Dasymutilla deyrollesi Mickel

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 : 48

Dasymutilla deyrollesi Mickel

Dasymutilla deyrollesi Mickel, 1937 . Rev. Ent. Rio 7:190. Holotype male, Mexico [USNM] (examined).

Diagnosis of Male (Plate C4C). This species can be recognized by its coloration and several structural characteristics. The dorsum of the metasoma is clothed entirely with red setae, and the integument is predominantly red as well, while the remainder of the integument is black. Setae on the remainder of the body are contrasting pale silver-white and black. This species also has the antennal scrobe carinate dorsally, a small, median pit on sternum II that is densely filled with setae, and the pygidium possesses an apical fringe of setae.

Female. Unknown, but probably D. araneoides araneoides (see below).

Distribution. Mexico (Campeche, Jalisco, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Veracruz); Costa Rica; El Salvador; Guatemala; Panama.

Remarks. This species is known only from the male and keys out easily if the apical fringe of setae on the pygidium is present. However, the apical fringe is often missing, or represented by only a couple of setae. If the apical fringe of setae on the pygidium were missing, it would key to D. sicheliana . However, the latter also has the integument of the apical metasomal segment(s) black, unlike D. deyrollesi . Three females and three males were collected in a mating ball by J. O. Schmidt in 1987. The specimens were compared with holotypes in the BMNH by Brothers and the females were determined to be D. araneoides araneoides , while the males were determined to be Sphaeropthalma melanogastra Cameron (Brothers, personal communication). Brothers believes S. melanogastra to be conspecific with D. deyrollesi . However, because we have not seen the type specimen of S. melanogastra , we refrain from making that synonymy at this time. This is a relatively common species. Approximately one hundred specimens have been examined.