Dasymutilla scaber (Fox)

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 : 86-87

Dasymutilla scaber (Fox)

Sphaerophthalma [ sic.] scaber Fox, 1894 . Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. 4:94. Lectotype female, Mexico, San Jose del Cabo [CASC] (examined).

Diagnosis of Female. This species can be recognized by sternum II, which is scabrous at the sides and apex, and by its coloration. The body is clothed entirely with yellow setae, except for an anterior median spot of black setae on tergum II (and sometimes some median black setae on the apical margin of other terga). Also, the female has the mesosoma as broad as long.

Diagnosis of Male. The male is easily distinguished by having the posterior trochanter produced at the apex into a prominent blunt tooth, by having sternum II concave and scabrous at the sides and apex, and by the entirely black integument. Sternum II lacks a pit filled with setae. Also, the antennal scrobe is carinate dorsally, and the pygidium lacks an apical fringe of setae. It is further distinguished by the contrasting whitish to pale yellow and black setal pattern.

Description of Male. Length, 9–14 mm. Head. Black; mandible tridentate; clypeus prominently bidentate; scape conspicuously bicarinate, clothed with black setae; flagellomere I slightly shorter than remaining segments; antennal scrobe distinctly carinate; front and vertex with coarse contiguous punctures, sculpture concealed by dense appressed yellow-white setae and erect black setae; remainder of head with black setae; occipital region slightly convex.

Mesosoma. Black; anterior margin slightly emarginate medially, anterior face of emargination glabrous; tegula black, posterior half impunctate, shining; tegula clothed with long yellow-white setae; pronotum, mesonotum, and scutellum all clothed with dense appressed yellow-white setae, and sparse erect black setae; remainder of mesosoma with black setae.

Legs black, clothed with long white and black setae on femora, remainder with only black setae; posterior trochanter produced at apex into prominent blunt tooth.

Wings uniformly fuscous.

Metasoma. Black; pygidium glabrous, shining, lacking apical fringe of setae; sternum I lacking median carina; sternum II concave, scabrous at sides and apex; sternum II lacking pit filled with setae; posterolateral angle of last sternite conspicuously dentate; apical fringe of segment II, and segments III and IV entirely, with yellow-white setae; remainder of metasoma with black setae.

Material Examined. 14♂, MEXICO, Baja California Sur, Las Barracas, V-26-83, P. DeBach (1♂) ; XI-28- 83 (1♂); Las Barracas , 30 km E. Santiago, IV-19/24-82, P. De Bach (1♂) ; IV-13/18-82 (1♂); V-13/18-82 (1♂); V-25/31-82 (1♂); VI-1/7-82 (1♂); Todos Santos , VI-15-75, H. Evans, W. Rubink, and D. Gwynne (1♂) ; Bahia Conception (1♂) , all in the DGMC; Puerto Escondido , VI-25-VII-10-90, R. Shaver (1♂) , VI-23-91 (2♂); VI- 15-92 (1♂); Bahia de Los Muertos , 17 mi S. La Paz, IV-22-87, R. and M. Shaver (1♂) , all in the collection of UCDC.

Distribution. Mexico (Baja California Sur).

Remarks. This is the first description of the male of D. scaber . Both sexes key very easily. This species belongs to the species Group Scabra, in which both sexes have the sides and apex of sternum II scabrous, and the posterior trochanters of the male are produced at the apex internally into a blunt tooth. The sex association is made on the basis of collection data, distribution, and external morphology. This is a relatively uncommon species of which about an equal number of females have been examined.