Dasymutilla tomasi 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 : 95-96

Dasymutilla tomasi Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype female, Mexico, Baja California Sur, Cañon Santo Tomas, 6 mi E. of El Aguaja, VIII-31 & IX-3-67, Ralph E. Wells [ UCDC].

Diagnosis of Female (Plate C9B). The apices of the middle and hind femora are squarely truncate, with the surface of the outer lobes of the truncations sulcate. This species can be separated from other species having this character by the following set of characters. This species has the integument ferruginous, except the last metasomal segment(s) black. The head is quadrate and slightly broader than the mesosoma. The antennal scrobe is weakly carinate. There is a weak genal carina, but the posterolateral angle of the head is rounded. The mesosoma is slightly longer than broad, and lacks a scutellar scale. The pygidium is granulate.

Description. Female: Length, 8–11 mm. Head. Ferruginous, quadrate, broad, clothed with dense silver setae; apical two-thirds of mandible black, basal third ferruginous; mandible acute at apex, with inconspicuous inner tooth about 0.3X distance from apex; clypeus flat, anterior margin nearly straight; scape carinate, clothed with silver setae; flagellomere I long, about as long as II and III united, remaining segments subequal in length; antennal scrobe weakly carinate; front and vertex coarsely sculptured, sculpture concealed by dense setae; gena with shallow contiguous punctures; gena very weakly carinate, but posterolateral angle of head rounded; head slightly wider than mesosoma, ratio about 1:1.

Mesosoma. Ferruginous, slightly longer than broad (1.9–2.3 mm wide X 2.0– 2.6 mm long); scutellar scale absent; dorsum and propodeum with large deep contiguous punctures; dorsum of mesosoma with dense silver setae, except two small circular spots of black setae anterolaterally; propodeum nearly bare, with only a few scattered erect pale setae.

Legs ferruginous, with silver setae, except apices of middle and hind femora with black setae; apices of middle and hind femora squarely truncate, surface of outer lobes of truncation sulcate.

Metasoma. Ferruginous, except last segment(s) black; tergum I with moderately large contiguous punctures, especially on posterior margin; tergum II with coarse contiguous punctures, mostly concealed by dense setae; pygidium granulate; sternum I with blunt carina nearly entire length of segment; apical fringe of tergum I with brush of silver setae medially, surrounded by black; tergum II with broad “U” -shaped pattern of silver setae with black in middle of “ U”; apical fringes of terga II to V with silver medially, flanked by black; last tergum with black setae; sternum with silver setae, except last segment black.

Male. Unknown.

Paratypes. 2♀, MEXICO, Baja California Sur, 1 km SW La Burrera , VIII-27-77, E. Fisher and R. Westcott (1♀, CASC; 1♀, DGMC) .

Distribution. Mexico (Baja California Sur).

Etymology. In reference to the type locality of Cañon Santo Tomas, Baja California Sur, Mexico; the specific-epithet is a noun in apposition.

Remarks. This species is known only from the female. It keys very easily. Only a few species have the apices of the middle and hind femora truncate and sulcate, the pygidium granulate, and lack a scutellar scale.