Dasymutilla altamira (Blake)

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 : 22

Dasymutilla altamira (Blake)

Mutilla (Sphaeropthalma) Altamira Blake, 1871 . Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 3:244. Holotype female, Mexico (F. Sumichrast) (No. 4505) [ANSP] (examined).

Sphaerophthalma [ sic.] laothoe Cameron, 1895. Biol. Cent.-Amer., Hym. 2:349. Holotype female, Mexico, San Blas in Jalisco (Schumann) (No. 15.808) [ BMNH] (examined). Synonymy: Mickel (1964:163).

Diagnosis of Female ( Plate C1C ). This species has a unique color pattern with the dorsum of the mesosoma having a triangular design of black setae anteriorly while the posterior face of the propodeum is clothed with conspicuous silver setae. Also of importance is that neither the antennal scrobe nor the gena are carinate, flagellomere I is shorter than 2X its width at the apex, and shorter than II and III united, the posterolateral angle of the head is not tuberculate, the mesosoma is longer than broad, and a scutellar scale is present.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Mexico (Guerrero, Jalisco, Oaxaca).

Remarks. This is another very poorly collected species. It is known only from the holotype and about a half dozen other specimens, all of which have been examined.

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.