Dasymutilla impressa 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 : 58-59

Dasymutilla impressa Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype male, Mexico, Sinaloa, 8 mi. SE Elota , V-18-62, F. D. Parker [ UCDC].

Diagnosis of Male (Plate C5D). This species has the posterior trochanter produced at the apex into a blunt tooth, and sternum II concave and scabrous at the sides and apex. It can be distinguished from similar species by having the integument a mixture of black and ferruginous. The head, pro- and mesothorax, and apical metasomal segments are black. The metathorax, propodeum, legs, and at least the first two metasomal segments are ferruginous.

Description. Male: Length, 8–14 mm. Head. Black; mandible tridentate; clypeus prominently bidentate on anterior margin; scape conspicuously bicarinate, coarsely punctate; clothed with black setae; flagellomere I slightly shorter than remaining segments; antennal scrobe distinctly carinate; front and vertex with coarse contiguous punctures, sculpture concealed by dense appressed yellow setae; gena with shallow contiguous punctures, with sparse erect black setae; occipital region slightly compressed laterally.

Mesosoma. Bicolored, pro- and mesothorax black, metathorax and propodeum ferruginous; anterior margin nearly straight, not emarginate medially; mesosoma with coarse contiguous punctures, except metapleuron glabrous; posterior half of tegula glabrous, anterior half with yellow setae; pronotum and scutellum with dense appressed yellow setae; mesonotum with dense appressed black setae; remainder of mesosoma with sparse yellowish setae.

Legs ferruginous, clothed with whitish setae; posterior trochanter produced at apex into prominent tooth.

Wings dusky.

Metasoma. Bicolored, at least first two segments ferruginous, apical segments black; metasoma with shallow contiguous punctures; pygidium not coarsely sculptured, lacking apical fringe of setae; sternum I with blunt carina, not produced into tooth in either direction; sternum II concave, sides and apex scabrous, lacking pit filled with setae; last sternite glabrous at apical margin and prominently tridentate; tergum I, including apical fringe, with white setae; anterolateral margins of II with white setae, remainder of II with sparse black setae, except apical fringe yellow; segments III to IV with yellow setae, remaining segments with black.

Genitalia ( Plate 2A ). Paramere with apex dorsally curved, ventral margin of basal 0.3 densely pubescent, remainder with short sparse setae; cuspis with laterally flattened, ventral and internal surface of flattened portion with thick long setae, dorsal and external surface of flattened portion with sparse short setae, length about 0.6X free length of paramere, pubescent basal lobe present; digitus linear, tapering towards apex, slightly notched apically, length about 0.5X free length of paramere; penial valve bidentate, teeth separate, anterior tooth slightly larger than posterior tooth.

Female. Unknown.

Paratypes. 16♂, MEXICO, Jalisco, Plan de Barrancas , III-24-62, F. D. Parker (2♂, UCDC; 1♂, DGMC) ; same data, L.A. Stange (1♂, UCDC) ; Michoacan, Apatzingan, VIII-21-41, H. Hoagstraal (1♂, UMSP) ; Nayarit, Jesus Maria, VI-26-55, B. Malkin (1♂, CISC) ; Hwy 54, 4 mi W Tepic, VIII-31-61 (1♂, LACM) ; Tepic, VII-25-63, P. J. Spangler (1♂, DGMC) ; 16 mi NE San Blas , VII-21-63, R. L. Westcott (1♂, LACM) ; San Blas , VIII-7-64, W. R. M. Mason (1♂, DGMC) : Sinaloa, 8 mi. SE Elota , V-18-62, F. D. Parker (1♂, UCDC) ; Mazatlan, VIII-6-64, W. R. M. Mason (1♂, DGMC) ; XII-18-88, G. E. Bohart (2♂, EMUS) ; 13 mi. E. Concordia, VIII-1-64, W. R. M. Mason (1♂, DGMC) ; Sonora, E1 Limon, VII-23-35, GEB (1♂, UMSP) .

Distribution. Mexico (Jalisco, Michoacan, Nayarit, Sinaloa, Sonora).

Etymology. From the Latin meaning “marked by an impression,” in reference to the concavity of sternum II.

Remarks. This species is known only from the male, and is easily distinguished by having the posterior trochanter produced internally into a conspicuous tooth, and by having sternum II concave and scabrous at the sides and apex. The integument is largely ferruginous. This is a very “impressive” little species. It is distributed along the western mainland of Mexico.

Figures

PLATE 2. Male genitalia of Dasymutilla. A. D. impressa. B. D. ionothorax. C. D. loreto. D. D. mazatlanorum. E. D. mirabilis. F. D. mirapenis. G. D. modgudi. H. D. naranjo.