Dasymutilla chalcocephala 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 : 38-39

Dasymutilla chalcocephala Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype female, Costa Rica, Guanacaste, EJN, 14 km S. Cañas, XII-28-91, F. D. Parker [ EMUS].

Diagnosis of Female ( Plate C3B ). This species is defined by having the integument entirely black, except for four yellow maculae on tergum II, by a head that is broad and quadrate, a carinate antennal scrobe and gena, and a rugose pygidium, while the scutellar scale is absent. The setal pattern is made up of contrasting gold, black, and silver setae.

Description. Female: Length, 6–10 mm. Head. Black, broad, quadrate; mandible acute at apex, lacking inner tooth; clypeus small, shallowly concave, anterior margin broadly emarginate; scape carinate, clothed with sparse pale setae; flagellomere I slightly longer than remaining segments; antennal scrobe distinctly carinate; front and vertex with coarse contiguous punctures, sculpture concealed by dense appressed golden setae; gena shining, with shallow contiguous punctures, with a conspicuous carina, clothed with sparse silver setae; width 1.3–1.9 mm; relative width to mesosoma about 0.85:1.

Mesosoma. Black, slightly longer than broad (1.5–2.3 mm wide X 1.6–2.4 mm long); scutellar scale absent; dorsum with coarse contiguous punctures, sculpture concealed by dense setae; anterior margin nearly straight, not emarginate medially; sides of propodeum glabrous, shining; triangular pattern of dense black setae anteriorly, followed by “V” -shaped pattern of dense golden setae, pleura with silver setae.

Legs black, with pale setae.

Metasoma. Black, except four circular yellow maculae on tergum II, two anterior maculae smaller; pygidium rugose; sternum I with blunt carina on posterior half; dorsum with coarse contiguous punctures, including maculae; apical fringe of first segment silver; tergum II with dense black setae, except maculae and lateral areas with sparse pale setae; tergum III entirely with black setae, except narrow lateral borders silver; terga IV to V entirely with silver setae; tergum VI black; sternum with sparse pale setae.

Male. Unknown.

Paratypes. 23♀, COSTA RICA, Guanacaste, EJN, 14 km S. Cañas, I-11/31-90, F. D. Parker (1♀, EMUS) ; XI-1/24-90 (1♀, EMUS) ; I-18/22-93 (3♀, EMUS) ; I-24/29-93 (3♀, EMUS; 4♀, DGMC) ; I-29-II-8-93 (1♀, EMUS; 2♀, DGMC) ; Finca Montezuma, 3 km SE Rio Naranjo , XII-28-91-I-8-92, F. D. Parker (1♀, EMUS) ; III-19/24-93 (1♀, EMUS) ; reared trap nest; ‘93 (1♀, EMUS) ; Puntarenas, XII-19-87, F. D. Parker (1♀, EMUS) ; San Jose, Escazu, II-1/7-88, F. D. Parker (1♀, EMUS) : I-7/8-89 (1♀, EMUS) ; X-22-XI-5-89 (1♀, EMUS) ; SAN SALVADOR, IV-1-59, PAB (1♀, DGMC) .

Distribution. Costa Rica (Guanacaste, Puntarenas, San Jose); San Salvador.

Etymology. From the Greek chalco “bronze” and Greek cephalo “head”, in reference to the coloration of the head.

Remarks. This species is known only from the female and is quite small. The mesosoma is only slightly longer than broad. In two of the paratype specimens, the mesosoma is actually slightly broader than long.

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.