Dasymutilla chilcotti 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 : 40-41

Dasymutilla chilcotti Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype male, Mexico, San Luis Potosi, El Salto, VIII-25-54, J. G. Chillcott [ DGMC].

Diagnosis of Male ( Plate C3D ). This species has the integument of the head, mesosoma, legs, and first metasomal segment black, with that of the remaining metasomal segments orange. Sternum II lacks a pit filled with setae. The pygidium is granulate, setose, and with an apical fringe of setae.

Description. Male: Length, 9 mm. Head. Black; mandible acute at apex, with inconspicuous inner tooth about 0.25X distance from apex; clypeus flat, prominently bidentate on anterior margin; scape conspicuously bicarinate; coarsely punctate, clothed with pale setae; flagellomeres subequal in length; antennal scrobe very weakly carinate; head with coarse contiguous punctures; clothed with sparse appressed setae.

Mesosoma. Black; anterior margin nearly straight, not emarginate medially; mesosoma with coarse contiguous punctures, except metapleuron glabrous; tegula black, glabrous; lateral projections of scutellum long, glabrous; setae pale, except mesonotum with dense appressed black setae.

Legs castaneous, clothed with pale setae; posterior trochanter simple, not produced into tooth.

Wings dusky.

Metasoma. First segment predominantly black, remainder of metasoma orange, clothed with dense orange setae; pygidium granulate, with appressed orange setae, and apical fringe of pale setae; sternum I with longitudinal carina, not produced into tooth at either end; sternum II lacking pit filled with setae; last sternite with shallow separated punctures, except apical margin glabrous, produced medially into blunt tooth.

Genitalia ( Plate 1G ). Paramere with apical 0.1 slightly dorsally curved, ventral margin of basal 0.3 densely pubescent, remainder with short sparse setae; cuspis cylindrical, ventral and internal surface of flattened portion with thick long setae, dorsal and external surface with short setae, length about 0.75X free length of paramere, densely pubescent basal lobe present; digitus linear, tapering towards apex, slightly knoblike apically, length slightly less than 0.2X free length of paramere; penial valve bidentate, teeth separate, posterior tooth slightly larger than anterior tooth.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Mexico (San Luis Potosi).

Etymology. In reference to J. G. Chillcott, collector of the type specimen; the specific-epithet is a noun in apposition.

Remarks. This species is known only from the male holotype. The pygidium has an apical fringe of setae and is also hirsute. The only other species with a hirsute pygidium are D. creon (found in the United States and having the posterior trochanters toothed) and D. aequatorialis (which has the integument of the antennae and legs conspicuously reddish, and the remainder black).

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.

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.