Dasymutilla atricauda Mickel

Pitts, James P., Wilson, Joseph S., Williams, Kevin A. & Boehme, Nicole F., 2009, Velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) of the Algodones sand dunes of California, USA, Zootaxa 2131, pp. 1-53 : 12-16

Dasymutilla atricauda Mickel

Dasymutilla atricauda Mickel, 1928 . U.S. Nat. Mus., Bull. 143: 92. Female. Holotype data: California, Riverside County, Blythe, 16 Oct 1934, C. Dammers (UMSP).

Diagnosis of male. The male of this species ( Fig. 48 ) possesses the following combination of characters: the eyes and ocelli are not greatly enlarged, the axillae are dentate posterolaterally, there is an orange or white apical fringe of setae present on T2, S2 lacks a median pit filled with setae, the pygidium is glabrous or shagreened and lacks striations and an apical fringe of setae present on the pygidium.

Diagnosis of female. The female of this species ( Fig. 47 ) possesses the following combination of characters: the scutellar scale is absent, T2–3 are clothed with orange or white setae, and T4–6 are clothed with black setae.

Material examined. California, Imperial Co. : Algodones Dunes, Coachella Canal Rd., 6.4 km NW Hwy 78, 14.4 km NW Glamis, 1 female, 24–28.Mar.2008, Bohart Museum Survey Team. Glamis, 2 females, 26.May.1977, E.L. Klee ( EMUS, KAWC); Glamis, 2 km NW, 2 males, 27.Aug.1992, L.S. and R.B. Kimsey ( UCDC); Glamis, 2.2 mi SE, 2 females, 25–26.Sep.1993, R.R. Snelling ( LACM).

– Sphaeropthalma triangularis , female: 85. head, anterior view; 86. lateral view; and 87. dorsal view of mesosoma, anterior left. Odontophotopsis villosa , female: 88. dorsal view of mesosoma, anterior top; 89. head, anterior view; and 90. lateral view. Odontophotopsis unknown female: 91. lateral view; and 92. dorsal view of mesosoma, anterior top. Sphaeropthalma militaris , male, 93. head, dorsal view. Sphaeropthalma triangularis , male, 94. head, dorsal view. Odontophotopsis inconspicua , male, 95. hind femur, lateral view. Sphaeropthalma triangularis , male, 96. hind femur, lateral view. Sphaeropthalma triangularis , female: 97. mesosoma, dorsal view; 98. metasoma, dorsal view; and 99. head, dorsal view.

Distribution. Southern California and southwestern Arizona.

Remarks. Although most specimens of D. atricauda have orange dorsal setae ( Fig. 48 ), individuals from the Algodones Sand Dunes have white dorsal vestiture ( Manley and Williams, 2005). Unfortunately a typical male from the Algodones Sand Dunes was not available to be photographed. Aside from color variation, specimens from the Algodones dunes are morphologically identical to those from other sites after disregarding color variation. This species is not limited to the Algodones Sand Dunes.

The male of this species was only recently associated with the female ( Manley, 2003). Manley (2003) determined that the typical, yellow-colored males of D. atricauda would key out to D. myrice Mickel using Mickel’s (1936) key and provided multiple characters to separate the two species. The white-colored specimens found on the Algodones Sand Dunes, however, key out to D. candida Mickel , now recognized as the male of D. thetis (Blake) ( Pilgrim et al., 2008) . The white-colored male specimens of D. atricauda can be separated from D. thetis males by pygidial sculpturing. Dasymutilla atricauda has a pygidum that is smooth and glabrous, while D. thetis has separated longitudinal striae on the pygidium.

Figures

FIGURES 47 – 55. Habitus, lateral view. Dasymutilla atricuada, 47. female and 48. male; D. gloriosa, 49. female and 50. male; D. imperialis, 51. male; D. magnifica, 52. female and 53. male; and D. nocturna, 54. female and 55. male.