Dasymutilla argentea 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 : 25-26

Dasymutilla argentea Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype female, Mexico, Campeche, 46 mi E. Colonia Lopez Mateos, VI-27-64, UCM Yucatan Expedition [ DGMC].

Diagnosis of Female ( Plate C1I ). This species has the apices of the middle and hind femora squarely truncate, and the surfaces of the outer lobes of the truncation sulcate. This species can be separated from other species with truncate femora by the integument, which in this species is entirely black except for two circular yellow maculae on the disk of tergum II, and by the contrasting silver and black setae. Also, the head is as broad as the mesosoma, the antennal scrobe is carinate dorsally, the posterolateral angle of the head is carinate, the mesosoma is slightly longer than broad, a scutellar scale is lacking, and the pygidium is granulate.

Description. Female: Length, 12 mm. Head. Black, quadrate, clothed with dense silver setae; mandible acute at apex, with inconspicuous inner tooth about 0.25X distance from apex; clypeus broadly triangular and flat, anterior margin nearly straight; scape carinate, with sparse silver setae; flagellomere I very long, as long as II and III united, remaining segments subequal in length; front and vertex with coarse contiguous punctures; gena with shallow separated punctures; posterolateral angle of head carinate; head broad (2.6 mm), head to mesosoma ratio 1.0.

Mesosoma. Black, slightly longer than broad (2.6 mm wide X 3.0 mm long); dorsum and propodeum with coarse contiguous punctures; scutellar scale absent; with sparse black setae, except single patch of dense, appressed silver setae on posterior face of propodeum.

Legs black, with sparse silver setae; apices of middle and hind femora squarely truncate, the surfaces of outer lobes of truncation sulcate.

Metasoma. Black, except two circular yellow maculae on disk of tergum II; tergum I with coarse separated punctures; tergum II with coarse contiguous punctures, except punctures of maculae separated; pygidium granulate; sternum I with blunt carina about 0.3X length of segment; tergum I with patch of dense appressed silver setae medially; tergum II entirely with black setae, except sparse erect yellow setae on yellow maculae and narrow lateral edge of apical fringe silver; tergum III clothed entirely with black setae, except narrow lateral edge of apical fringe silver; remaining terga with silver setae medially bordered by black laterally.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Mexico (Campeche).

Etymology. From the Latin argenteus “silvery” in reference to silvery setae found on the head and apical terga.

Remarks. This species is known only from the holotype. It keys very easily. Its key characters are having the apices of the femora truncate and sulcate, having the pygidium granulate, and lacking a scutellar scale. The posterolateral angle of the head is carinate, tergum II has two yellow maculae, and the head is clothed with conspicuous silver setae.

Figures

PLATE 1. Male genitalia of Dasymutilla. A. D. atrata. B. D. baylegi. C. D. bimaculata. D. D. boharti. E. D. brazilia. F. D. chamela. G. D. chillcotti. H. D. fimbriata. I. D. guanacaste.