Dasymutilla vesta (Cresson)

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 : 99-100

Dasymutilla vesta (Cresson)

Mutilla Vesta Cresson, 1865c . Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil. 4:436. Holotype female, Colorado Territory (No. 1871) [ANSP] (examined).

Scolia unicincta Provancher, 1882 . Nat. Canad. 13:6. Holotype male (Provancher collection, No. 751) [ULQC] (examined) (♀ misdet.).

Mutilla monozona Dalla Torre, 1897 . Cat. Hym. 8:64. N. name for Scolia unicincta Provancher , not Mutilla unicincta Lucas.

Mutilla sappho Fox, 1899 . Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 25:239. Holotype female, Florida (No. 4628) [ANSP] (examined). NEW SYNONYM.

Mutilla agenor Fox, 1899 . Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 25:245. Holotype male, Algonquin , Illinois, August 14, 1916 (Nason) (No. 4637) [ANSP] (examined).

Mutilla zella Rohwer, 1910 . Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 12:50. Holotype female, Wenonah, New Jersey, July 28 (F. Haimbach) (No. 12914) [USNM] (examined).

Pycnomutilla harmoniiformis Rohwer, 1912 . Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 41:455. Holotype male, Lyme , Connecticut, July 31, 1910 (A. B. Champlain) (No. 14123) [USNM] (examined).

Dasymutilla errans Rohwer, 1912 . Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 41:457. Holotype female, Brownsville , Texas, August 30, 1896 (Townsend) (No. 14127) [USNM] (examined). NEW SYNONYM.

Dasymutilla bosquensis Rohwer, 1912 . Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 41:457. Holotype female, Waco , Bosque County, Texas (No. 14128) [USNM] (examined). NEW SYNONYM.

Dasymutilla ferrugatella Rohwer, 1912 . Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 41:458. Holotype female, Pennsylvania (Baker) (No. 14130) [USNM] (examined).

Dasymutilla coloradella Rohwer, 1912 . Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 41:458. Holotype female, Colorado, May 3, 1909 (S. A. Rohwer) (No. 14131) [USNM] (examined).

Dasymutilla coloradella virginica Rohwer, 1912 . Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 41:459. Holotype female, Woodstock , Virginia, June 9, 1898 (F. C. Pratt) (No. 14132) [USNM] (examined).

Dasymutilla coloradella kamloopsensis Rohwer, 1912 . Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 41:459. Holotype female, Kamloops, British Columbia (Wickham) (No. 14133) [USNM] (examined).

Dasymutilla texensis Rohwer, 1912 . Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 41:460. Holotype female, Texas (No. 14137) [USNM] (examined). NEW SYNONYM.

Dasymutilla mesillae Rohwer, 1912 . Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 41:461. Holotype female, Mesilla, New Mexico, June 17 (T. D. Cockerell) (No. 14138) [USNM] (examined).

Dasymutilla carolina Rohwer, 1912 . Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 41:462. Holotype female, Columbia, South Carolina (G. F. Atkins) (No. 14141) [USNM] (examined).

Dasymutilla columbiana Mickel, 1928 . U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 143:119. Holotype male, Nicola, British Columbia, August 3, 1923 (E. R. Buckell) (No. 2817) [CNCI] (examined). NEW SYNONYM.

Diagnosis of Female (Plate C9H). This widespread species is recognized by having neither the antennal scrobe nor the gena carinate, the posterolateral angle of the head lacks tubercles, the mesosoma is longer than broad, and possesses a scutellar scale, and the posterior face of the propodeum is almost bare, having just a few, scattered setae.

Diagnosis of Male (Plate C9I). The male of this species has the tegula punctate throughout. It lacks a median pit on sternum II, but possesses an apical fringe of setae on the pygidium. Terga III through VI are clothed entirely with black setae. Both tergum and sternum II are ferruginous.

Host Identity. Bembix cinerea Handlirsch ( Hymenoptera : Sphecidae ) ( Krombein 1958); Trypargilum politum (Say) ( Hymenoptera : Sphecidae ) ( Fattig 1943); and Nomia m. melanderi Cockerell ( Hymenoptera : Apidae ) ( Krombein 1958).

Distribution. USA and southern Canada (widespread and common east of the Rocky Mountains); Mexico (Tamaulipas).

Remarks. This species has a broad distribution, and some degree of morphological variation within that range, resulting in a long and complex synonymy. All of the primary types have been examined and, although there are differences in coloration, all are identical with respect to key characters. Males of the three previously recognized female subspecies are indistinguishable. Although females are distinguishable, at least from certain regions within the range, all three subspecies can be found at certain localities in Texas, and numerous specimens showing hybrid characteristics (color) are in the collection of the author (DGM). The greatest variation among the males is the lone specimen of D. columbiana described by Mickel (1928). That specimen, from Nicola, British Columbia, has the setae of the head, mesosoma, and legs silvery gray, as opposed to black in D. vesta . However, it is otherwise identical to D. vesta , and collection in the type locality has produced only typical specimens of D. vesta . Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of specimens of this species, both males and females, have been examined.