Dasymutilla pallene (Cameron)

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 : 79

Dasymutilla pallene (Cameron)

Sphaerophthalma [ sic.] pallene Cameron, 1895 . Biol. Cent.-Amer., Hym. 2:356. Holotype female, Mexico, Ventanas (Durango), 2000' ( Forrer ) (No. 15.846) [BMNH] (examined).

Diagnosis of Female (Plate C7I). This species has the apices of the middle and hind femora squarely truncate, with the outer lobe being sulcate. However, unlike most species with this character, D. pallene has long dense setae and possesses a scutellar scale. This species also has the antennal scrobe strongly carinate dorsally, but a genal carina is absent. The posterolateral angle of the head lacks tubercles. The mesosoma is longer than broad, and the pygidium is longitudinally rugose to striate, as opposed to granulate. The body is not coarsely sculptured. The pronotum and propodeum have dense black setae. There is a bilobed area of black setae on tergum II anteriorly. There is some variation in the metasomal setal pattern of some specimens; there are black setae on the anterior third of the mesosoma, and some have black setae on terga II and III. These specimens are otherwise identical to typical specimens of D. pallene .

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Mexico (Sinaloa, Sonora).

Remarks. This species is known only from the female. It is somewhat difficult to key, resulting in its being placed in the key in two locations. Actually, it is very easy to key if one is careful at the first couplet. If not, then the other characters will allow identification. This is a relatively uncommon species known from only about a half dozen specimens. All known specimens have been examined.