Dasymutilla arenivaga Mickel, 1928

Boehme, Nicole F., Tanner, David A., Williams, Kevin A. & Pitts, James P., 2012, Faunal study of velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) and their activity patterns and habitat preference at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nye County, Nevada, USA, Zootaxa 3587, pp. 1-45 : 9-10

Dasymutilla arenivaga Mickel, 1928

Dasymutilla arenivaga Mickel, 1928: 278 ,

♀. Holotype: California, Coyote Wells (CUIC).

Dasymutilla megalophtalma Mickel, 1928: 282 ,

3. Holotype: Yuma County, Arizona, September 1903 (NMNH).

Diagnosis. MALE. The male of this species is recognized by having the following combination of characters: the setae of the dorsum are yellow to orange, the eyes and ocelli are large with the diameter of ocellus being longer than distance between lateral and anteromedian ocelli, the axillae are truncate posterolaterally, the wings are fuscous, orange setae are present on T2, but are restricted to the apical fringe, S2 lacks a median pit filled with setae, and an apical fringe of setae is present on the pygidium. FEMALE. The female of this species is recognized by having the following combination of characters: the eyes are enlarged, the dorsum of the head, mesosoma and T2 are clothed with yellow to orange setae while the setae of T3–6 are black, and the dorsum of the mesosoma is longer than broad.

Material examined. Type material. Holotype of D. arenivaga : California, Colorado Desert , Coyote Wells , 11 August 1914, J.C. Bradley ( CUIC) . Other material. Nevada, Nye Co., AMNWR: Non-dune site 2: 1 ♂, LT , 21–23.VII.2009, 2 ♂, LT , 4–6.IX.2009, NFB ; Non-dune site 4: 1 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 1: 7 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, 1 ♀, 17 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 4–6.VIII.2009, 1 ♀, PT, 3.X.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 2: 1 ♀, PT, 2–3.IX.2008, 3 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 4–6.VIII.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 3: 1 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 1 ♀, hand collected, 19. VIII.2009, 1 ♀, hand collected, 4. IX.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 4–6.IX.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 4: 3 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 5: 8 ♂, LT, 24.VI.2008, DAT & NFB, 7 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, ♂, LT, 4–6.VIII.2009, 1 ♀, PT, 1 ♂, LT, 4–6.IX.2009, NFB, 1 ♀, PT, 30.X.2009, NFB & SDB ; Non-dune site 5: 1 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 4–6.VIII.2009, NFB ; Mesquite site 2: 2 ♀, PT, 4–5.VIII.2008, NFB ; Mesquite site 3: 1 ♀, PT, 17–18.X.2008, NFB & SDB. Distribution. USA (Arizona California and Nevada), Mexico (Baja California, Hidalgo and Sonora ).

Activity. Males were active throughout the summer (late June through early September). Females were collected late in the summer (August through October 0 8, Late July through October 09).

Remarks. Dasymutilla arenivaga is closely related to D. nocturna , and, similarly, is active both diurnally and nocturnally ( Pitts et al. 2009). Individuals of D. arenivaga were collected significantly more often in sand dune habitats than in non-sand dune habitats (U=24.5, p=0.015). Seventy D. arenivaga specimens, 62 males and 8 females, were collected. Males were collected from June through September at light traps and females were collected from July through October via hand collecting, light trapping and pitfall trapping. This species was not found at the NTS.