Dasymutilla cressoni (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 : 47

Dasymutilla cressoni (Blake)

Mutilla Cressoni Blake, 1870 . Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 3:68. Lectotype female, Mexico (No. 4497) [ANSP] (examined).

Diagnosis of Female ( Plate C3P ). This species can be distinguished by the following unique combination of characters. Both the antennal scrobe and gena of this species are strongly carinate. The mesosoma is longer than broad, by actual measurement, although barely so and not obvious visually. There is a circular pattern of black setae on the mesosoma, and it lacks a scutellar scale. Tergum II has yellow maculae, typically four, although these may coalesce. This species is large, much larger than 10 mm, and is clothed with contrasting gold and black setae.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Mexico (Chiapas, Jalisco, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca); Guatemala.

Remarks. This species is known only from the female. It keys out with some difficulty because the mesosoma may appear to be as broad as long. It looks much like D. pulchra but lacks a scutellar scale. This is a relatively uncommon species known from only about a dozen specimens. All known specimens have been examined.

Figures

PLATE 3. Male genitalia of Dasymutilla. A. D. nocticaro. B. D. sinaloa. C. D. spiniscapula. D. D. truxali. E. D. sleipniri. F. D. veracruz. G. D. wasbaueri.