Dasymutilla spiniscapula 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 : 92-93

Dasymutilla spiniscapula Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype male, Dominican Republic, Pedernales Province, 21 km N Cabo Rojo , VI/19-20/76, R. E. Woodruff and E. E. Grissell, malaise trap [ LACM].

Diagnosis of Male (Plate C8K). This species is easily recognized by the humeral region that bears conspicuous spines, the forewing that is colored with two brown bands, and its limited range. This species also has the integument entirely black, except that the terminal one or two metasomal segments are ferruginous. Setae are contrasting silver and black. Sternum II lacks a median pit filled with setae, but has an inconspicuous median, longitudinal carina on the anterior fourth of the segment. The pygidium has a distinct apical fringe of setae.

Description. Male: Length, 10–11 mm. Head. Black; mandible tridentate, acute at apex with two inner teeth about 0.25X distance from apex; clypeus nearly flat, finely punctate, slightly emarginate on anterior margin; scape distinctly bicarinate, punctate, clothed with appressed silver setae; flagellomere I distinctly shorter than remaining segments; antennal scrobe carinate; occipital region slightly depressed laterally; head clothed with appressed silver setae.

Mesosoma. Black; anterior margin emarginate medially, anterior face of emargination glabrous; anterior margin of pronotum with two blunt tubercles, each about one third in from respective lateral margin; lateral process of scutellum produced into sharp tooth posteriorly; tegula black, impunctate; pronotum with dense appressed silver setae, concealing sculpture; mesonotum with sparse appressed black setae, with shallow separated punctures; metapleura impunctate, shining.

Legs black, except tibial spurs white, clothed with silver setae; apices of middle and hind femora rounded, neither squarely truncate nor sulcate.

Basal third of forewing whitish and translucent, followed by thin fuscous or brown band, followed by whitish band, and apical fourth fuscous; hindwing whitish and translucid.

Metasoma. Black, except terminal one or two segments ferruginous; pygidium granulate, with apical fringe of dark setae; sternum I with median longitudinal carina nearly entire length of segment, not produced into tooth on either end; sternum II lacking median pit filled with setae, but with inconspicuous median longitudinal carina on anterior fourth of segment; sternum II with shallow separated punctures; apical sternum finely punctate, with blunt bidentate process on posterior margin; apical fringe on tergum I, and anteromedian third of tergum II with dense appressed silver setae; apical fringes of terga III and IV, and sterna II to IV with silver setae, remainder of metasoma with sparse black setae.

Genitalia ( Plate 3C ). Paramere with apex dorsally curved, ventral margin of basal 0.3 densely pubescent, remainder with short sparse setae; cuspis cylindrical, but somewhat laterally flattened, with thick long setae apically and ventrobasal 0.3, length about 0.6X free length of paramere, densely pubescent basal lobe present; digitus linear, tapering towards apex, sparse long setae throughout, length about 0.5X free length of paramere; penial valve bidentate, teeth close set, similar in size.

Female. Unknown.

Paratypes. 2♂, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, San Cristobal Province, Haina, V /25-30/85, L. Stange and R. Woodruff, malaise trap (1♂, LACM); Pedernales Province, 21 km N Cabo Rojo , VI/19-20/76, R. E. Woodruff and E. E. Grissell, malaise trap (1♂, DGMC) .

Distribution. Dominican Republic.

Etymology. Named in reference to the blunt tubercles or spines, also known as epaulets, on the “shoul- der” region.

Remarks. This species, known only from the male, keys very easily. It is characterized by having a conspicuous tubercle or spine on each side of the pronotum, in the humeral region and by having the forewing banded.

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.