Dasymutilla cirrhomeris Manley & Pitts, 2007

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 : 42-43

Dasymutilla cirrhomeris Manley & Pitts , new species

Holotype female, USA, Arizona, Santa Cruz Co., Patagonia, VIII-20-40, D. J. and J. N. Knoll [ UMSP].

Diagnosis of Female ( Plate C3H ). The color pattern on tergum II is unique and is largely composed of a yellowish orange macula, with only a black arrow-shaped marking anteromedially. This species also has the head narrower than the mesosoma, both the antennal scrobe and gena are carinate, the mesosoma is longer than broad, the scutellar scale is prominent, and the pygidium is longitudinally striate.

Description. Female: Length, 8–12 mm. Head. Ferruginous, front and vertex clothed with silver setae; mandible black, except at base, acute at apex, with inner tooth about 0.3X distance from apex; scape carinate, clothed with silver setae; antenna, from flagellomere II to apex, black, flagellomere I slightly longer than remaining segments; clypeus transversely concave, anterior edge nearly straight; antennal scrobe carinate; front and vertex with coarse contiguous punctures, sculpture concealed by dense setae; gena conspicuously carinate; head width 1.7–2.3 mm, relative width to mesosoma about 0.80:1.

Mesosoma. Ferruginous, longer than broad (2.0–3.0 mm wide X 2.3–3.3 mm long); scutellar scale conspicuous, with sinuate carina anterior to scale; anterior margin slightly convex, not emarginate medially; dorsum and propodeum coarsely sculptured, with deep contiguous punctures; anterior third with deep contiguous punctures; anterior third with appressed and erect black setae, middle third with appressed silver setae, posterior third with mixed black and silver setae.

Legs ferruginous, except apices of middle and hind femora black; legs clothed with silver setae.

Metasoma. First two segments predominantly ferruginous, except arrow-shaped spot of black anteromedially; metasoma with shallow contiguous punctures throughout; pygidium distinctly longitudinally striate, striations turning slightly outward posteriorly; sternum I with blunt tridentate carina medially; apical fringe of tergum I silver; tergum II with black appressed setae anteromedially; yellowish orange maculae with sparse orangish setae, apical fringe black, interrupted medially with silver; tergum III with black setae interrupted medially with silver; remaining segments with silver setae.

Male. Unknown.

Paratypes. 4♀, USA, Arizona, Cochise Co., Huachuca, VIII-26-32, W. S. Creighton (2♀, DGMC); Leslie Canyon NWR, IX-20-00, W. R. Radke (1♀, DGMC) ; MEXICO, Sinaloa, 7 mi W. Santa Lucia, VIII-5- 64, J. F. McAlpine (1♀, DGMC) .

Distribution. USA (Arizona); Mexico (Sinaloa).

Etymology. From the Greek kirrhos “orange” and meros “thigh,” in reference to the orange coloration of the legs.

Remarks. This species is known only from the female. Tergum II has a yellow/orange macula. One could go wrong at couplet #44, saying that tergum II is merely ferruginous in color rather than maculate. If wrong at #44, this species would not follow the key to anything else. The legs are conspicuously ferruginous, except that the apices of the femora are black.

Figures

PLATE 3. Male genitalia of Dasymutilla. A. D. nocticaro. B. D. sinaloa. C. D. spiniscapula. D. D. truxali. E. D. sleipniri. F. D. veracruz. G. D. wasbaueri.