Sphaeropthalma blakeii ( Fox, 1893 )

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 : 27-28

Sphaeropthalma blakeii ( Fox, 1893)

Photopsis Blakeii Fox, 1893: 6 ,

3. Lectotype (designated by Ferguson 1967): Baja California, San Jose del Cabo ( ANSP).

Mutilla Gautschii Dalla Torre, 1897: 43 . Unnecessary replacement name for Photopsis blakeii Fox, 1893 , nec Mutilla blakei Cameron, 1894 .

Mutilla ceyx Fox, 1899: 262 ,

3. Lectotype (designated by Ferguson 1967): Calmili Mines ( ANSP).

Diagnosis. MALE. This species is easily recognized by the posterior margin of the head being quadrate, by the weakly excised mandible that is dilated apically (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 37), by the large stigma that is slightly longer than the marginal cell, by the denticles on the internal margin of the hind coxa, by the lack of mesosternal processes, by the quadrate pygidium, and by the lobate dorsoventrally flattened condition of the cuspis, which has long setae along the internal margin that coalesce apically (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 23). FEMALE.The female of this species can be diagnosed by the following combination characters: the dorsum of the body is covered with sparse erect brachyplumose setae, but the integument is not obscured, the ventral margin of the mandible lacks an excision and lacks a dorsal tooth at the termination of the dorsal carina, the head below eyes is parallel, the head evenly rounded in lateral view, the first metasoma segment is sessile with the second segment and the pygidium is granulate.

Material examined. Type material. Lectotype of Ph. blakeii : Baja California, San Jose del Cabo ( ANSP) . Other material. Nevada, Nye Co., AMNWR: Non-dune site 1: 1 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, 6 ♂, LT, 16–18.X.2009, NFB ; Non-dune site 2: 2 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, 3 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, NFB, 1 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 3 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, 3 ♂, LT, 16–18.X.2009, NFB ; Non-dune site 3: 7 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, 7 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, NFB, 1 ♂, PT, 10.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 1 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 4–6.IX.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 2–4.X.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 16–17.X.2009, NFB ; Non-dune site 4: 1 ♀, PT, 7–8.VII.2008, NFB & DAT, 2 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, 13 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, NFB, 1 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 2 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 1: 1 ♀, PT, 15 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, 14 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, NFB, 1 ♀, PT, 1 ♂, LT, 1 ♂, PT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 1 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 16–18.X.2009, NFB, 1 ♂, LT, 29–31.X.2009, NFB & SDB ; Sand dune site 2: 1 ♂, LT, 15. V.2008, 6 ♂, LT, 29–30.V.2008, NFB & DAT, 2 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 3: 2 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 4: 2 ♂, LT, 9.VI.2008, NFB & DAT, 4 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, NFB, 3 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 1 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 5: 1 ♂, LT, 18.IV.2008, NFB & DAT, 3 ♂, LT, 24–26.VI.2008, NFB, DAT & JPP, 1 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, NFB ; Non-dune site 5: 3 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 7 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, 4 ♂, LT, 16–18.X.2009, NFB ; Copeland site: 6 ♂, LT, 5.V.2008, DAT, 19 ♂, LT, 14–15.V.2008, 4 ♂, LT, 30. V.2008, 1 ♂, LT, 13.VI.2008, NFB & DAT, 1 ♂, PT, 24.VI.2008, NFB, DAT & JPP ; Wash site: 15 ♂, LT, 30.V.2008, NFB & DAT.

Distribution. USA (Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah), Mexico.

Activity. Males were active from early spring through mid-autumn (mid-April through late June through October). Females were collected from mid to late summer in 2008 and mid-spring to early summer in 2009 (July through August 2008, May through early June 2009).

Remarks. Sphaeropthalma blakeii were distributed uniformly over sand dune and non-dune habitats (U=19, p>0.2). Five female and 189 male S. blakeii were collected throughout the course of this study. The females were collected from May through early August in pitfall traps, and the males were collected from mid-April through October via light and pitfall trapping. Five S. blakeii males were found at the NTS in June and October via light and pitfall trapping ( Ferguson 1967, Allred 1973). Pitts et al. (2009) recently associated the sexes of this species and discussed the taxonomy.