Dasymutilla colorado Cambra, Williams and Quintero, 2018

Cambra, Roberto A., Williams, Kevin A., Quintero, Diomedes, Windsor, Donald M., Pickering, John & Saavedra, Daisy, 2018, Dasymutilla Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae) in Panama: new species, sex associations and seasonal flight activity, Insecta Mundi 608, pp. 1-17 : 6-8

Dasymutilla colorado Cambra, Williams and Quintero , new species

( Fig. 17–22 , 24 )

Holotype female. PANAMA, Panam á Province , Monumento Natural Barro Colorado, Península Gigante, 1.viii.1990, A. Mena (captured in copula, mounted on same pin with male Allotype, deposited in CDFA) . Paratypes ( MIUP except where noted). PANAMA: Panamá Province: same data as holo- type (1m, CDFA) ; 23.vii.1990, D. Quintero, 1f; 30.vii.1990, A. Mena, 1f; 27–29.viii.1990, 1f; 3.viii.1990, 1f ; Barro Colorado Island : 14.vi.1993, J. Coronado, 1f ; 27.iv.1994, J. Pickering, 1m; 4–11.v. 1994, 1m; 11–18.v. 1994, 1m; 18–25.v. 1994, 1m; 3–10.vi. 2002, 1m; 20–27.vii. 1994, 1m; 10–17.viii. 1994, 1m ; 29.viii.2001, D. Windsor (1m, CDFA) ; 26.xii. 2001, 1m; 22–28.v. 2002, 1m; 29.v. 2002, 4m; 12–20.vi. 2002, 2m; 26.vi. 2002, 1m ; 4–12.ix. 2002 (1m, CDFA) ; 11.vi. 2003, 1m; 10.ix. 2003, 1m; 17.ix. 2003, 1m; 24–31. iii. 2004, 1m; 5–12.v. 2004, 2m; 19.v. 2004, 5m; 26.v. 2004, 4m; 9.vi. 2004, 1m; 15.ix. 2004, 1m; 29.xii. 2004, 1m; 4.v. 2005, 1m; 11.v. 2005, 3m; 18.v. 2005, 3m; 25.v. 2005, 2m; 15.vi. 2005, 1m; 24–31.viii. 2005, 1m; 25.i. 2006, 1m; 19.iv. 2006, 1m; 26.iv. 2006, 1m; 3.v. 2006, 1m; 10.v. 2006, 3m; 27.ix. 2006, 1m; 28.iii. 2007, 1m; 3.vi.1981, 2f; 17.iv.1981, 1f; 7.v.1981, 1f; 25.v.1981, 1f; 21.viii. 1977, 1m; 3–6.vi.1967, M. Naumann, 1m; 7.vi.1956, C. Rettenmeyer, 1m ; P. Nac. Soberanía, camino Plantación , 16.ix.2000, D. Quintero & A. Santos (1f, CDFA) ; Campana, Chica , 1–25.x.2013, Y. Cheng, 1m ; P. Nac. Campana, 16.vi.1991, J. Coronado, 1f ; 10.vi.2007, Y. Christopher (1f, CDFA) ; Cerro Azul, Urbanizacion Las Nubes , 2.ix.2001, D. Quintero, 1f. Coclé Province: El Copé, 900m, 24.ix.1990, D. Quintero, 2f. Darién Province: P. Nac. Darién, Pirre, Estación Rancho Frío , 3–17.x.2002, R. Cambra, 1f ; P. Nac. Darién, Estación Cruce de Mono , 250 msnm, 7°55′N, 77°39′W, 8.ii.1993, R. Cambra & J. Coronado, 1f ; 17.ii.1993, 1f ; 26.ii.1993 (1m, CDFA) .

Diagnosis. FEMALE. This species can be separated from other Dasymutilla by the triangular pygidium. It can be separated from Traumatomutilla with a similar triangular pygidium by the unarmed posterolateral head margins, the rounded femoral apices, and the red mesosoma. The following diagnostic characters are also useful: the antennal scrobe has a dorsal carina that is sometimes weak; the gena has a distinct carina; the mesosoma is longer than broad and has a distinct scutellar scale; and T2 is marked with two yellow subcircular patches. MALE. This species has the integument black, clothed with black and white setae only; T4 and T5 each have a dense band of white setae; the tibial spurs are white; S2 lacks a seta-filled pit; the posterior margin of the hypopygium has a median notch, and the forewing marginal cell is apically acute.

Description. FEMALE (holotype). Body length 11 mm. Body black, except apical flagellomeres, mandible, and leg joints partly brown, mesosoma largely reddish dorsally and laterally; and T2 with two distinct yellow subcircular patches. Head and mesosoma with appressed setae predominantly pale yellow and erect setae predominantly blackish; metasoma with distinct white setal patch on T1 and T2; with distinct whitish fringe or band on T4–5 and S2–5; whitish setae on T2 patches and laterally on T2–3; remaining metasomal setae black. Head. Genal carina present and distinct; subgenal carina absent; antennal scrobe with dorsal carina partially obliterated; head, including outer margin of eyes; broader than mesosoma; posterolateral angle of vertex without tubercle. Entire head with deep contiguous punctures, many interspaces cariniform. Mesosoma. Longer than broad in dorsal view, perpendicularly truncate posteriorly; dorsally with deep contiguous punctures, interspaces mostly cariniform; humeral carina weak, basically continuous to epaulet; scutellar scale present; lateral and posterior propodeal faces smoothly rounded together with similar dense punctation; mid and hind femora rounded apically; tarsomere five apex with laminar process notched medially, process covering base of claws. Metasoma. T1 narrowly petiolate with globose T2; T2–6 with deep contiguous punctures, interspaces mostly cariniform; pygidial area higher than wide, narrow at base, with few weak longitudinal striae.

MALE. Body length 10.5 mm. Color. Entirely black except flagellum, mandible and leg joints partly brown. Setae predominantly scattered whitish except head with erect black setae; mesoscutum with erect and appressed black setae; T1, T4, and T5 with distinct white setal bands, remaining tergites with setae mostly black. Head. Genal carina absent; clypeus anterior margin with two denticles or tubercles; mandible apically oblique, tridentate; ocelli small: OOD ~5× DLO, IOD subequal to DLO; head slightly swollen posteromedially. Mesosoma. Mostly with deep confluent punctures; mesopleuron without protuberance near tegula; tegula mostly smooth; axilla punctate dorsally, apically oblique with truncate setose posterior face; propodeum reticulate; apices of mid and hind femora more or less rounded, not sulcate; tibial spur white; marginal cell with pointed apex to marginal vein. Metasoma. T1 narrowly petiolate with T2; S2 without seta-filled pit; S2 base without carina, evenly convex; T6 mostly smooth with apical setal fringe; hypopygium apical margin with median V-shaped notch; S7 Posterolateral angles not dentiform, lateral borders without carina.

Distribution. Known only from central and eastern Panama.

Etymology. From the Spanish “ colorado ” meaning red colored. Jointly named in reference to the female’s uncommon mesosomal color and Barro Colorado Island, where the type was collected and this project originated. Treat as noun in apposition.

Remarks. In the key to Neotropical Dasymutilla ( Manley and Pitts 2007) , females of this species run to various couplets depending on how the antennal scrobe carina is scored. Most specimens key to couplet 32 with Dasymutilla twegeni Manley and Pitts, 2007 from Mexico. They can be separated from D. twegeni by having the mesosoma reddish and the pygidial area higher than wide, narrowed basally, and mostly unsculptured. Other specimens key to couplet 47 with Dasymutilla buenavista Manley and Pitts, 2007 from Mexico. They can be separated from D. buenavista by having the mesosoma reddish, T2 with two yellow maculae, without a sinuate carina anterior to the scutellar scale, and having the pygidial area mostly unsculptured. Still other females key to couplet 47 and were discussed briefly as potential members of the genus Traumatomutilla in Williams et al. (2017) . The diagnostic characters and habitus photos presented here will allow immediate recognition of this species.

Males are similar to Dasymutilla militaris nigriceps (Cresson, 1865) from Cuba, Bahamas and Dominican Republic. Both species have the integument black, clothed with black and white setae, S2 without seta-filled pit, and the posterior margin of the hypopygium with a median notch. It differs from D. m. nigriceps in the following combination of characters: the wings are uniform in color with the marginal cell apically acute; T2 has erect and sparse white setae basally; T3 is clothed mostly with black setae; the pygidial area is mostly unsculptured; while D. militaris has the wings banded and marginal cell apically truncate, has the T2 base and T3 totally with dense decumbent white pubescence that hides the integument; and the pygidial area is finely rugose.

Dasymutilla and Traumatomutilla are notoriously difficult to separate and could eventually be synonymized ( Manley and Pitts 2007). Both genera are diverse and morphologically variable, with Dasymutilla being predominantly North American and Traumatomutilla being predominantly South American. This species functionally represents a middle ground between the genera, having female coloration similar to Dasymutilla , male coloration similar to Traumatomutilla , and occurring at the border between North and South America. Because Dasymutilla is the older name, we place D. colorado in that genus.

Figures

Figures 17–22. Dasymutilla colorado, sp. nov. 17–19) Female photographs. 20–21) Male photographs. 22) Male genitalia illustrations. a) Dorsal view. b) Ventral view. c) Penis valve lateral view. d) Lateral view.

Figures 23–28. Dasymutilla, right forewing. 23) D. araneoides. 24) D. colorado, sp. nov. 25) D. paradoxa. 26) D. phya. 27) D. pulchra. 28) D. spilota.