Dasymutilla whartoni 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 : 103-104

Dasymutilla whartoni Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype female, Mexico, Guerrero, 18.2 mi S. Iguala, VII-5-87, R. Wharton [ DGMC].

Diagnosis of Female (Plate C9P). This species is differentiated from others by the following combination of characters. The head of this species is as broad as the mesosoma. The mesosoma is only slightly longer than broad. The antennal scrobe is weakly carinate, and a genal carina is absent. A scutellar scale is present. The pygidium is longitudinally rugose. The integument is predominantly reddish, and the setae are contrasting silver and black.

Description. Female: Length, 10–12 mm. Head. Reddish, large, quadrate, as broad as mesosoma (2.3– 2.5 mm), sparsely clothed with silver appressed setae; mandible acute at apex, lacking inner tooth; clypeus small, transversely concave, slightly emarginate medially; scape weakly carinate, with sparse silver setae; flagellomere I long, about as long as II and III united, remaining flagellomeres subequal in length; antenna black from tip of scape to apex; antennal scrobe weakly carinate; front and vertex with coarse contiguous punctures; gena shining, with shallow contiguous punctures; genal carina absent; relative width of head to mesosoma 1:1.

Mesosoma. Reddish, slightly longer than broad (2.3–2.8 mm wide X 2.5–3.0 mm long); scutellar scale present; dorsum and propodeum with large deep contiguous punctures; anterior margin strongly convex, not emarginate medially; anterior third of dorsum with dense appressed black setae, remainder with appressed silver setae, except small circular spot of back setae around scutellar scale; pleura smooth, shining, with appressed silver setae.

Legs reddish, except apices of femora black; clothed entirely with silver setae.

Metasoma. Predominantly reddish, except last segment black, and tergum II with broad yellow macula posteriorly; disk of tergum I glabrous, borders with shallow contiguous punctures; segment II with coarse contiguous punctures; pygidium longitudinally rugose; sternum I lacking obvious carina; apical fringe of tergum I silver; tergum II with bilobed area of appressed black setae on anterior half medially, area of yellow macula with only sparse pale setae, apical fringe black, interrupted medially with silver; tergum III with black setae, interrupted medially with silver; tergum IV entirely with silver setae, V with silver bordered laterally by black, VI with primarily black setae; sternum entirely with silver setae.

Male. Unknown.

Paratype. ♀, MEXICO, Guerrero, 12.4 km W. Tetelcingo, IX-21-89, R. Turnbow ( DGMC) .

Distribution. Mexico (Guerrero).

Etymology. In reference to Bob Wharton, collector of the type specimen; the specific-epithet is a noun in apposition.

Remarks. This species is known only from the female and only from the two type specimens. It has the mesosoma longer than broad, and a scutellar scale is present. It is characterized by a bilobed area of black setae on tergum II anteriorly, with the lobes long and attaining the midline of the segment.