Dasymutilla toluca (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 : 95

Dasymutilla toluca (Blake)

Mutilla (Sphaeropthalma) Toluca Blake, 1871 . Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 3:242. Holotype female, Mexico (F. Sumichrast) (No. 4500) [ANSP] (examined).

Mutilla (Sphaeropthalma) Ariadne Blake, 1871 . Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 3:243. Holotype female, Mexico (No. 4501) [ANSP] (examined). NEW SYNONYM.

Mutilla (Sphaeropthalma) Solola Blake, 1871. Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 3:243. Holotype female, Guatemala (No. 4502) [ ANSP] (examined). NEW SYNONYM.

Sphaerophthalma [sic.] postica Cameron, 1897 . Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 19:376. Holotype female, Mexico, Chilpancingo, Guerrero (Höge) (No. 15.843) [BMNH] (examined). Synonymy: Mickel (1964:165).

Diagnosis of Female (Plate C9A). This female has the gena distinctly carinate, the mesosoma as broad as long, the apical fringe of tergum I white, maculae on tergum II, and sternum II is merely punctate, not at all scabrous.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. USA (Arizona); Mexico (Chiapas, Guerrero, Jalisco); Guatemala; Honduras.

Remarks. This species is known only from the female. It keys with difficulty due to considerable individual variation. The type specimens of D. toluca , D. ariadne , and D. solola , all described by Blake, are distinct. However, numerous other specimens of all three “species” have been examined and exhibit a continuum of characters of the three, specifically with respect to the macula(e) on tergum II. This variation is present in other species as well (e.g., D. pulchra ), so it seems apparent that this represents intraspecific variation. The name D. toluca has precedence due to page priority. About two dozen specimens of this species have been examined.

This species is distinguished from D. munifica and D. proclea by having the apical fringe of tergum I white. The macula(e) on tergum II range from four separate maculae, to three (the posterior maculae coalescing into one, with the anterior two separate), to a single macula (all coalescing). The setal pattern of the mesosoma is also variable.