Dasymutilla spilota 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 : 91-92

Dasymutilla spilota Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype female, Costa Rica, Chomes Punt, III-91, E. A. Sugden [ UCDC].

Diagnosis of Female (Plate C8J). This species can be recognized by its coloration and several structural characteristics. It has the integument black, coarsely sculptured, and with gold and silver setae contrasting with black. The head is narrower than the mesosoma, the antennal scrobe is not carinate, but a genal carina is present. The mesosoma is slightly longer than broad. It possesses both a scutellar scale and a transverse sinuate carina anterior to the scale. The pygidium is longitudinally rugose.

Description. Female: Length, 6–9 mm. Head. Black; front and vertex clothed with dense appressed golden setae; apical half of mandible black, basal half ferruginous, acute at apex and lacking inner tooth; clypeus longitudinally concave, smooth and shining, anterior margin straight; scape carinate, smooth and shining, clothed with white setae; flagellomeres subequal in length; antennal scrobe not carinate; front and vertex coarsely sculptured, sculpture concealed by dense golden setae; gena coarsely sculptured with conspicuous genal carina, clothed with sparse white setae; head width about 1.3–1.7 mm; relative width of head to mesosoma about 0.75:1.

Mesosoma. Black, slightly longer than broad (1.6–2.3 mm wide X 1.8–2.6 mm long); dorsum and propodeum with large contiguous punctures; scutellar scale conspicuous, with transverse sinuate carina anterior to scale; anterior third with dense appressed black setae, remainder with dense golden setae.

Legs black, with silver setae.

Metasoma. Black; sculpture completely hidden by dense setae; sternum I with blunt carina about 0.5X length of segment; pygidium longitudinally rugose; tergum I with dense silver setae; tergum II with two median circles of silver setae extending to lateral margins, remainder of segment with dense velvety black setae; tergum III with median third black, bounded laterally by silver setae; remaining segments with silver setae; sternum entirely with silver setae.

Male. Unknown.

Paratypes. 17♀, COSTA RICA, Guanacaste NP, Pitilla Sta., IV-11-95, L. S. Kimsey (1♀, UCDC) ; Guanacaste, EJN, 14 km S. Cañas. I-18/22-93, F. D. Parker (2♀, EMUS; 3♀, DGMC) ; EJN, 14 km S. Cañas , I-24/ 29-93, F. D. Parker (4♀, EMUS; 1♀, DGMC) ; EJN, 14 km S. Cañas , I-29-II-8-93, F. D. Parker (1♀, EMUS; 1♀, DGMC) ; EJN, 14 km S. Cañas , II-19/28-90, F. D. Parker (1♀, EMUS) ; Punt. Puntarenas, XII-19-87, F. D. Parker (1♀, DGMC) ; HONDURAS, 30 km SE Siquatepeque , VIII-11/12-78, J. A. Chemsak, E. G. & J. M. Linsley (1♀, CISC) ; PANAMA, Canal Zone, Balboa , III-15-47, Van Beeck (1♀, CISC) .

Distribution. Costa Rica (Guanacaste, Puntarenas); Honduras; Panama.

Etymology. From the Greek meaning spotted, referring to the integumental maculations of tergum II.

Remarks. This species is known only from the female. It keys easily after couplet #2. The mesosoma is longer than broad, but barely so. It also possesses a scutellar scale. The integument is entirely black, lacking any maculae. However, tergum II does have two conspicuous, circular, spots of silver setae, separated by black.