Dasymutilla apicalata (Blake)

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 : 23

Dasymutilla apicalata (Blake)

Mutilla (Sphaeropthalma) apicalata Blake, 1871 . Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 3:238. Holotype male, Mexico (F. Sumichrast) [ANSP] (examined).

Sphaerophthalma [ sic.] perfidiosa Cameron, 1895. Biol. Cent.-Amer., Hym. 2:368. Male holotype, Mexico, Tepetlapa in Guerrero (H. H. Smith) (No. 15.810) [ BMNH] (examined). Synonymy: Mickel (1965:2) .

Sphaerophthalma [ sic.] guerreroensis Cameron, 1895. Biol. Cent.-Amer., Hym. 2:369. Male holotype, Mexico, Chilpancingo in Guerrero (H. H. Smith) [ BMNH] (examined). Synonymy: Mickel (1965:2) .

Mutilla perfida Dalla Torre, 1897 . Cat. Hym. 8:72.

Diagnosis of Male ( Plate C1D ). This species has the hind femora truncate and sulcate. It can be distinguished from other species with this condition by the granulate pygidium and by coloration; the setae on the head are pale silver, the tibial spurs are white, and the integument of the metasoma is largely ferruginous. Sometimes the color of the setae varies. In this case, this species can be confused with D. sophrona . However, black setae are always present, unlike in related species.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. USA (Arizona, Texas); Mexico (Baja California Sur, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Durango, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacan, Nayarit, Oaxaca, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Veracruz); Nicaragua (Masaya).

Remarks. This is a very common species, of which a couple of hundred specimens, including the holotype, have been examined. Although color of the setae on the metasoma is variable, this species is distinguished from closely related species in that black setae are always present.

Figures

PLATE 1. Male genitalia of Dasymutilla. A. D. atrata. B. D. baylegi. C. D. bimaculata. D. D. boharti. E. D. brazilia. F. D. chamela. G. D. chillcotti. H. D. fimbriata. I. D. guanacaste.