Dasymutilla vestita (Lepeletier 1845)

Dataset
Taxonomic updates for diurnal velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) in the United States of America: Rank
SPECIES

Classification

kingdom
Animalia: phylum
Arthropoda: class
Insecta: order
Hymenoptera: family
Mutillidae: genus
Dasymutilla: species
Dasymutilla vestita

discussion

Remarks. As discussed above in the remarks for D. gorgon, the females formerly associated with D. zelaya are remarkably similar to D. vestita, differing only in mesosomal setal color. As seen in males of D. gloriosa, species formerly separated by mesosomal setal color can be recognized as synonymous after discovery of intermediate forms (Figs 11 – 14). Females formerly called D. zelaya from Arizona frequently have minor traces of the reddish mesosomal setae that are diagnostic for D. vestita. Additionally, these females have often been collected in the same localities as males that are typical of D. vestita. Dasymutilla cotulla is structurally identical to males of D. vestita, differing from that species by mesosomal setal color only (dorsally black in D. cotulla and dorsally yellow to red in D. vestita). Females formerly associated with D. zelaya (now considered members of D. vestita) have been regularly collected in the same localities as D. cotulla. Overlapping distribution and morphological similarity reveal they are conspecific. Dasymutilla vandala is identical to D. cotulla, except for the seta-filled pit on S 2 (distinct in D. cotulla and apparently absent in D. vandala). The holotype of D. vandala, however, does have a faint indentation of a seta-filled pit with a few scattered setae. The size and distinctiveness of the S 2 pit are variable in western populations of D. vestita. Additionally, conspecific populations of D. bioculata (Cresson, 1865) show even more extreme variation in the sternal setal pit than seen between D. cotulla and D. vandala (Williams et al. 2010). For these reasons, D. cotulla and D. vandala are recognized as junior synonyms of D. vestita. Dasymutilla homole, known only from females in southern New Mexico, is structurally identical to other females of D. vestita. The only difference between these species is that D. homole has the apical tergites covered with black setae, rather than uniformly yellow to red, like typical D. vestita. In the northwestern Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico and Texas, the extent of this black setae varies; some individuals have the T 3 – 5 setae entirely black, some orange mesally and some mostly orange with few black setae laterally. This appears to be a gradient, rather than discrete species-level difference and this extent of color variation has been observed in other Dasymutilla species, such as D. bioculata (Williams et al. 2010). Dasymutilla homole syn. nov., is therefore recognized as a synonymous color variant of D. vestita. Dasymutilla vestita is one of the most common and widespread velvet ant species in North America and, until recently, it bore a similar name to another common and widespread species, D. ursus (Fabricius, 1793). Dasymutilla ursus was formerly called D. vesta (Cresson, 1865) until a senior synonym was recognized (Brothers et al. 2022). Although this change will require many curatorial changes, there are a few cosmetic upsides. First, the epithet vestita could easily be mis-translated as “ small vesta ”, but D. vestita is almost always larger in size than D. ursus. Second, D. vestita and D. ursus are not closely related, so their similar names used to be somewhat misleading.

distribution

Distribution. Canada (Alberta, Saskatchewan), Mexico (Aguascalientes, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Veracruz and Zacatecas) and USA (Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming).

materials_examined

Material examined. I examined 26 males of D. cotulla (CASC, CNCI, FSCA, UCDC, UMSP), 15 females of D. homole (CSCA, FSCA, UCDC, UMSP), six males of D. vandala (CASC, CNCI, CSCA, UCDC, UMSP), 116 females of D. zelaya (CASC, CNCI, CSCA, FSCA, UMSP) and over 1050 specimens of D. vestita (AMNH, CASC, CNCI, CSCA, EMEC, EMUS, FMNH, FSCA, NVDA, OSUC, PMNH, UCDC, UCRC, UMMZ, UMSP).

Name

Synonyms: Dasymutilla cotulla Mickel 1928; Dasymutilla homole Mickel 1928; Dasymutilla vandala Mickel 1928; Dasymutilla zelaya (Blake 1871); Ephuta californica var. euchroa Cockerell 1897; Mutilla aspasioides Dalla Torre 1897; Mutilla fulvohirta Cresson 1865; Mutilla montezumae Montezumae; Mutilla vestita Lepeletier 1845; Sphaerophthalma aspasia Cameron 1895; Sphaerophthalma townsendi Cockerell 1894
Homonyms: Dasymutilla vestita (Lepeletier 1845)