Dasymutilla veracruz 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 : 98-99

Dasymutilla veracruz Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype male, Mexico, Vera Cruz, Vera Cruz, VI-20-51, P. D. Hurd [ CISC].

Diagnosis of Male (Plate C9G). This species is differentiated from others by the following combination of characters. This species has the integument entirely black, while the entire body is densely clothed with pale white to yellow to orangish setae. Sternum II lacks a pit filled with setae. The pygidium is finely punctate and shining, and has an apical fringe of setae. The antennal scrobe is not carinate.

Description. Male: Length, 8–12 mm. Head. Black, densely clothed with yellow setae; mandible feebly tridentate; clypeus flat, broadly emarginate along anterior margin; scape conspicuously bicarinate; flagellomere I slightly shorter than remaining segments; antennal scrobe not carinate; occipital region slightly compressed laterally.

Mesosoma. Black, densely clothed usually with yellow setae although setae of dorsum sometimes orange; anterior margin emarginate medially, anterior face of emargination glabrous; coarsely sculptured, but sculpture concealed by dense setae; tegula black, glabrous, with yellowish setae.

Legs black, with dense yellow setae.

Forewing with apical third dusky, remainder of forewing and all of hindwing transparent.

Metasoma. Black, densely clothed with yellow setae; pygidium finely punctate, with apical fringe of yellow setae; sternum I with longitudinal carina produced into blunt tooth on both ends; sternum II plain, lacking pit filled with setae.

Genitalia ( Plate 3F ). Paramere with apex dorsally curved, ventral margin of basal 0.75 densely pubescent, row of setae also present along internal margin of medial 0.3, remainder with sparse short sparse setae; cuspis cylindrical, slightly lobate apically, dorsoventrally flattened, ventral and internal surface of flattened portion with thick long setae but thickest basally, dorsal and external surface of flattened portion with dense short setae, length about 0.75X free length of paramere, very small basal lobe present; digitus linear, tapering towards apex, slightly knob-like apically, length about 0.3X free length of paramere; penial valve bidentate, teeth separate, anterior tooth larger than posterior tooth.

Female. Unknown.

Paratypes. 10♂, nine with same data as holotype (6♂, CISC; 3♂, DGMC); Vera Cruz, 8 km SE Boca del Rio , VII-21/22-90, Bell, Conlon, and Minckley (1♂, DGMC) .

Distribution. Mexico (Veracruz).

Etymology. In reference to the type locality of Vera Cruz, Mexico; the specific-epithet is a noun in apposition.

Remarks. This species is known only from the male and keys out easily. Sternum II lacks a pit filled with setae, while the pygidium possesses an apical fringe of setae. The mesonotum is clothed with conspicuous golden setae, while the rest of the body is clothed with yellow/white setae. The integument is entirely black.

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.