Dasyphuta gorgupea 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 : 140-147

Dasyphuta gorgupea Cambra, Williams & Brothers , sp. nov.

( Figs 21–42 )

Diagnosis. As for genus.

Description. FEMALE. Body length 5.0 in holotype (4.0–5.0) mm. Head. Posterior margin rounded. Vertex width subequal to pronotal width. Eye height in frontal view 1.9 × distance from its ventral margin to mandibular condyle. Head predominantly concealed by dense setae, confluently foveolate where visible. Mandible with small subapical tooth. Dorsal scrobal carina absent; lateral scrobal carina absent. Antennal tubercle asetose, faintly sculptured. Flagellomere 1 1.2 × pedicel length; flagellomere 2 1.2 × pedicel length. Genal carina apparently absent, sub-defined by irregular puncture margins. Occipital carina defined, equally wide throughout. Vertex lacking tubercles. Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.2 × as long as wide. Mesosomal sculpture confluently foveolate. Humeral carina present, connected to short tooth-like epaulet by irregular carina, antero-lateral corner of pronotum angular in dorsal view. Pronotal spiracle slightly raised against lateral margin of pronotum. Ratios of widths at humeral angles, pronotal spiracles, widest point of mesonotum, narrowest point of mesonotum and propodeum posterior to propodeal spiracles 80:85:88:80:74. Lateral margin of mesosoma slightly emarginate anterior to propodeal spiracle, smoothly diverging anterad and converging slightly posterior to pronotal spiracle. Propodeal spiracle slightly raised against lateral margin of mesosoma; post-spiracular area not defined. Scutellar scale absent. Posterior and dorsal faces of propodeum poorly defined, posterior face apparently longer than dorsal face. Metasoma. Dorsal sculpture mostly confluently foveolate. Ratios of width of T1, width of T2 and length of T2 32:97:108. T2 maximum width anterior to midlength; its base conspicuously swollen over apex of T1. S1 with conspicuous longitudinal carina, highest anteriorly; S2 sculpture slightly sparser than T2 sculpture; S3–6 densely coarsely and irregularly foveolate-punctate to simply punctate; S2 with subapical transverse slope and anteromedial longitudinal ridge vestigial. T6 convex, without pygidial plate, sculpture smooth except for punctate and setose anterolateral portions. S6 sharply bidentate postero-mesally. Coloration and variations. Body mostly reddish brown; legs and antenna lighter orange; T2 with paired posterolateral circular yellow integumental spots. Head covered with dense pale golden setae. Mesosomal setae sparse, mostly silvery or golden except dorsally with large mesal patch (with posteromesal golden notch) and dorsolateral propodeal patches of sparse black setae. Metasoma setae sparse, mostly pale silvery except T2 disc (except lateral margins, yellow cuticular spots, and sub-circular anterolateral patch with pale golden setae) and fringes of T2 and T3 mesally black, and fringes of T2–5 brighter golden. Females vary slightly in intensity of the golden setae and some have the frons, mesosoma, and T2 disc variably darker brownish.

MALE. Body length 6.0 in allotype (5.0–7.0) mm. Head. Rounded, width subequal to pronotal width. Eye almost circular. Ocelli small; OOD 4.5 × DLO, IOD 1.2 × DLO. Occipital carina distinct. Sculpture predominantly concealed by dense setation, areolate-punctate where visible. Gena ecarinate. Antennal scrobe with prominent transverse dorsal scrobal carina. Clypeus mostly flat and punctate, with slightly raised area below insertion of antennae and bidentate anterior/ventral margin. Scape bicarinate. Flagellomere 1 subequal to pedicel length; flagellomere 2 1.9 × pedicel length. Mandible narrow, bidentate; lacking ventral notch and projections. Mesosoma. Epaulets poorly defined, virtually flat against anterior margin of pronotum. Anterior face of pronotum mostly asetose, indistinctly sculptured, without mesal notch. Tegula convex, mostly glabrous and impunctate except for dense punctures anteriorly and along inner margin. Dorsal sculpture of pronotum, mesonotum, scutellum, axilla and metanotum areolate. Scutellum slightly convex, with mesal longitudinal carina. Axilla produced posterolaterally with sharp spine. Metanotum equally wide throughout. Propodeum convex, sculpture partially concealed by dense setation, areolate without enclosed area; posterolateral margins smoothly rounded; dorsal face rounded into posterior face. Lateral face of pronotum densely and confusedly areolate-punctate to micropunctate; mesopleuron densely and coarsely areolate-punctate to foveolate-punctate; mesopleuron more or less evenly convex, without any conspicuous projections. Metapleuron largely areolate with dorsal area partly smooth. 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. Mid and hind tibiae with three rows of thickened bristle-like setae, apparently without spines. Metasoma. T1 0.4 × as wide as T2. T2 length 0.9 × its width. Dorsal metasomal sculpture, except pygidium, foveolate-punctate to punctate. S1 with low longitudinal mesal carina, equally high throughout. S2 sculpture slightly sparser than that of T2, without seta-filled pit mesally. S3–6 densely punctate. S8 punctate, elongate triangular, apical margin with acute tooth-like projection mesally. Genitalia. Parapenial lobe pronounced apically, shorter than penis valve. Ratios of free length of paramere, cuspis and digitus 69:11:11. Paramere virtually straight and cylindrical throughout in dorsal view, apical third tapering towards acute apex; in lateral view conspicuously curved dorsally at apex; with sparse tuft of setae basoventrally. Cuspis short, “paddle-like”, slightly wider apicad; basically straight; with brush of elongate plumose setae emerging from posterior margin. Paracuspis a short asetose rounded tubercle. Digitus elongate, digitiform with apical knob, slightly up-curved in lateral view, apparently asetose. Penis valve concave on internal surface, with pair of acute teeth apicoventrally; apical tooth well defined, asetose; basal tooth less defined, short, without lateral pocket, asetose; apical distance between teeth 0.2 × length of valve. Coloration and variations. Body black to dark brown, except mandible, venter of flagellum and tibial bases pale yellow-brown. Setae predominantly silvery-white, except transverse black band on posterior half of T2 disc and apical tergites variably blackened. There is subtle variation in the extent of black setae on the apical tergites and various body regions have scattered erect darker setae.

Distribution. Panama ( Panama and Coclé).

Material examined. [7 ♀, 24 ♂] Type Material: Holotype, 1 ♀, PANAMA, PANAMA, Chorrera, Llano Largo , 2.IV.1990, R. Cambra ( CSCA) . Paratypes: PANAMA: Panama: Chorrera, Playa Leona, cerca a río Perequete , 27.II.1991, yellow pan trap, R. Cambra (allotype, 1♂ CSCA) ; Chorrera, Playa Leona, cerca a río Perequete : 6.II.1991, yellow pan trap, R. Cambra (1♂ CSCA) ; 13.II.1991, yellow pan trap, R. Cambra, (2♂ MIUP) ; 18– 20.III.1991, yellow pan trap, R. Cambra (2♂ MIUP, 2♂ DJBC) ; 26.II.1991, yellow pan trap, R. Cambra (1♂ MIUP) ; 17.I.1992, R. Cambra (1♀ CSCA, 1♀ 2♂ MIUP) , 25.I.1992, yellow pan trap, I. Henry (1♂ MIUP) ; 18.II.1992, R. Cambra (1♀ DJBC) ; 18.II.1992, A. Mena (2♀ MIUP) ; Chorrera, El Arado , 11.I.1993, yellow pan trap, col. R. Urriola (1♂ MIUP) ; oficinas Parque Nacional Soberanía , 26.II.2000, yellow pan trap, A. Santos (5♂ MIUP) ; Parque Metropolitano , 8.I.1993, yellow pan trap, A. Velásquez (1♂ MIUP) ; near barriada Don Bosco , 13.IV.2022, mangrove area, A. Santos (1♀ MIUP) ; Coclé: Tranquilla Norte, 12.III.1988, yellow pan trap, R. Rodríguez (3♂ MIUP) ; Chiguirí Arriba, Cerro La Vieja , 23.IV.1994, yellow pan trap, R. Cambra (1♂ MIUP) .

Etymology. A new word based on the combined specific epithets of the type species of Dasymutilla Ashmead and Ephuta Say, 1836: Mutilla (Sphaeropthalma) gorgon Blake, 1871 and Mutilla (Ephuta) scrupea Say, 1836 . Treat as a noun in apposition.

Remarks. The sexual association is based on morphological similarities of the mandible (bidentate apically, subapical tooth minute, lacking ventral tooth or notch), T1 (petiolate), similar body size, sculpture, and setation. Additionally, males and females have a sympatric distribution, captured at the same time in some places. Two other species of Dasymutillini that are present in the same area ( Dasymutilla araneoides ( Smith, 1862) and Dasymutilla spilota Manley & Pitts, 2007 ) already have associated males and females ( Cambra et al. 2018). All the above is sufficient evidence to consider males and females of Dasyphuta gorgupea as members of a single species.

In both sexes, the coloration and body size are similar to many Panamanian species of Ephuta and Pseudomethoca Ashmead, 1896 (KAW & RAC, pers. obs.); females are predominantly reddish brown with a golden head and males are mostly black and covered with silvery setae.

Figures

FIGURES 21–24. Dasyphuta gorgupea sp. nov., ♀ (Holotype). 21. Lateral habitus; 22. Dorsal habitus; 23. Head, anterior view; 24. Apical terga and pygidium (T6). Scale bars: 21 and 22 = 1 mm.

FIGURES 25–30. Dasyphuta gorgupea sp. nov., ♀ (Paratype), scanning electron microscopy images. 25 and 26. Mesosoma, lateral view; 27. Metasomal segments 2 and 3, lateral view; 28. Pygidium (T6) and hypopygium (S6), lateral view; p = pygidium, s = sting, st = hypopygium; 29. Felt line, lateral view; 30. Head, posterior view.

FIGURES 31, 32. Dasyphuta gorgupea sp. nov., ♂ (Paratype). 31. Dorsal habitus; 32. Lateral habitus. Scale bars= 2 mm.

FIGURES 33–36. Dasyphuta gorgupea sp. nov., ♂ (Paratype). 33. Head, anterior view; 34. Right axilla, lateral view; 35. Pygidium (T7); 36. Hypopygium (S8).

FIGURES 37, 38. Dasyphuta gorgupea sp. nov., ♂ (Paratype), scanning electron microscopy images. 37. Head, posterior view; 38. Mesosoma, lateral view.

FIGURES 39–42. Dasyphuta gorgupea sp. nov., male genitalia (Paratype). 39. Dorsal view; 40. Ventral view; 41. Right half, lateral view (penis valve removed); 42. Penis valve in lateral view (image flipped horizontally).