Dasymutilla paradoxa, comb. nov.
Creators: name: Luz, David R.
name: Williams, Kevin A.
name: Bartholomay, Pedro R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Mutillidae
Dasymutilla
Dasymutilla paradoxa

description: Dasymutilla paradoxa (Gerstaecker, 1874), comb. nov.
(Figs 3, 4, 9, 10)
Mutilla paradoxa Gerstaecker 1874: 76. Holotype, ♀, Colombia, Bogotá (ZMB, examined). Sphaerophthalma [sic!] icaris Cameron 1895: 360. Holotype, ♀, Nicaragua, Chontales (NHM, examined), syn. nov. Sphaerophthalma [sic!] icaris: Nonveiller 1990: 87, ♀ (incertae sedis).
Mutilla paradoxa: Nonveiller 1990: 88, ♀ (incertae sedis).
Traumatomutilla icaris: Cambra 1997: 122.
Diagnosis. FEMALE. The female of this species can be separated from other D. paradoxa species-group members by the following combination of characters: the body is predominantly black; the clypeus has a basal longitudinal tubercle; the pale setal markings of the head and mesosoma are golden; the discal spots of T2 are yellow; T2 and T3 medially clothed with interspersed golden and black setae; and the pygidium is defined by strong carinae laterally.
MALE. Unknown.
Distribution. Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia.
Material examined. Type material. Holotype of Mutilla paradoxa, ♀, COLOMBIA: Cundinamarca, Bogota, Lindig S. (ZMB); holotype of Sphaerophthalma [sic!] icaris, ♀, NICARAGUA, Chontales, 1903-297, Janson (NHM). Other material. COLOMBIA: Tolima, Mendez, H. Cardonol, 450m, 15.XI.1995, F. Fernandez (1♀, IaVH). COSTA RICA: Alajuela, Bijagua, 20 km S Upala, 30.IV-6.V.1991, F.D. Parker (1♀, EMUS); Guanacaste: 8 km E Esparta, 1000’, 11.VII.1974, C.W. O’Brien, L. O’Brien, & G.B. Marshall (1♀, CASC); 3 km SE Rio Naranjo, 11-21.IV.1992, F.D. Parker (1♀, FSCA); same data except 1-14.IX.1993 (1♀, EMUS); same data except 24- 26.V.1993 (1♀, EMUS); Sugar Beach, 3 km N Potrero, 9-11.XI.1991, A.S. Menke (1♀, USNM); Heredia, Estancion Biological de La Selva, 5-8.III.2001, E.G. Riley (1♀, TAMU). HONDURAS, San Jose, C.A., 13.IV.1923, S.C. Brumer (1♀, UMSP). NICARAGUA, Rivas, Reserva la Flor, 25-30.I.2003, E. van den Berghe (1♀, EMUS). PANAMA: Canal Zone, Barro Colorado Island, 4.IV.1935, W.M. Wheeler (1♀, USNM); same data except 7.I.1977, S. Levings (1♀, USNM); same data except 28.III.1977 (1♀, USNM); same data except 15.IV.1977 (1♀, USNM); same data except 29.III.1980, R. Silbergli (1♀, USNM); Cerro Azul, N of Tocumen, 7.VI.1958, W.J. Hanson (1♀, EMUS).
Remarks. This species is clothed predominantly with golden setae and superficially resembles Pappognatha myrmiciformis (Cameron, 1897) and Ephuta (Ephutopsis) championi (Cameron, 1894). These three mutillids from different genera share an overlapping distribution with the abundant ant species, Camponotus sericeiventris (Guérin-Méneville, 1838). Yanega (1994) hypothesized that P. myrmiciforms was a Müllerian mimic of C. sericieventris; we suggest that D. paradoxa and E. championi may be as well.
description: Published as part of Luz, David R., Williams, Kevin A. & Bartholomay, Pedro R., 2016, The mutillid wasps of the Dasymutilla paradoxa species-group (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae), pp. 361-372 in Zootaxa 4193 (2) on page 365, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4193.2.10, http://zenodo.org/record/166979