Dasymutilla citromaculosa 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 : 43-44

Dasymutilla citromaculosa Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype female, Mexico, Puebla, 3 mi. NW Petlalcingo , IV-2-62, F. D. Parker [ UCDC].

Diagnosis of Female ( Plate C3I ). This is a striking species characterized by coarse contiguous punctures, a long narrow mesosoma, a color pattern made up of contrasting silver and black setae, and four conspicuous yellow maculae on tergum II. Also, the head is black, with the antennal scrobe and gena strongly carinate, and a strong genal carina. It lacks a scutellar scale, and the pygidium is coarsely rugose.

Description. Female: Length, 10–14 mm. Head. Black, clothed with dense appressed silver setae; coarsely punctate throughout; mandible acute at apex, with conspicuous inner tooth about 0.3X distance from apex, apical third black, remainder ferruginous; clypeus small, convex, broadly emarginate medially; antennae ferruginous, sharply contrasting black head; scape weakly carinate, smooth and shining, with sparse silver setae; flagellomere I slightly longer than remaining flagellomeres; antennal scrobe with sharp strong carina; gena with sharp strong carina; head distinctly narrower than mesosoma, head width 1.9–2.3 mm, about 0.75 width of mesosoma.

Mesosoma. Ferruginous, distinctly longer than broad (2.6–2.9 mm wide X 3.2–4.0 mm long), gently sloping into propodeum, with coarse contiguous punctures throughout, except mesopleuron smooth; scutellar scale absent; with strong humeral carina; anterior margin evenly transverse, not emarginate medially; anterior half with dense black setae, followed by “Y” -shaped pattern of dense silver setae bounded laterally by sparse black setae.

Legs ferruginous, smooth and shining, with sparse silver setae, except apices of middle and hind femora with few black setae.

Metasoma. Ferruginous, except terminal segments black, and tergum II with four conspicuous yellow maculae, anterior two smaller than posterior two; metasoma with coarse contiguous punctures throughout; pygidium coarsely rugose; sternum I with sharp median carina about 0.5X length of segment; tergum I with appressed silver setae; tergum II with sparse black setae, except broad apical margin with dense black setae narrowly bordered laterally with silver; tergum III entirely with dense black setae narrowly bordered laterally with silver; terga IV to V entirely with dense silver setae; remainder of dorsum with dense black setae; sterna I to II with sparse silver setae, apical margins of sterna with dense fringes of silver setae, except last segment with dense black setae.

Male. Unknown.

Paratypes. 3♀, MEXICO, Jalisco, Chamela , VII-20/27-84, J. A. Chemsak and J. T. Doyen ( CISC) ; Chamela, X-1/8-85, F. D. Parker and T. L. Griswold ( EMUS) ; USA, Arizona, 8 mi S. Globe, VI-1-58, G. H. Nelson ( DGMC) .

Distribution. USA (Arizona); Mexico (Jalisco, Puebla).

Etymology. From the Greek citrin “lemon” and Latin maculosus “spotted,” in reference to the yellow integumental maculations on tergum II.

Remarks. This species is known only from the female. It is easily identified by the four yellow maculae on tergum II, the conspicuous “Y” -shaped pattern of silver setae on the dorsum of the mesosoma, and the body coarsely sculptured throughout.

Figures

PLATE 3. Male genitalia of Dasymutilla. A. D. nocticaro. B. D. sinaloa. C. D. spiniscapula. D. D. truxali. E. D. sleipniri. F. D. veracruz. G. D. wasbaueri.