Dasymutilla twegeni 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 : 97-98

Dasymutilla twegeni Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype female, Mexico, Yucatan, Chicheniltza , VI-29 [ DGMC].

Diagnosis of Female (Plate C9E). This species can be recognized by its coloration and size. This species is small, the head and mesosoma are ferruginous, with the metasoma almost black. It has contrasting silver and black setae. The head is rounded, the antennal scrobe is not at all carinate, and the gena is carinate. A scutellar scale is present. Tergum II has two conspicuous yellow maculae. The pygidium is longitudinally rugose.

Description. Female: Length, 6–8 mm. Head. Ferruginous, rounded posterolaterally, clothed with con- spicuous silver setae; mandible acute at apex, lacking inner tooth; clypeus convex, anterior margin nearly straight; scape weakly carinate, clothed with silver setae; flagellomeres subequal in length; antennal scrobe ecarinate; front and vertex with shallow contiguous punctures, much like gena, sculpture may be concealed by setae; genal carina present; head width 1.2–1.4 mm, relative width to mesosoma about 0.85:1.

Mesosoma. Ferruginous, slightly longer than broad (1.4–1.7 mm wide X 1.5–1.8 mm long); anterior margin nearly straight, not emarginate medially; scutellar scale present; mesosoma with coarse contiguous punctures throughout, except for metapleuron, much of sculpture concealed by dense appressed silver setae.

Legs ferruginous, with silver setae.

Metasoma. Nearly black except two large yellow maculae on posterior half; metasoma with coarse contiguous punctures present, even on maculae; segment I attached very low on segment II; pygidium longitudinally rugose; sternum I with longitudinal carina, produced anteriorly into blunt tooth; apical fringe of tergum I silver; tergum II with appressed and erect black setae, except sparse erect yellow setae on maculae, and narrow lateral borders of silver on apical fringe; tergum III entirely with black setae, except narrow lateral borders silver; remainder of metasoma with silver setae.

Male. Unknown.

Paratypes. 2♀, MEXICO, Quintana Roo, x-can, V-6-63 (1♀, LACM); Yucatan, Chicheniltza , VI-29 (1♀, DGMC) .

Distribution. Mexico (Quintana Roo, Yucatan).

Etymology. From the Old English twegen, meaning “two,” in reference to the pair of tergal maculations.

Remarks. This species is known only from the female. It is distinguished by its size, the two yellow maculae on tergum II, and the contrasting silver and black setae.