Dasymutillini Brothers & Lelej 2017

Key to American genera of Dasymutillini The genera Lomachaeta, Neomutilla, and Protophotopsis were excluded from Dasymutillini (Waldren et al. 2023) and are not keyed here. The key is written in a way that both sexes of velvet ants from the Americas can be checked for exclusion from Dasymutillini or recognized as one of the 13 genera of Dasymutillini. Females 1. Eye subcircular; mandible unarmed ventrally; head unarmed ventrally; mesosoma widest at pronotum or mesonotum, in dorsal view; tergal fringes composed of simple or brachyplumose setae............................................... 2 - With one or more of the following characters: eye longitudinally ovate; mandible with ventral tooth basally; gena and/or hypostoma armed with distinct ventral tooth; propodeum and pronotum both wider than mesonotum, in dorsal view; tergal fringes composed of distinctly plumose setae........................................ other tribes (not treated here) 2 (1). T6 convex without defined pygidial plate.................................................................. 3 - T6 with flat pygidial plate, usually with differentiated sculpture and defined by lateral carinae........................ 5 3 (2). T1 shape narrowly petiolate, constricted with base of T2, T1 generally widest mesally............................... 4 - T1 shape generally sessile, subsessile, or disciform, width variable, T1 generally widest at posterior margin......................................................................................... other tribes (not treated here) 4 (3). Genal carina and scutellar scale absent; mesosoma convex dorsally; T6 without longitudinal carinae; epaulet scarcely raised (Panama).............................................. Dasyphuta gen. nov. —one species: D. gorgupea sp. nov. - Genal carina and scutellar scale present; mesosoma flattened dorsally; T6 with two wavy longitudinal carinae mesally; epaulet usually raised onto smooth tubercle (Panama).............................................................................................. Frigitilla Williams in Bartholomay et al. 2015 —two species, see Cambra et al. (2016) 5 (2). Pygidium with lateral carinae, with acute erect tooth at posterolateral angle (mesosomal pleura uniformly covered with dense setae; tibial spurs black)................................................................................ 6 - Pygidium with lateral carinae but without erect tooth at posterolateral angle...................................... 7 6 (5). Second labial palpomere mesally expanded, at least twice as wide as long; metasternal process short and truncated, with medial notch of variable depth; mesosomal dorsum with one or two narrow longitudinal stripes of dense whitish setae extending from anterior margin of pronotum to posterior margin of propodeum.............................. Suareztilla Casal, 1968 - Second labial palpomere not expanded, at least as long as wide; metasternal process extended mesally into triangular plate between metathoracic coxae; mesosomal dorsum without narrow longitudinal stripes of whitish setae................................................................................................ Reedomutilla Mickel, 1964 7 (5). Mesosoma broadly violin-shaped, propodeal sides divergent behind propodeal spiracle in dorsal view.................. 8 - Mesosoma pear-shaped, propodeal sides convergent behind propodeal spiracle in dorsal view........................ 9 8 (7). Body uniformly pale yellow-brown; mesosoma with small scutellar scale; T2 disc with basomesal triangular patch of flattened striate setae (Argentina)................ Gogoltilla Williams et al. 2011 —One species, G. chichikovi Williams et al. 2011 - With one or more of the following characters: body color partly or entirely blackish; mesosoma without scutellar scale; T2 disc without patch of striated setae.................................................... other tribes (not treated here) 9 (7). Dorsal and posterior surfaces of vertex separated by sharp arcuate transverse carina (Brazil)............................................................................ Goncharovtilla gen. nov. —one species, G. oblomovi sp. nov. - Posterior margin of vertex rounded or with separated posterolateral tubercles..................................... 10 10 (9). Scutellar scale bilobate; mesonotum armed with four or five dorsolateral tubercles; hypopygium apex with four spines (Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay).................... Leucospilomutilla Ashmead, 1903 —three species, see Williams et al. (2020) - Scutellar scale absent or unilobate; mesonotum usually unarmed laterally, rarely with one spine; hypopygium apex lacking spines............................................................................................. 11 11 (10). Head broad and quadrate, vertex width greater than mesosomal width (T2 with large yellow or red integumental spots, paired, with marked edges; widespread in South America).... Cephalomutilla André, 1908 —four species, see Williams et al. (2022) - Head not so broad, usually rounded posteriorly, vertex width usually less than mesosomal width..................... 12 12 (11). Specimens from North and Central America or Caribbean Islands (excluding Trinidad)............................ 13 - Specimens from South America (including Trinidad)........................................................ 14 13 (12). Body entirely black, except T2 with two or four yellow cuticular spots, these spots mostly bare, with sparse punctures; tibial spurs whitish (rarely encountered, only in Central America and Hispaniola)........................................................................... Traumatomutilla André, 1901, in part— three species, see Williams et al. (2017) - With one or more of the following characters: mesosoma reddish-brown; T2 disc without yellow cuticular spots or with spots having similar sculpture to surrounding T2 disc sculpture; tibial spurs black (widespread and common, in North and Central America and Caribbean Islands)................................ Dasymutilla Ashmead, 1899, in part— over 100 species, see Manley & Pitts (2007), Cambra et al. (2018), and Manley et al. (2020) 14 (12). T2 disc cuticle uniformly blackish, lighter markings formed by setae only (genal carina absent)..................... 15 - T2 disc blackish and marked with yellow or reddish cuticular patches, or T2 disc cuticle lighter reddish or yellowish brown. .................................................................................................. 17 15 (14). Setal markings on T2 composed of golden circular spots (Brazilian Atlantic Forest) or T2 mostly covered with dense yellow to orange setae (countries West of Andes)................................................................. 16 - Setal markings on T2 composed of small whitish setal stripes or spots (Colombia or Brazilian Caatinga and Cerrado).... 18 16 (15). Vertex smooth, without tubercles or projections of any kind; mesonotum and T2 disc with large patches of dense yellow to orange setae (Chile, Ecuador, and Peru)........................................................................................ Quwitilla Williams et al. in Bartholomay et al. 2019—three species, see Bartholomay et al. (2019b) - Vertex with large smooth tubercle posterolaterally; mesonotum with contrasting golden and black setae, T2 disc marked with large golden-orange spots composed of thickened bristle-like setae (Brazil)...................................................... Atlantilla Williams & Bartholomay in Williams et al. 2020 —one species, A. auriculata (Gerstaecker, 1874) 17 (14). Mesosoma pale reddish-brown; scutellar scale distinct and broad; vertex simple without tubercles or projections of any kind; genal carina present; lateral propodeal surface smooth and defined by irregular carina dorsally and posteriorly; body small, length 5 mm or less (widespread in South America)........ Tobantilla Casal, 1969 —nine species, see Williams et al. (2011) - With one or more of the following characters: mesosoma black; scutellar scale indistinct or absent; vertex armed with posterolateral tubercle; genal carina absent; lateral propodeal surface distinctly sculptured and not defined by carina dorsally and posteriorly; body length more than 5 mm ............................................................... 8 18 (15, 17). T2 disc with spots composed of setae only or with cuticular spots having similar sculpture to surrounding T2 disc sculpture (rarely encountered, in Colombia only, mesosoma sometimes reddish orange).................................................. Dasymutilla Ashmead, 1899, in part —four species, see Cambra et al. (2018), and Bartholomay et al. (2019b) - T2 disc with smooth yellow or reddish cuticular spots with sparse setae (common and widespread throughout South America; in Colombia with mesosoma blackish)....... Traumatomutilla André, 1901 —over 100 species, see Williams et al. (2017) Males 1. Axilla armed with posteriorly directed tooth or lobe; eye subcircular; head unarmed ventrally; T1 shape narrowly petiolate and usually constricted with base of T2; tergal fringes composed of simple or brachyplumose setae ........................ 2 - With one or more of the following characters: axilla unarmed; eye longitudinally ovate and notched; gena and/or hypostoma armed with distinct ventral tooth; T1 broadly sessile, subsessile, or disciform; tergal fringes composed of distinctly plumose setae........................................................................ other tribes (not treated here) 2 (1). Mandible with ventral tooth or lobe basally................................................................ 3 - Mandible unarmed ventrally............................................................................ 4 3 (2). Mandible with bilobate lamella dorsally; paramere posteriorly upcurved with apex pointing antero-dorsally (Argentina).....................