Dasymutilla modgudi 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 : 71

Dasymutilla modgudi Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype male, Mexico, Guerrero, Pie de la Cuesta, D. S. Green [ CISC].

Diagnosis of Male (Plate C6L). This species is characterized by having the integument entirely black, and the setae entirely silver, except for a narrow lateral band of black setae across the mesonotum. Sternum II lacks a pit filled with setae. The pygidium is rugose, and lacks an apical fringe of setae.

Description. Male: Length, 8 mm. Head. Black, clothed entirely with conspicuous silver setae; mandible acute at apex, with inconspicuous inner tooth just basad of apex; clypeus flat, coarsely sculptured, slightly emarginate on anterior margin; scape weakly bicarinate; flagellomere I slightly shorter than remaining segments; antennal scrobe not carinate; head coarsely sculptured; occipital region conspicuously compressed laterally.

Mesosoma. Black, clothed entirely with conspicuous silver setae, except narrow transverse band of black setae across mesonotum; anterior margin emarginate medially, anterior face of emargination glabrous; tegula black, glabrous; lateral processes of scutellum long, punctate.

Legs black, with silver setae.

Wings shredded, but appear to be uniformly transparent.

Metasoma. Black, clothed entirely with conspicuous silver setae; pygidium rugose, without apical fringe of setae; sternum I with longitudinal carina, produced into blunt tooth anteriorly; sternum II plain, lacking pit filled with setae; tergum I with coarse contiguous punctures; second segment with shallow separated punctures.

Genitalia ( Plate 2G ). Paramere with apex dorsally curved, ventral margin of basal 0.75 densely pubescent, remainder with short sparse setae; cuspis cylindrical with thick long setae throughout, length about 0.75X free length of paramere, densely pubescent basal lobe present; digitus linear, tapering towards apex, slightly notched apically, length about 0.3X free length of paramere; penial valve bidentate, teeth separate, anterior tooth larger than posterior tooth.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Mexico (Guerrero).

Etymology. From Norse mythology, Módgud, meaning battle-weary, and also is the name of the maiden who guards the Gjallabrú, made in reference to the fact that the holotype’s wings are shredded.

Remarks. This species is known only from the male holotype. It keys out easily, lacking a pit on sternum II as well as an apical fringe of setae on the pygidium, in addition to the other characters noted above.

Figures

PLATE 2. Male genitalia of Dasymutilla. A. D. impressa. B. D. ionothorax. C. D. loreto. D. D. mazatlanorum. E. D. mirabilis. F. D. mirapenis. G. D. modgudi. H. D. naranjo.