Dasymutilla chionothrix 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 : 41

Dasymutilla chionothrix Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype female, Mexico, Sonora, 10 mi SE Alamos , VI-29-63, F. D. Parker and L. A. Stange [ UCDC].

Diagnosis of Female ( Plate C3E ). This species can be diagnosed by the following unique combination of characters. The integument of this species is a dark reddish color, clothed primarily with yellow setae and some contrasting black setae. The head is distinctly narrower than the mesosoma, the antennal scrobe is carinate, and a genal carina is absent. The mesosoma is longer than broad, having both a scutellar scale and a sinuate carina anterior to the scale, and the pygidium is longitudinally striate.

Description. Female: Length, 12–15 mm. Head. Reddish, clothed entirely with pale yellow setae; mandible acute at apex, with inconspicuous inner tooth about 0.3X distance from apex; clypeus transversely concave, anterior margin nearly straight; scape carinate, clothed with yellow setae; flagellomere I slightly longer than remaining segments; antennal scrobe distinctly carinate; front and vertex with coarse contiguous punctures, sculpture concealed by dense setae; gena with shallow contiguous punctures, genal carina absent; head 2.3–3.1 mm, distinctly narrower than mesosoma; head to mesosoma ratio about 0.70:1.

Mesosoma. Reddish, distinctly longer than broad (3.2–4.4 mm wide X 3.9–5.3 mm long), clothed almost entirely with pale yellow setae; scutellar scale present and prominent, with sinuate carina anterior to scale; dorsum with coarse contiguous punctures, concealed by setae; propodeum deeply reticulate, posterior face with dense brush of black setae.

Legs dark reddish, with pale setae; hind femora distinctly flattened ventrally.

Metasoma. Reddish, clothed almost entirely with pale yellow setae; tergum I smooth and shining, with only shallow scattered punctures; tergum II with coarse contiguous punctures, sculpture concealed by dense setae; pygidium longitudinally striate; sternum I with sharp carina about 0.5X length of segment, produced posteriorly into sharp tooth; setae entirely pale yellow, except apical fringe of tergum I black, bordered by yellow, apical fringe of tergum II narrowly interrupted medially with black, and black setae medially on tergum III.

Male. Unknown.

Paratypes. 2♀, MEXICO, Morelos, Yautepec, VII-13-63, F. D. Parker and L. A. Stange ( DGMC); Sonora, Guirocoba, VIII-24-33 ( LACM) .

Distribution. Mexico (Morelos, Sonora).

Etymology. From the Greek chion “snow” and thrix “hair,” in reference to the white setae of the metasoma.

Remarks. This species is known only from the female.

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.