Dasymutilla paradoxa ( Gerstaecker, 1874 ) Gerstaecker, 1874

Luz, David R., Williams, Kevin A. & Bartholomay, Pedro R., 2016, The mutillid wasps of the Dasymutilla paradoxa species-group (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae), Zootaxa 4193 (2), pp. 361-372 : 365

Dasymutilla paradoxa ( Gerstaecker, 1874) , comb. nov.

( Figs 3, 4 , 9, 10 )

Mutilla paradoxa Gerstaecker 1874: 76 . Holotype, ♀, Colombia, Bogotá (ZMB, examined). Sphaerophthalma [sic!] icaris Cameron 1895: 360 . Holotype, ♀, Nicaragua, Chontales (NHM, examined), syn. nov. Sphaerophthalma [sic!] icaris: Nonveiller 1990: 87 , ♀ (incertae sedis).

Mutilla paradoxa: Nonveiller 1990: 88 , ♀ (incertae sedis).

Traumatomutilla icaris: Cambra 1997: 122 .

Diagnosis. FEMALE. The female of this species can be separated from other D. paradoxa species-group members by the following combination of characters: the body is predominantly black; the clypeus has a basal longitudinal tubercle; the pale setal markings of the head and mesosoma are golden; the discal spots of T2 are yellow; T2 and T3 medially clothed with interspersed golden and black setae; and the pygidium is defined by strong carinae laterally.

MALE. Unknown.

Distribution. Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia.

Material examined. Type material. Holotype of Mutilla paradoxa , ♀, COLOMBIA: Cundinamarca, Bogota, Lindig S. ( ZMB) ; holotype of Sphaerophthalma [sic!] icaris , ♀, NICARAGUA, Chontales, 1903-297, Janson ( NHM). Other material . COLOMBIA: Tolima, Mendez, H. Cardonol, 450m, 15.XI.1995, F. Fernandez (1♀, IaVH) . COSTA RICA: Alajuela, Bijagua , 20 km S Upala, 30.IV-6.V.1991, F.D. Parker (1♀, EMUS) ; Guanacaste : 8 km E Esparta , 1000’, 11.VII.1974, C.W. O’Brien, L. O’Brien, & G.B. Marshall (1♀, CASC) ; 3 km SE Rio Naranjo , 11-21.IV.1992, F.D. Parker (1♀, FSCA) ; same data except 1-14.IX.1993 (1♀, EMUS) ; same data except 24- 26.V.1993 (1♀, EMUS) ; Sugar Beach , 3 km N Potrero, 9-11.XI.1991, A.S. Menke (1♀, USNM) ; Heredia, Estancion Biological de La Selva , 5-8.III.2001, E.G. Riley (1♀, TAMU) . HONDURAS, San Jose, C.A., 13.IV.1923, S.C. Brumer (1♀, UMSP) . NICARAGUA, Rivas, Reserva la Flor, 25-30.I.2003, E. van den Berghe (1♀, EMUS) . PANAMA: Canal Zone, Barro Colorado Island , 4.IV.1935, W.M. Wheeler (1♀, USNM) ; same data except 7.I.1977, S. Levings (1♀, USNM) ; same data except 28.III.1977 (1♀, USNM) ; same data except 15.IV.1977 (1♀, USNM) ; same data except 29.III.1980, R. Silbergli (1♀, USNM) ; Cerro Azul, N of Tocumen , 7.VI.1958, W.J. Hanson (1♀, EMUS) .

Remarks. This species is clothed predominantly with golden setae and superficially resembles Pappognatha myrmiciformis ( Cameron, 1897) and Ephuta (Ephutopsis) championi (Cameron, 1894) . These three mutillids from different genera share an overlapping distribution with the abundant ant species, Camponotus sericeiventris ( Guérin-Méneville, 1838) . Yanega (1994) hypothesized that P. myrmiciforms was a Müllerian mimic of C. sericieventris ; we suggest that D. paradoxa and E. championi may be as well.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Dasymutilla paradoxa species-group, ♀. 1. D. fasciventris, habitus, dorsal view; 2. D. fasciventris, habitus, lateral view; 3. D. paradoxa, habitus, dorsal view; 4. D. paradoxa, habitus, lateral view; 5. D. paraparadoxa sp. nov., habitus, dorsal view; 6. D. paraparadoxa sp. nov., habitus, lateral view; 7. D. phya, habitus, dorsal view; 8. D. phya, habitus, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURES 9 – 14. Dasymutilla paradoxa species-group, ♀. 9. D. paradoxa, head, anterior view; 10. D. paradoxa, pygidium, dorsal view; 11. D. paraparadoxa sp. nov., head, anterior view; 12. D. paraparadoxa sp. nov., pygidium, dorsal view; 13. D. phya, head, anterior view; 14. D. phya, pygidium, dorsal view.