Dasyphuta Cambra, Williams & Brothers, 2024

Williams, Kevin A., Cambra, Roberto. A., Bartholomay, Pedro R., Lopez, Vinicius M., Brothers, Denis J., Martins, Herbeson O. J., Ferreira, Vinina S., Koroiva, Ricardo & Guillermo-Ferreira, Rhainer, 2024, Two new genera of Neotropical Dasymutillini (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae, Sphaeropthalminae): Goncharovtilla gen. nov. from Brazil and Dasyphuta gen. nov. from Panama, Zootaxa 5538 (2), pp. 127-152 : 138-139

Dasyphuta Cambra, Williams & Brothers , gen. nov.

Type species. Dasyphuta gorgupea Cambra, Williams & Brothers , sp. nov., designated here.

Diagnosis. FEMALE: Females of Dasyphuta can be separated from the other American Dasymutillini genera by the following combination of characters: the mesosoma is more or less uniformly sculptured with deep small areolations, both dorsally and laterally, dorsally with sparse brachyplumose setae, and without a scutellar scale; the T1 shape is narrowly petiolate; and T6 is smooth and convex without a pygidial plate. MALE: Males of Dasyphuta can be separated from other Dasymutillini by the clypeus forming a more or less flat and densely punctate anteriorly bidentate shelf, the axilla narrowly spinose posteriorly, the pygidium smooth and convex without lateral carinae, the genitalic paramere strongly upcurved posteriorly, and the presence of erect brachyplumose setae on numerous portions of the body.

Description. FEMALE. Integument. Reddish brown, sculpture clearly visible, generally confluently foveolate. Setae predominantly brachyplumose to simple. Head. Subrounded, lacking posterolateral tubercles. Eye hemispherical, strongly protruding, surface shining, ommatidia clearly discernible. Antennal scrobe poorly developed, short, quadrate, lacking dorsal and lateral carinae. Clypeus slightly protruded basomesally, anteroventral margin virtually straight. Malar space greater than basal height of mandible. Hypostomal carina strong, extending to posterior mandibular condyle. Scape simple. Pedicel as long as wide, shorter than F1; F1 longer than wide and similar in length to F2. Mandible nearly straight, slender, tapering, with small inconspicuous tooth subapically, no ventral basal tooth, notch, or flange. Maxillary palp six-segmented; labial palp four-segmented; basal palpomeres strongly flattened and broadened, densely covered with short erect setae. Mesosoma. Slightly longer than wide, pear-shaped, mesonotum bulging laterally, weakly constricted near pronotal and propodeal spiracles, dorsum convex; propodeum rounded posteriorly, disk and declivity indistinct; mesosomal dorsum and pleura more or less uniformly confluently foveolate. Pronotal dorsal face (excluding anterior collar) with anterior margin convex in dorsal view, flat in lateral view; epaulet distantly separated from humeral angle; humeral angle forming relatively sharply defined obtuse angle; posterior margin indiscernible. Scutellar scale absent. Pronotal-mesopleural suture indistinct. Mesopleuron sculptured throughout; vertical mesopleural ridge scarcely defined. Metapleuron predominantly sculptured, except narrow surface surrounding endophragmal pit. Metapleural-propodeal suture inconspicuous. Metasternal process subtriangular, slightly less than a third of metacoxal length. Legs. Tibial spur formula 1–2–2. Foreleg without tarsal comb. Meso- and metatibiae each with one row of prominent stout spines, few spines in each row, spines smaller basad; apical spurs narrow, finely serrate, outer spur shortened. Metasoma. Surface mostly confluently foveolate, sparser on sterna. T1 nearly as long as wide, its width about 1/3 width of T2, strongly constricted on anterior third and nearly parallel-sided from constriction apicad, petiolate in lateral view; anterior auricle prominent, vertically lamellate but apparently dentate from above. Lateral felt line of T2 linear. T6 convex without pygidial plate, smooth, except anterolateral portions punctate and setose. S2 evenly convex, with indistinct longitudinal ridge anteromesally, without posterior transverse groove, lacking lateral felt line. S6 posterior margin with strong bilobate projection.

MALE. Integument. Mostly blackish to brownish-black, mostly concealed by dense setation, with strong dense sculpture where visible. Setae mostly brachyplumose, with many simple setae interspersed throughout. Head. Rounded, as wide as mesosoma. Occipital carina distinct. Vertex slightly swollen posteriorly. Eye broadly hemispherical, strongly protruding, surface shining, ommatidia discernible. Ocelli small. Antennal scrobe shallow, not reaching eye margin, with transverse lamellate carina on dorsal margin. Clypeus mostly flat and punctate, with slightly raised area below insertion of antennae and bidentate anterior/ventral margin. Malar space shorter than basal height of mandible. Genal carina absent. Hypostomal carina evident, evenly high throughout, extending in a smooth curve to posterior mandibular condyle. Scape bicarinate. Pedicel approximately as wide as long, slightly shorter than F1, which much shorter than F2. Mandible evenly weakly curved, bidentate apically, subapical tooth minute, lacking ventral tooth or notch. Maxillary palp 6-segmented; labial palp 4-segmented. Mesosoma. Surface mostly covered with dense sculpture. Epaulet weakly defined, reduced to a row or tuft of short setae; humeral angle rounded in dorsal view. Tegula broadly subcircular, convex, almost entirely smooth, except anterior and inner margins sparsely sculptured. Mesoscutum lacking notaulus; parapsis present, inconspicuous, short. Mesoscutellum shallowly convex with mesal longitudinal carina; axilla generally flat dorsally, narrowly connected to mesoscutellum, terminating in elongate spine; dorsal surface of axilla areolate. Metanotum concealed by dense setae. Propodeum evenly convex in lateral view, dorsal and lateral faces distinct but not separated by carina or obvious differences in sculpture. Metasternal process convergent to unidentate apex, shorter than metacoxal length. Wings. Fore wing with elongate sclerotized pterostigma; marginal cell short, truncate apically; three closed submarginal cells, apical veins of third largely inconspicuous or obliterated. Legs. Tibial spur formula 1–2–2. Mid and hind tibiae with three rows of thickened bristle-like setae, apparently without spines; apical spurs finely serrated. Metacoxa with weak inner carina. Metasoma. Sculpture generally coarse; T1 petiolate, longer than wide, its width about 1/3 width of T2, anterior and dorsal faces distinct, not constricted apically. T2 with lateral felt line linear. S1 with marked longitudinal median carina. S 2 in lateral view weakly convex, lacking felt line; with no indication of mesal seta-filled pit. Hypopygium elongate sub-triangular, surface shallowly convex, posterior margin projected mesally into sharp acute projection. Genitalia. Paramere with free length subequal to length from base of genital capsule to apex of parapenial lobe, sub-cylindrical and strongly upcurved at apical third; acute apically. Parapenial lobe well-developed. Cuspis short, somewhat dorsoventrally flattened, similar in length to digitus, paracuspis a small tubercle. Digitus narrowly digitiform, with widened apical knob. Penis valve inner surface concave; with two sharp apical teeth on ventral margin; ventral teeth widely separated; without distinct setae.

Species included. Only the type species: D. gorgupea sp. nov.

Distribution. Panama.

Etymology. From the Greek δασύς (dasus) “hairy”, and the genus name Ephuta Say. In reference to the tribal placement in Dasymutillini along with the superficial resemblance to typical Ephuta in body size, coloration, and slender first metasomal segment in both sexes. The name is feminine.

Remarks. This genus is similar to Tobantilla in body size, coloration, and many structural features, but that genus is known from South America only. The undefined pygidium in both sexes, absence of scutellar scale in females, and spinose axilla of males provide strong justification to treat Dasyphuta gen. nov., as a separate genus.

In the best available key to Neotropical mutillid genera ( Brothers 2006), females of Dasyphuta terminate in couplet 35, where their combination of characters does not match either option. Unlike Lomachaeta , females of Dasyphuta lack a genal carina, have densely foveolate-punctate mesosomal pleura, and have the T1 shape narrowly petiolate. Unlike the genera in couplet 36, females of Dasyphuta lack distinctly plumose setae on the tergal fringes and the body length is less than 6 mm. Males of Dasyphuta terminate in couplet 69, where their combination of characters does not match either option. They can be separated from the genera in couplet 70 by the bidentate mandible and uniformly black head; they can be separated from the genera in couplets 71 and 72 by the upcurved paramere, flattened indistinct epaulet, and narrowly petiolate T1 shape.