Sphaeropthalma arota

Boehme, Nicole F., Tanner, David A., Williams, Kevin A. & Pitts, James P., 2012, Faunal study of velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) and their activity patterns and habitat preference at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nye County, Nevada, USA, Zootaxa 3587, pp. 1-45 : 26-27

Sphaeropthalma arota species-complex ( Cresson, 1875)

Mutilla Arota Cresson, 1875: 120 ,

♀. Holotype: California, San Diego ( UMSP).

Mutilla helicaon Fox, 1899: 254 ,

3. Holotype: Nevada ( UMSP).

Photopsis lingulatus Viereck, 1903: 737 ,

3. Holotype: California, San Diego County, La Jolla ( UMSP).

Sphaeropthalma (Photopsis) carinata Schuster, 1958:

3. Holotype: Baja California, Purissima ( NMNH).

Sphaeropthalma (Photopsis) helicaon coahuilae Schuster, 1958: 34 ,

3. Holotype: lost.

Sphaeropthalma (Photopsis) helicaon diegueno Schuster, 1958: 35 ,

3. Holotype: Arizona, S. Carlos ( CUIC).

Diagnosis. MALE. This species is easily recognized by the weak excision and slight angulate tooth on the ventral margin of the mandible (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 102), the apex of the mandible is oblique, the clypeus being carinate at base, but sometimes delicately so or gibbous, the lack of mesosternal processes or a sternal felt line, and the ventral margin of the paramere having dense setae that are directed inward toward the cuspis (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 100). FEMALE. The female of this species can be diagnosed by the following combination characters: the mandible has only a weak angulate basal tooth on the ventral margin and lacks a dorsal tooth at the termination of the dorsal carina (Fig. 40 and Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 40), the mesosoma and second tergite of the metasoma is covered in brachyplumose orange setae surrounded by white setae along the margins (see Pitts et al. 2009: Figs 97, 98), the dorsum lacks dense appressed setae obscuring the integumental sculpture, the metasoma is petiolate, and the pygidium is granulate.

Material examined. Type material. Holotypes: M. arota : California, San Diego, G.R. Crotch, Type no. 1873 ( UMSP) ; M. helicaon : Nevada, Type no. 4642 ( UMSP) ; Ph. lingulatus: California, San Diego County, La Jolla ( UMSP) ; S. carinata : Baja California, Purissima ( NMNH) ; S. helicaon diegueno : Arizona, S. Carlos, 12-13 May 1918, J. Ch. Bradley ( CUIC) . Other material. Nevada, Nye Co., AMNWR: Non-dune site 1: 2 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, 3 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 16–18.X.2009, NFB ; Non-dune site 2: 2 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, NFB, 1 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 1 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, 3 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 16–18.X.2009, NFB ; Non-dune site 3: 2 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 3 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 4–6.IX.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, NFB ; Non-dune site 4: 1 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, 6 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, NFB, 4 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 2 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 6 ♂, LT, 4–6.IX.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, 3 ♂, LT, 16–17.X.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 1: 5 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, 4 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, NFB, 1 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 3 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 4 ♂, LT, 4–6.IX.2009, 5 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 16–18.X.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 2: 1 ♂, LT, 29.V.2008, NFB & DAT, 1 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 3: 1 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 4: 5 ♂, LT, 9.VI.2008, NFB & DAT, 1 ♂, PT, 25.VI.2008, NFB, DAT & JPP, 1 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, NFB, 15 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 11 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, 7 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 4–6.IX.2009, 7 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 16–18.X.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 5: 1 ♂, LT, 24.VI.2008, NFB, DAT & JPP, 1 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, NFB ; Non-dune site 5: 2 ♂, LT, 13. VI.2008, 1 ♂, LT, 23.VII.2008, NFB & DAT, 9 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, 3 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, NFB, 7 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 1 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 17–19.VIII.2009, 12 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 2–4.X.2009, 8 ♂, LT, 16–18.X.2009, NFB ; Copeland site: 4 ♂, LT, 5.V.2008, DAT, 4 ♂, LT, 14. V.2008, 8 ♂, LT, 30. V.2008, 5 ♂, LT, 13.VI.2008, NFB & DAT ; Wash site: 13 ♂, LT, 30.V.2008, NFB & DAT.

Distribution. USA (Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas), Mexico (Baja California).

Activity. Males were active from mid-spring though mid-autumn (May through mid-October). No females were collected.

Remarks. Sphaeropthalma arota were distributed uniformly over sand dune and non-dune habitats (U=16, p>0.2). Two hundred twelve S. arota males were collected from May through October in light and pitfall traps. Only one S. arota male was found at the NTS in June via light trapping ( Ferguson 1967).

Wilson et al. (2010) performed a phylogenetic analysis of this species. The study concluded that S. arota is composed of four genetically distinct species that cannot be distinguished morphologically based on current methods and suggested that the members of this group be identified as the S. arota species-complex. It is likely from this study that only one of the species occurs at AMNWR. Wilson et al. (2010) also used this species for a biogeographical study. They found that major diversification events in this species complex were linked to late Neogene mountain building and aridification events, specifically the uplift of the mountain ranges in southern California and the expansion of the Bouse Sea.