Mutillidae (Hymenoptera, Aculeata) of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

ABSTRACT

Mutillid wasps are parasitoids of mature larvae or pre-pupae of other insects, especially other aculeate Hymenoptera. They are characterized by a strong sexual dimorphism: all females are wingless, while males of most species have wings. The family comprises about 4,200 species and their greatest diversity occurs in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Despite the size of the family in the Neotropical Region (about 1,500 species, 560 in Brazil), surveys of the Mutillidae fauna are scarce. The purpose of this work is to present an updated list of Mutillidae species recorded for the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, based on literature, museum records and new data. A total of 114 species (including 22 morphospecies) distributed in 23 genera, three tribes and two subfamilies were recorded. The richest genera were Traumatomutilla André, 1901 (36 species), Timulla Ashmead, 1899 (14 spp.), Ephuta Say, 1836 (11 spp.) and Hoplomutilla Ashmead, 1899 (10 spp.).

KEYWORDS
Solitary wasp; Neotropical; Biota-MS Program