Dasymutilla baleygi 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 : 28

Dasymutilla baleygi Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype male, Mexico, Jalisco, Chamela Biological Station , Camino Eje Central, VII-26/31-96, Gonzalez & Wooley [ DGMC].

Diagnosis of Male ( Plate C1O ). This species can be distinguished by this unique combination of characters: sternum II has a large pit densely filled with black setae, the pygidium is rugose, and with a distinct apical fringe of setae, the digitus of the genitalia is enlarged and almost as large as the cuspis, and by its coloration. The integument of the head, mesosoma, and most of the metasoma, is black, while that of tergum II is orange from the anterior third to the posterior margin. The setae of the head and mesosoma are golden, except for a conspicuous circle of black setae on the mesonotum.

Description. Male: Length, 18 mm. Head. Black; mandible tridentate (worn in holotype); clypeus flat, coarsely sculptured, conspicuously bidentate on anterior margin; scape conspicuously bicarinate; flagellomere I slightly shorter than remaining segments; antennal scrobe distinctly carinate; head with coarse contiguous punctures; occipital region evenly rounded posteriorly; front and vertex with dense appressed golden setae, remainder of head with white setae.

Mesosoma. Black; anterior margin not emarginate medially; with coarse contiguous punctures; tegula black, glabrous; dorsum entirely with dense golden setae, concolorous with front and vertex, except conspicuous circle of dense appressed black setae on mesonotum; propodeum and mesosoma laterally clothed with sparse pale setae.

Legs black, clothed with white setae.

Wings fuscous.

Metasoma. Tergum I, anterior third of tergum II, and entire sternum of metasoma black; metasoma, from anterior third of tergum II to apex of body orange, with shining orange setae; pygidium rugose, with conspicuous apical fringe of dark setae; sternum I with longitudinal carina, not dentate on either end; sternum II with large oval pit, about 2X as long as wide, about 0.5X length of segment, densely filled with black setae; last sternite with acute posterolateral angles, but not dentate, with shallow separated punctures, except apical margin impunctate and produced into median tooth; apical fringes of sterna II to IV pale.

Genitalia ( Plate 1B ). Paramere with apex dorsally curved, ventral margin of basal 0.3 densely pubescent, remainder with short sparse setae; cuspis cylindrical, apex with thick long setae with curved tips, ventrobasal 0.3 with dense thick setae, dorsal with dense short setae, length about 0.75X free length of paramere, densely pubescent basal lobe present; digitus cylindrical, thinner medially, curving inward toward midline medially, slightly knob-like apically, length about 0.75X free length of paramere; penial valve bidentate, teeth separate, anterior tooth larger than posterior tooth.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Mexico (Jalisco).

Etymology. From Norse mythology, Baleyg, meaning flame-eye, one of Odin’s names, in reference to the predominant setal coloration.

Remarks. This species is known only from the male holotype. The key characteristic is a very large pit on sternum II that is filled with setae and is distinctly anterior in position.

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.