Sphaeropthalma marpesia ( Blake, 1879 )

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 : 31

Sphaeropthalma marpesia ( Blake, 1879)

Mutilla Marpesia Blake, 1879: 247 ,

♀. Lectotype (designated here): Kansas ( ANSP).

Sphaerophthalma [sic!] luteola Blake, 1886: 235 ,

♀. Lectotype (designated here): Utah ( ANSP).

Sphaeropthalma (Photopsis) imperialiformis Viereck, 1906: 189 , 3. Holotype: Kansas, Morton Co. (SEMC).

Sphaeropthalma (Photopsis) imperialiformis imperialiformis: Schuster, 1958: 34 , 3.

Sphaeropthalma (Photopsis) imperialiformis maricopae Schuster, 1958: 34 ,

3. Holotype: Arizona, Phoenix ( UMSP).

Diagnosis. MALE. The male of S. marpesia can be separated from all other nocturnal species by its lack of mesosternal processes and by its coloration; the integument is black throughout except metasomal segment 3–6 are orangish and by the setal coloration of the vertex, pronotum, mesonotum and metasomal segment 2 that varies from silver to orange. The mandible is moderately dilated, distally little or scarcely wider than at tooth, the ventral basal tooth of the mandible is small, and the apex is vertical (see Pitts, 2006: Fig. 6 ) Also, the head is quadrate posteriorly being long and parallel behind the eyes (see Pitts 2006: Fig. 2 ), the clypeus is deeply depressed below the dorsal mandibular margin, the sternal felt line is present, and by characteristic genitalic morphology (see Pitts 2006: Figs 14–16). FEMALE. The female of this species is easily recognized by its unique color pattern (see Pitts 2006: Fig. 25). Other useful characters include the petiolate metasomal segment 1, the small ventral angulation located basally on the mandible, the granulate pygidium, and the presence of plumose setae especially on the fringes of the metasomal tergites.

Material examined. Type material. Lectotypes: M. marpesia : Kansas, Type no. 4542 ( ANSP) ; S. luteola : Utah, Type no. 4543 ( ANSP) . Holotypes: S. imperialiformis : Kansas, Morton Co., 3200’, June 1902, F.H. Snow ( SEMC) ; S. imperialiformis maricopae : Arizona, Phoenix, 25 September 1935, R.H. Crandall ( UMSP) . Other material. Nevada, Nye Co., AMNWR: Non-dune site 1: 3 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, 7 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, NFB ; Non-dune site 2: 3 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, NFB ; Non-dune site 3: 1 ♀, PT 12–14.V.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, NFB ; Non-dune site 4: 2 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, 4 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 1: 1 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, 4 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 2: 1 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, 5 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, NFB, 3 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 7 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 17–19.VIII.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 3: 2 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, 4 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 4–6.VIII.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 4: 3 ♂, LT, 9.VI.2008, NFB & DAT, 1 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, 3 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, NFB, 8 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 8 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, NFB, 1 ♂, LT, 4–6.IX.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 5: 4 ♂, LT, 24.VI.2008, NFB, DAT & JPP, 1 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 17–19.VIII.2009, NFB ; Copeland site: 1 ♂, LT, 30.V.2008, NFB & DAT ; Mesquite site 1: 1 ♂, PT, 24.VI.2008, NFB, DAT & JPP, 1 ♀, PT, 2–3.IX.2008, NFB ; Mesquite site 3: 1 ♀, 1 ♂, PT, 2–3.IX.2008, NFB .

Distribution. USA (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington), Mexico.

Activity. Males were active from mid-spring through late summer (May through early September). Two females were collected in early autumn (September 2008) and one was collected in early spring (May 2009).

Remarks. Sphaeropthalma marpesia were distributed uniformly over sand dune and non-dune habitats (U=20, p=0.2). Three female and ninety-two male S. marpesia were collected throughout the course of this study. The females were collected in May and September via pitfall trapping, and males were collected from May through early September via light and pitfall trapping. Sphaeropthalma marpesia was not found at the NTS. Pitts (2006) associated the females of this species and discussed the taxonomy.

The lectotypes of M. marpesia and S. luteola were selected based on having extruded genitalia and the quality of the specimens. The label data for M. marpeisa are as follows [Kan. Snow] [Type no. 4542] [ M. marpesia Blake ] and the label data for S. luteola are [Utah] [Type no. 4543] [ luteola Blake ].

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 11. Male genitalia. 2. Odontophotopsis acmaea: dorsal view (left) and internal view (right); 3. O. armata: dorsal view and lateral view of cuspis (inset); 4. O. bellona: dorsal view; 5. O. mamata: dorsal view and lateral view of cuspis (inset); 6. O. microdonta: dorsal view (right) and ventral view (left); 7. O. piute: dorsal view; 8. O. serca: dorsal view and lateral view of cuspis (inset); 9. Sphaeropthalma nana: internal view; 10. S. orestes: dorsal view (left) and ventral view (right); and 11. S. parkeri: dorsal view (left) and ventral view (right).