Dasymutilla nocticaro 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 : 76-77

Dasymutilla nocticaro Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype male, Mexico, Sinaloa, 8 mi. SE Elota , V-19-62, F. D. Parker [ UCDC].

Diagnosis of Male (Plate C7D). This species can be diagnosed by the following combination of characters, including coloration. It has the integument entirely black except for tergum II, which is yellow. The dorsum has predominantly yellow to orange setae. Sternum II has a median pit filled with setae. The pygidium has a distinct apical fringe of setae. The cuspis of the genitalia is almost as long as the parameres and is widened at the apex ( Plate 3A ).

Description. Male: Length, 13 mm. Head. Black; mandible tridentate; clypeus coarsely sculptured, with median tooth on anterior margin; scape distinctly bicarinate, punctate, clothed with pale setae; flagellomere I slightly shorter than remaining segments; antennal scrobe distinctly carinate; front and vertex with dense appressed yellow to orange setae; occipital region compressed laterally, convex medially.

Mesosoma. Black, anterior margin of pronotum emarginate medially, anterior face of emargination glabrous; lateral processes of scutellum long, coarsely punctate; tegula black, posterior half glabrous, shining, anterior half clothed with black setae; dorsum with dense appressed yellow to orange setae, pleura with white setae, propodeum with black setae.

Legs black, with white setae.

Wings fuscous.

Metasoma. Black, except tergum II yellow; pygidium largely unsculptured, with conspicuous apical fringe of setae; sternum I with median longitudinal carina for most of segment; sternum II with median pit filled with pale setae; posterolateral angles of last sternite rounded, not dentate, with shallow separated punctures, except apical margin glabrous, with median tooth; tergum I, apical fringe of tergum II and tergum III entirely, with black setae, remainder of dorsum with conspicuous yellow to orange setae; sternum with pale setae.

Genitalia ( Plate 3A ). Paramere with apex dorsally curved, ventral margin of basal 0.75 densely pubescent, remainder with short sparse setae; cuspis cylindrical and slightly lobate apically, somewhat dorsoventrally flattened, ventral and internal surface with thick long setae, denser ventrobasally, slightly dorsal to external margin and external surface also with long setae, length about 0.6X free length of paramere, densely pubescent basal lobe present; digitus linear, tapering towards apex, slightly notched apically, length slightly less than 0.25X free length of paramere; penial valve bidentate, teeth separate, anterior tooth larger than posterior tooth.

Female. Unknown.

Paratype. ♂, MEXICO, Sinaloa, 8 mi. SE Elota , VII-2--63, F. D. Parker and L. A. Stange ( DGMC) .

Distribution. Mexico (Sinaloa).

Etymology. From the Latin noctu “by night” and Latin caro “flesh,” referring to the coloration of the integument.

Remarks. This species is known only from the male. The vertex, pronotum, and mesonotum are concolorous, clothed with yellow/gold setae. Tergum II has a single, large, bright yellow macula.

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.