Dasymutilla mirabilis Manley & Pitts, 2007

MANLEY, DONALD G. & PITTS, JAMES P., 2007, Tropical and Subtropical Velvet Ants of the Genus Dasymutilla Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) with Descriptions of 45 New Species, Zootaxa 1487 (1), pp. 1-128 : 68-70

Dasymutilla mirabilis Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype female, allotype male, Costa Rica, Guanacaste, Tamarindo Beach, I-19-87, Justin O. Schmidt (taken in copula) [ DGMC].

Diagnosis of Female (Plate C6I). This species can be differentiated from others by the following combination of characters. The female has the integument entirely black, except for four well-separated, pale yellow maculae on tergum II. The head is quadrate, the antennal scrobe is not carinate, and a genal carina is lacking. The mesosoma is wider than long and squarely truncate posteriorly. A scutellar scale is lacking. The pygidium is rugose.

Diagnosis of Male (Plate C6J). The male can be differentiated from others by the following characters. It has the integument entirely black, except for yellow maculae on tergum II. There may be four distinct maculae or they may be coalesced longitudinally to form two hourglass-shaped maculae. Sternum II is distinctly convex, and possesses a small median pit filled with setae. The pygidium is rugose and lacks an apical fringe of setae.

Description of Female. Length, 13–20 mm. Head. Large, black, quadrate, front and vertex clothed with dense appressed golden setae; mandible acute at apex, with inconspicuous inner tooth about 0.25X distance from apex; clypeus broad, flat, anterior margin slightly emarginate; scape carinate, covered with pale setae; flagellomere I long, about as long as II and III united, remaining segments subequal in length; antennal scrobe ecarinate; front and vertex with coarse contiguous punctures, sculpture concealed by dense setae; gena with shallow contiguous punctures, lacking genal carina, clothed with appressed white setae; head 3.0– 4.1 mm wide; relative width to mesosoma about 0.85:1.

Mesosoma. Black, broader than long (3.5–4.4 mm wide X 3.2–4.2 mm long), squarely truncate posteriorly; scutellar scale absent; anterior margin nearly straight, not emarginate medially; dorsum and propodeum with coarse contiguous punctures, sculpture concealed by dense setae; two spots of white setae mediolaterally, with “V” -shaped pattern of white setae on propodeum; pleura with appressed white setae.

Legs black, with white setae.

Metasoma. Black, except four well-separated pale yellow maculae on tergum II, anterior two slightly smaller; metasoma with coarse contiguous punctures; pygidium rugose; sternum I with broad blunt inconspicuous carina; tergum I with long erect white setae, except apical fringe black; tergum II with pale setae in mac- ulae, narrow lateral borders with white setae, remainder of segment with dense appressed black setae; tergum III with black setae bordered laterally by white; terga IV to V reversed, with white setae bordered laterally by black.

Description of Male. Length, 10–18 mm. Head. Black, quadrate, front and vertex clothed with silvery to golden setae; mandible acute at apex, with inner tooth short distance from apex; clypeus conspicuously bidentate; scape prominently bicarinate, clothed with white setae; flagellomere I subequal in length with remaining segments; antennal scrobe distinctly carinate; front and vertex with coarse contiguous punctures, sculpture concealed by setae; gena with shallow contiguous punctures, clothed with appressed white setae.

Mesosoma. Black; dorsum and propodeum with coarse contiguous punctures, sculpture of dorsum concealed by dense setae; anterior margin nearly straight, not emarginate medially; disk of tegula glabrous, impunctate, with black setae, tegula finely punctate anteriorly and medially; pronotum with dense white setae, mesonotum with black setae, scutellum, dorsum of propodeum, and pleura with white setae.

Legs black, with white setae.

Forewing with basal two thirds transparent, apical third dusky; hindwing entirely transparent.

Metasoma. Black, except for yellow maculae on tergum II, maculae may be separated or may coalesce longitudinally to form two hourglass-shaped maculae; metasoma with shallow contiguous punctures; pygidium rugose, lacking apical fringe of setae; sternum I with blunt carina most of length of segment; sternum II with small median pit filled with pale setae, segment strongly convex just anterior to pit; posterolateral angle of last sternite not dentate; tergum I with long erect white setae, lacking conspicuous apical fringe; maculae of tergum II with pale setae, remainder of terga II to III with black setae, except narrow lateral borders with white setae; remainder of metasoma with white setae, except last sternum with black.

Genitalia ( Plate 2E ). Paramere with apex dorsally curved, ventral margin of basal 0.3 densely pubescent, remainder with short sparse setae; cuspis cylindrical, sparsely setose throughout, length about 0.8X free length of paramere, densely pubescent basal lobe present; digitus linear, tapering towards apex, length about 0.6X free length of paramere; penial valve bidentate, teeth separate, anterior tooth larger than posterior tooth.

Paratypes. 7♀, 38♂, COSTA RICA, Guanacaste, La Pacifica, 4 km NW Cañas , III-25-72, F. Cordero (1♀, CISC) ; Bagaces , V-1-72, J. Mora (1♀, CISC) ; W. of Cuajimquil, II-12-95, T. L. Griswold (1♀, DGMC) ; Hacienda La Pacifica , 5 km N. Cañas, III-7-76, H. Reed (1♀, DGMC) ; 14 km SW Bagaces , III-12-84, G. W. Frankie (host label attached) (1♂, LACM) ; Tamarindo Beach, IV-2-84, G. W. Frankie (1♀, LACM) ; Parque Nacional Santa Rosa, III-11-86, W. T. Wcislo (1♀, DGMC) ; EJN, 14 km S. Cañas, II-12/13-89, F. D. Parker (4♂, EMUS; 1♂, DGMC) ; S. Cañas, II-16/20-89, F. D. Parker (4♂, EMUS; 1♂, DGMC) ; S. Cañas, II-22/24- 89, F. D. Parker (1♂, EMUS) ; S. Cañas, II-25/28-89, F. D. Parker (2♂, EMUS; 1♂, DGMC) ; EJN, 14 km S. Cañas, III-4/5-89, F. D. Parker (2♂, EMUS) ; S. Cañas, V-7/10-89, F. D. Parker (2♂, EMUS; 1♂, DGMC) ; EJN, 14 km S. Cañas, II-15/24-90, F. D. Parker (1♂, EMUS) ; II-16-90, F. D. Parker (1♂, EMUS) ; EJN, 14 km S. Cañas, III-1/12-90, F. D. Parker (1♂, EMUS) ; EJN, 14 km S. Cañas, III-15-90, F. D. Parker (1♂, EMUS; 1♂, DGMC) ; EJN, 14 km S. Cañas, III-19/21-90, F. D. Parker (1♂, EMUS) ; 14 km S. Cañas, III-21- 91, F. D. Parker (1♂, EMUS) ; EJN, 14 km S. Cañas, IV-17/19-91, F. D. Parker (1♂, EMUS) ; EJN, 14 km S. Cañas, IV-15-V-6-91, F. D. Parker (1♂, EMUS) ; EJN, 14 km S. Cañas, V-8-91, F. D. Parker (1♂, EMUS) ; EJN, 14 km S. Cañas, V-18-91, F. D. Parker (1♂, EMUS) ; 14 km S. Cañas, VI-1/22-91, F. D. Parker (1♂, EMUS; 1♂, DGMC) ; EJN, 14 km S. Cañas, VI-23-VII-15-91, F. D. Parker (1♂, EMUS; 1♂, DGMC) ; 14 km S. Cañas, VII-1/10-91, F. D. Parker (2♂, EMUS; 1♂, DGMC) ; Puntarenas, Monteverde, VI-3/5-74, E. Giesbert (1♀, LACM) .

Host Identity. Bees in the genus Centris Fabricius ( Hymenoptera : Apidae ) (see collection data above).

Distribution. Costa Rica (Guanacaste, Puntarenas).

Etymology. From the Latin meaning “wonderful,” in reference to the large size and beauty of this species.

Remarks. This large species is described on the basis of a pair collected in copula. The female is easily identified due to its broad, quadrate head, broad mesosoma, and lack of a scutellar scale.

The male has the apical metasomal segments clothed with dense conspicuous silver setae. Tergum II has two to four conspicuous, yellow/orange maculae. The maculae may be distinct (four), but sometimes the lateral maculae coalesce to form two hourglass-shaped maculae.

Figures

PLATE 2. Male genitalia of Dasymutilla. A. D. impressa. B. D. ionothorax. C. D. loreto. D. D. mazatlanorum. E. D. mirabilis. F. D. mirapenis. G. D. modgudi. H. D. naranjo.