Dasymutilla spilota Manley and Pitts 2007
Creators: name: Cambra, Roberto A.
name: Williams, Kevin A.
name: Quintero, Diomedes
name: Windsor, Donald M.
name: Pickering, John
name: Saavedra, Daisy
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Mutillidae
Dasymutilla
Dasymutilla spilota

description: Dasymutilla spilota Manley and Pitts, 2007
(Fig. 14–16, 28)
Dasymutilla spilota Manley and Pitts 2007: 91–92, holotype female, Costa Rica, Chomes Punt, III-91, UCDC. Dasymutilla ionothorax Manley and Pitts 2007: 60, holotype male, Costa Rica, Alajuela, Bijagua 20 km S. Upala,
XII-13-I-9-91, EMUS. New synonymy.
Diagnosis. FEMALE. This species is recognized by a unique combination of characters: the antennal scrobe is ecarinate; the gena is weakly carinae; the scutellar scale is distinct and is accompanied by anterior and anterolateral transverse carinae; the tibial spurs are white; the head and mesosoma are predominantly clothed with white to golden setae; and T2 has a pair of laterally situated whitish setal patches. MALE. This species can be recognized by a unique combination of characters: the clypeus is rounded anteriorly; the axillae are sessile basally and have a posteriorly directed tooth; the tibial spurs are white; the body is black except the mesosomal dorsum is usually reddish; T2 has a basal pair of laterally situated whitish setal patches; and the hypopygium is margined laterally by a sharp carina.
Distribution. Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.
Material examined (MIUP except where noted). PANAMA: Chiriquí Province: Las Lajas, 24.iii.1992, R. Contreras, 1f; Las Moras, 8.ii.1989, M. Sánchez, 1f. Veraguas Province: Parque Nac. Coiba, Isla Coibita, 6–11.iii.1998, R. Cambra & A. Santos, 12f, 3m (1m, CDFA); Parque Nac. Coiba, Isla Coiba, 7.iii.1998, R. Cambra & A. Santos, 1f; La Mesa, 29.iii.1988, S. Díaz, 1f. Los Santos Province: Isla Cañas, 28.xi.1988, R. Rodríguez & D. Quintero, (1f, 1m, CDFA); Cambutal, 7.xii.1986, E. Vivero & M. Olmos, 1f, 1m; Playa Monagre, 6–7.ii.1989, J. Bernal, 14f, 1m. Herrera Province: Desembocadura río Parita, 24.iv.1986, R. Cambra, 1f. Coclé Province: Antón, San Juan de Dios, 2–3.i.1987, R. Rodríguez, 4f; Antón, Caballero, 22.xii. 1987, D. Quintero & R. Cambra, 4f; Antón, Tranquilla Norte, 12.iii.1988, R. Rodríguez, 1f, 8m; 8–10.i.1991, 2f, 1m; Valle de Antón, 11–12.ii.1992, R. Rodríguez, 6m. Panamá Province: Playa Farfán, 26.ii.1988, S. Díaz, 1f, 1m; Chepo, Río Mamoni, 12.iv.1986, R. Cambra, 1f; Chorrera, Playa Leona, Río Perequete, 27.ii.1991, R. Cambra (1f, 1m, CDFA); 19–20.iii.1991, 2f, 8m; Veracruz, Playa Venado, 3.i.1986, R. Cambra, 3f (1f, CDFA); 7.xi.1988, 3f; Capira, 12.iii.1992, J. Coronado, 3m; Isla del Rey, San Miguel, 1–5.iv.1985, R. Cambra, 2f. Darién Province: Yaviza, 29.v.1990, R. Cambra, 1f. COSTA RICA (INBio): Guanacaste Province: Fca. Jenny, 30 km N de Liberia, P.N. Guanacaste, i 1992, E. Araya, 6f; 16–20.v.1994, E. Araya, 7f; Playa Naranjo, Sta. Rosa, P.N. Guanacaste, iv 1991, E. Alcazar, 1f; Est. Palo Verde, 10 m, P.N. Palo Verde, 25.iii–21.iv 1992, A. Gutierrez, 1f; Rio Calero, P.N. Guanacaste, 8.xii.1990, 1f; Est. Sta. Rosa, 300 m, i.1990, 1f; i.1991, M. Zumbado, 1f; Est. Murcielago, 8 km S.O. de Cuajiniquil, 80m, 11.i–19.ii.1994, E. Araya; 1m. NICARAGUA: Managua District, Laguna de Xiloa, 4.i.1994, 1f; Granada, J. Maes, 9m. GUATEMALA: Escuintla, Fca. Palmeras, 2 mar 1991, E. Gonzalez, 1f. El SALVADOR: Los Chorros, 20.vi.1963, 1f; Apopa, 17.xi.1991, 1f; Zona costera, 15.v. 1995, 1m. HONDURAS: Fco. Morazan, San Antonio de Oriente, El Zamorano, 5–15.iv.1990, R. Cave, 1m; EL Paraiso, Yuscaran, 25.v.1993, B. Castro, 1f.
Remarks. This sex association and synonymy is based on coincidental distribution and a pair observed in copula in Isla Coibita, Veraguas. Dasymutilla spilota could be a junior synonym of Dasymutilla xalisco (Blake, 1871) (holotype female Mexico ANSP, No. 4507 examined). Females of both species are similar, except D. xalisco has the pubescent white patches of T2 connected medially, while in D. spilota they are separated medially. These pubescent patches, however, are variable in size in D. spilota, from widely separated medially to almost in contact. Also, the presence of male of D. spilota in Mexico (Manley and Pitts 2007), suggests that both species might fall in synonymy.
description: Published as part of 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, pp. 1-17 in Insecta Mundi 608 on pages 10-11, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3697062