: 18; Gogala 2017: 29; Lelej, 2017: 156; Pagliano & Strumia 2019: 261; Pagliano et al. 2020: 190; Lelej & Prisniy, 2021: 15; Pagliano 2021: 61; Lelej & Williams 2023: 105,132.

Diagnosis. Male (Fig. 15A). Body black except for the apical part of mandibles and most of mesosoma, which are red; tibiae and tarsi are brownish. Colouration of mesosoma is highly variable, ranging from entirely red to only pronotum, tegulae, upper part of mesopleurae, scutellum and metanotum red (Fig. 15A). Mandibles tridentate at the apex, with an external tooth beneath. Clypeus concave, with two distinct apical teeth and a low, medial carina, higher in the anterior part of the clypeus and gradually lowering distally until merging with the surface around the middle of the clypeus (Fig. 15D). Head with rounded sides, converging behind the eyes. Medium-sized ocelli, POL/ OOL of almost 1 (range = 0.9–1, N = 5); OL:MOD:LOD = 1.0:0.8–1.2:0.7–1.0 (N = 5) (Fig. 15C). Tegulae shiny, with very few, small and superficial punctures. Wings hyaline, darkened at the apex. Propodeum with a smooth slope. S1 with a longitudinal carina. Felt lines on lateral sides of both T2 and S2. T2 1.3 times wider than long (N = 3); distal fringes of sparse white-silvery pubescence on the metasomal tergum. Genitalia is shown in Fig. 15E–G. Body length: 6.8–10.0 mm. (N = 5).

Female (Fig. 15B). Body black except for red mandibles (except the apical part), antennal tubercles, clypeus, mesosoma, tibiae and tarsi. Mandibles acuminate. Clypeus with a tooth-like tubercle in the middle of the anterior margin. Vertex with a silvery spot of dense pubescence at the centre. Antennae reddish-brown, darkening toward apex. Mesosoma about 1.4 times longer than wide (mesosoma length/maximum width range = 1.3–1.4, N = 5), with a small, wide, nail-like and non-protruding scutellar scale; two lateral areas of golden pubescence on the dorsal part of mesosoma, being the centre of dark pubescence; propodeum with a smooth slope. T2 approximately as wide as long (T2 width/length range = 1–1.1, N = 5), with a round spot of white-silvery pubescence in the middle, and small similarly coloured spots on each side. Narrow band of white-silvery pubescence on the posterior margin of T2, extended triangularly forward in the middle. T3 entirely covered by white-silvery pubescence. Pygidial area narrowly oval with longitudinal almost parallel striae and a smooth apical part (Fig. 15H). Body length: 4.7–5.8 mm. (N = 4).

For a more detailed description of both sexes see S. septentrionalis in Lelej (1984, 1985).

Material examined. PORTUGAL. 1♀, Ponte da Ajuda, Elvas, Portalegre / 30.VI.2019 / D. Parejo-Pulido leg. / [DPP]. SPAIN. 1♂, Escorial, Madrid / 14-VIII-1904 / García Mercet leg. / Colección García Mercet [MNCN _ Ent 336881]; 1♂, Escorial, Madrid / VIII-1904 / García Mercet leg. / Colección García Mercet [MNCN _ Ent 367067]; 1♂, El Escorial, Madrid / Colección García Mercet [MNCN _ Ent 367066]. 1♂, El Escorial, Madrid / 12.VIII.1906 / as Mutilla montana Panz. var. rubrocincta Luc. / Colección J. Suárez [MNCN _ Ent 306880]; 1♂, Mijaralengua, Burgos / 19.VIII.1998 / C. Rey leg. [MNCN _ Ent 367065]; 4♀, Tres Cantos, Madrid / 18-03-1993, 21-06-1994, 18- 03-1995 / F. Fresno leg. / ex. Colección F. Fresno [MNCN _ Ent 339243-46].

Distribution. Albania, Austria, Croatia, Czechia, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, Russia (European part), Spain, Serbia, Slovakia, Syria, Turkey and Ukraine (Pagliano et al. 2020; this study).

Iberian distribution. Burgos, Madrid, Portalegre (this study).

Remarks. The specimens reported in this study represent the first records of the species in the Iberian Peninsula. The studied males have the characteristic colour pattern with the black mesoscutum surrounded by red parts. Two of the females exhibit red T1. The female from Portugal was collected on the edges of the Guadiana River. The area was composed of holm oaks (Quercus ilex L.) and Retama sphaerocarpa L.

Regarding Smicromyrme rufipes var. lutescens as synonym of S. sicanus: Invrea (1954) described this colour variety of S. rufipes from Dalmatia, which was later synonymised with S. sicanus by Petersen (1988) after examining the holotype (Beograd). Years later, Pagliano & Agnoli (2018) and Pagliano et al. (2020) reported Smicromyrme lutescens for Italy as a valid species. Here, we stick to that synonymy, which probably escaped the previous authors.