Dasymutilla klugii (Gray)

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 : 62

Dasymutilla klugii (Gray)

Mutilla Klugii Gray, 1832 . In Griffith, Cuvier’s Animal Kingdom 15 ( Insecta 2): 516. Neotype female, Rio Grande , Brewster County, Texas, June 13-17, 1908 (Mitchell and Cushman) [USNM] (examined).

Mutilla Orcus Cresson, 1865c . Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil. 4:428. Holotype female (No. 1866), allotype male [ANSP] (examined).

Diagnosis of Female (Plate C5J). This species can be diagnosed by the following combination of characters, including coloration. The female has the antennal scrobe strongly carinate dorsally, while the gena is weakly carinate. The mesosoma is longer than broad and possesses a scutellar scale. The pygidium is longitudinally rugose to striate. The integument is entirely black. The head and mesosoma are clothed with black setae, while the metasoma is clothed with bright red setae. The sterna are fringed with black setae.

Diagnosis of Male (Plate C5K). The male of this species can be diagnosed by the following combination of characters, including coloration. The antennal scrobe of the male is carinate dorsally. It has a median pit on sternum II that is densely filled with setae, and an apical fringe of setae on the pygidium. The integument is entirely black. The head and mesosoma are clothed with black setae while the metasoma, from the apical half of tergum II, is clothed with bright red setae. The sterna are fringed with black setae.

Host Identity. Sphecius grandis (Say) ( Hymenoptera : Sphecidae ) ( Bradley 1920).

Distribution. USA (Kansas and Missouri south to Texas and west to Arizona and Utah); Mexico (Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon, Queretaro, Sonora, Tamaulipas).

Remarks. This large, conspicuous species is easily identified in both sexes. It is widely distributed and, due to its large size, is commonly collected. Hundreds of specimens of both sexes have been examined.