Dasymutilla loreto 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 : 64

Dasymutilla loreto Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype male, Mexico, Baja California Sur, Puerto Escondido, Loreto, VI-23-91, R. Shaver [ UCDC].

Diagnosis of Male (Plate C5O). This species can be diagnosed by the following combination of characters, including coloration. The mandible is bidentate and the antennal scrobe is not carinate. Sternum II lacks a pit filled with setae. The pygidium is glabrous and possesses an apical fringe of setae. This species has the integument entirely black. The metasoma, from the apical fringe of tergum II, and the scutellum are clothed with scarlet setae. The head, pronotum, and mesonotum are clothed with contrasting gray and black setae. The remainder of the body is clothed entirely with black setae.

Description. Male: Length, 7–9 mm. Head. Black; mandible acute at apex, with inconspicuous inner tooth about 0.25X distance from apex; clypeus flat, anterior margin bidentate; scape carinate, clothed with gray setae; flagellomere I slightly shorter than remaining segments; antennal scrobe ecarinate; front and vertex with coarse contiguous punctures; vertex with raised conical area bearing ocelli; occipital region compressed laterally; front and vertex with contrasting gray and black setae.

Mesosoma. Black; anterior margin slightly emarginate medially, anterior face of emargination glabrous; mesosoma, except metapleuron, with coarse contiguous punctures; tegula black, posterior half glabrous, shining, anterior half with appressed black setae; pronotum and mesonotum with contrasting gray and black setae; scutellum with scarlet setae; remainder of mesosoma with black setae.

Legs black, clothed with black setae.

Wings fuscous.

Metasoma. Black; tergum I with coarse contiguous punctures; remainder of metasoma with shallow separated punctures; pygidium glabrous, shining, with apical fringe of black setae; sternum I with sharp longitudinal carina most of length of segment; sternum II lacking pit filled with setae; posterolateral angle of last sternite not dentate, with shallow separated punctures, except apical margin glabrous and produced into median tooth.

Genitalia ( Plate 2C ). Paramere with apex dorsally curved, ventral margin of basal 0.3 densely pubescent, remainder with short sparse setae; cuspis with basal 0.3 cylindrical and slightly lobate ventrally, remainder somewhat laterally flattened, ventral and internal surface of flattened portion with thick long setae, external margin slightly dorsal also with row of thick long setae, dorsal and external surface of flattened portion with dense short setae, length about 0.6X free length of paramere, densely pubescent basal lobe present; digitus linear, tapering towards apex, length slightly less than 0.5X free length of paramere; penial valve bidentate, teeth separate and roughly equal in size.

Female. Unknown, may be D. lachesis .

Paratypes. 3♂, MEXICO, Baja California Sur, Hwy 1 S. El Rosario at 115 marker, VIII-24/25-92, D. E. Russell (1♂, UCDC): Puerto Escondido, Loreto, VI-23-91, R. Shaver (1♂, DGMC); Todos Santos, VI-15-75, H. Evans, W. Rubink, and D. Gwynne (1♂, DGMC) .

Distribution. Mexico (Baja California Sur).

Etymology. In reference to the type locality of Loreto, Puerto Escondido, Baja California Sur, Mexico; the specific-epithet is a noun in apposition.

Remarks. This species is described on the basis of the male, but its pattern of color and distribution make it likely to be the male of D. lachesis . This male is characterized by having the apical fringe of tergum II, and terga III through VI entirely, clothed with long, red setae, while the head and mesosoma are clothed with white setae.

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.