Dasymutilla peruviana Suarez

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 : 81

Dasymutilla peruviana Suarez

Dasymutilla peruviana Suarez, 1970 . Arch. Inst. Acl. Almeria 15:177. Holotype male, San Miguel , Peru, III-8-1955 (W. Markl) [MHNB].

Diagnosis of Male. This species can be diagnosed by the following combination of characters, including coloration. It has the antennal scrobe carinate dorsally. It has a pit on sternum II that is densely filled with setae. The pit is distinctly anterior in position. The pygidium lacks an apical fringe of setae. The integument is entirely black, except for two small, round, yellow maculae on tergum II anterolaterally. The head is clothed with dense, yellowish white setae. The mesonotum is clothed with black setae, as are the legs. The remainder of the mesosoma is clothed with pale setae. Terga III through VI are densely clothed with yellowish white setae, as are sterna II to V. Tergum II is clothed predominantly with black setae.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Peru.

Remarks. This species is known only from the male holotype, and is the second of only two species of Neotropical Dasymutilla that we have not examined. Its placement in the key is based on the original description by Suarez (1970), who stated that “this could very well be the male of the previously described Dasymutilla homochroma , ... captured in the same locality at the same time.”