Dasymutilla fasciventris Mickel, 1938

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 : 50-51

Dasymutilla fasciventris Mickel

Dasymutilla fasciventris Mickel, 1938 . Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer. 31:155. Holotype male, Globe , Arizona, May 12, 1934 (F. H. Parker) [UMSP] (examined).

Diagnosis of Male (Plate C4K). This species is characterized by an extremely long pit on sternum II filled with pale setae. The pit is distinctly anterior of center. Coloration is also useful for diagnosing this species. It has conspicuous silver setae on the apical terga. The second metasomal segment is ferruginous, while the remainder of the integument is black.

Genitalia. Paramere with apex dorsally curved, ventral margin of basal 0.3 densely pubescent, remainder with short sparse setae; cuspis wide, cylindrical and slightly lobate ventrally, ventral and internal surface with thick long setae, dorsal and external surface with dense short setae, length about 0.6X free length of paramere, small densely pubescent basal lobe present; digitus tapering towards apex, slightly knob-like apically, curving inward toward midline, length slightly less than 0.5X free length of paramere; penial valve bidentate, teeth separate, anterior tooth slightly larger than posterior tooth.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. USA (Arizona); Mexico (Jalisco, Nayarit, Sinaloa, Sonora).

Remarks. This species is known only from the male. It keys very easily due to the size and position of the pit on sternum II. We describe the genitalia because Mickel (1938) did not do so in the original description. This relatively uncommon species is known from only about a dozen specimens. All known specimens have been examined.