Dasymutilla griswoldi 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 : 55

Dasymutilla griswoldi Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype female, Mexico, Jalisco, Chamela, VII-11-89, T. Griswold [ EMUS].

Diagnosis of Female (Plate C5A). This species can be recognized by its setal and integumental color pattern. The integument of the head and mesosoma are black, while that of the metasoma is ferruginous, except for a posterior transverse yellow macula. The setae are contrasting silver and black; the head is clothed with silver setae, the anterior third of the mesosoma and a small circular spot around the scutellar scale are clothed with black setae, while the remainder of the mesosoma has dense silver setae, tergum II has a heptagonal-shaped area of dense black setae anteriorly and sparse silver setae on the yellow macula. Also, the head is rounded, the antennal scrobe is weakly carinate dorsally, and a genal carina is absent. The mesosoma is longer than broad, with both a scutellar scale and a transverse sinuate carina anterior to the scale, and the pygidium is longitudinally striate.

Description. Female. Length, 10 mm. Head. Black, clothed with silver setae, posterolateral angles rounded; mandible acute at apex, lacking inner tooth; clypeus transversely concave, anterior margin weakly emarginate; scape carinate, clothed with silver setae; flagellomere I almost as long as II and III united, remaining flagellomeres subequal in length; antennal scrobe weakly carinate; front and vertex with coarse contiguous punctures, sculpture concealed by dense appressed silver setae; gena coarsely punctate; genal carina absent; head 1.7 mm wide, relative width to mesosoma about 0.75:1.

Mesosoma. Black, longer than broad (2.3 mm wide X 2.8 mm long); both scutellar scale and transverse sinuate carina anterior to scale present; anterior margin weakly emarginate medially; with coarse contiguous punctures throughout, except metapleuron glabrous; anterior third and small circular spot around scutellar scale with dense black setae; remainder with dense silver setae.

Legs dark, almost black, clothed with silver setae.

Metasoma. Ferruginous, except transverse yellow macula on tergum II posteriorly; disk of tergum I glabrous, shining, surrounded by shallow contiguous punctures; tergum II with coarse contiguous punctures; sternum II shining, with shallow contiguous punctures; pygidium longitudinally striate; sternum I with median carina, produced into tooth anteriorly; apical fringe of tergum I with dense silver setae; tergum II with heptagonal-shaped area of dense black setae anteriorly; yellow macula with sparse silver setae; apical fringe of tergum II and tergum III entirely with black setae bordered laterally with silver; remainder of metasoma with silver setae.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Mexico (Jalisco).

Etymology. Named in honor of Terry L. Griswold, in recognition of his contribution to apoid taxonomy and because he collected the type specimen.

Remarks. This species is known only from the female holotype.