Dasymutilla pulchra (Smith)

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 : 82-83

Dasymutilla pulchra (Smith)

Mutilla pulchra Smith, 1855 . Cat. Hym. Br. Mus. 3:62. Holotype female, Acapulco , Guerrero, Mexico (Höge) No. 15.443) [BMNH] (examined).

Mutilla Nortoni Blake, 1870 . Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 3:68. Holotype female, Mexico (F. Sumichrast) (No. 4498) [ANSP] (examined). Synonymy: Mickel (1964:164).

Mutilla ducalis Smith, 1879 . Descr. N. Spec. Hym.:224. Holotype female, Mexico, Orizaba (No. 15.1053) [BMNH] (examined). Synonymy: Mickel (1964:164).

Sphaerophthalma [sic.] chiron Cameron, 1897 . Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 19:378. Holotype female, Mexico, Venta de Zopilote (H. H. Smith) [BMNH] (examined). Synonymy: Mickel (1964:164).

Diagnosis of Female (Plate C7O). This species can be diagnosed by the following combination of characters, including coloration. It has the antennal scrobe strongly carinate dorsally, and the gena is carinate as well. The posterolateral angle of the head is not tuberculate. The mesosoma is longer than broad, and a scutellar scale is present. Tergum II is conspicuously maculate. The legs are black. This species is very large (20+ mm), and the mesosoma has a conspicuous “V” - shaped pattern of golden (sometimes silver) setae.

Diagnosis of Male (Plate C7P). The male of this species can be diagnosed by the following combination of characters, including coloration. The integument is entirely black, except for a large yellow macula on most of tergum II. The antennal scrobe is conspicuously carinate, the mandible is tridentate, and the clypeus is prominently bidentate. The tegula is punctate. Sternum II has a large median pit filled with white setae, and a prominent longitudinal carina anterior to the pit. The pygidium has an apical fringe of setae.

Description of Male. Length, 13–20 mm. Head. Black; mandible tridentate; clypeus prominently biden- tate; scape conspicuously bicarinate, punctate, densely clothed with golden setae; flagellomeres subequal in length; antennal scrobe distinctly carinate; head coarsely contiguously punctured, sculpture concealed by dense setae; occipital region distinctly convex; front and vertex with dense appressed golden setae.

Mesosoma. Black; anterior margin slightly emarginate medially, anterior face of emargination glabrous; lateral process of scutellum long, coarsely punctate; tegula black, punctate, with appressed black setae; pronotum and scutellum with dense golden setae; mesonotum with dense black setae; pleura with dense white setae.

Legs black, with white setae.

Wings fuscous.

Metasoma. Black, except most of tergum II with large yellow macula; pygidium with distinct apical fringe of setae; sternum I with conspicuous longitudinal bidentate carina, posterior tooth more strongly developed; sternum II with longitudinal median pit densely filled with white setae, pit about 0.3X length of segment; conspicuous longitudinal carina from anterior margin of sternal pit to anterior margin of segment; last sternite produced into median tooth apically; tergum I with sparse erect white setae and inconspicuous apical fringe of black setae; macula of tergum II with sparse orange setae; apical fringe of tergum II, and tergum III entirely with black setae; terga IV to VI with dense golden setae, remaining terga black; apical fringes of sterna II to IV with white setae, remaining segments black.

Material Examined. 27♂, COSTA RICA, Guanacaste, 3 km SE Rio Naranjo , I-2-92, F. D. Parker (1♂) ; II- 3/7-92 (1♂); VI-11/20-92 (2♂); VII-1/10-92 (1♂); IX-1/10-92 (2♂); VI-1/15-92 (1♂); VI-14/16-92 (1♂); VII- 1/3-92 (1♂), all in the collection of EMUS; XII-91, F. D. Parker (1♂); II-7/12-92 (1♂); III-23/31-92 (1♂); IV- 92 (1♂); VI-11/20-92 (1♂); VI-28-VII-27-92 (1♂); IX-23-X-9-92 (1♂); X-11/20-92 (1♂); I-22/25-93 (1♂); V- 21-93 (1♂); VII-5/9-93 (1♂); VIII-8/12-93 (1♂); Puntarenas, Monteverde, VIII-13/14-76, E. M. Fisher (1♂) ; GUATEMALA, San Marcos Finca La Paz , near Reforma, V-4-56, T. H. Hubbell (1♂) ; MEXICO, Chiapas, 20-25 mi N. Huxtla, VI-2-69, B. V. Peterson (1♂) ; Jalisco, Chamela, IX-26-X-8-85, Parker and Griswold (1♂) ; Oaxaca, 8 km NW Totolapan , VII-3-75, E. M. and J. L. Fisher (1♂) , all in the DGMC.

Distribution. Mexico (Chiapas, Jalisco, Oaxaca, Sinaloa, Sonora, Veracruz); Costa Rica; Guatemala; Honduras; Panama.

Remarks. With our description of the male, D. pulchra is now known from both sexes. The sexes were associated based on a pair taken in copula. Mickel (1964) noted that “there is great variation in the development of the yellow integumental markings of the second abdominal tergum: the type of pulchra has four separated yellow spots; in nortoni the posterior pair of spots coalesce, but are separated from the anterior spots; in ducalis and chiron the posterior spots coalesce and are connected to each of the anterior spots by a narrow yellow line.” Despite the variation in the macula(e) of tergum II, the female keys easily.

The male has a median pit on sternum II that is densely filled with setae, and the pygidium possesses an apical fringe of setae. If the pygidial fringe is missing, this species keys to couplet #85. However, this species is easily distinguished from all other species, with or without the pygidial fringe, by the conspicuous longitudinal carina on the anterior margin of sternum II.

This species is widely distributed along the western mainland of Mexico, southward into Central America. Due to its large size, this species is relatively commonly collected. Approximately 100 specimens of females have been examined in addition to the males listed above .