Odontophotopsis biramosa Schuster, 1952

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 : 17

Odontophotopsis biramosa Schuster, 1952

Odontophotopsis (Odontophotopsis) biramosa Schuster, 1952: 43 ,

3. Holotype: California, Imperial County, Holtville (NMNH); 1958: 56, 3.

Diagnosis. MALE. This species is diagnosed by having a tridentate mandible with an extremely large dorsal tooth that is separated from the lower portion of the mandibular apex by a deep, wide sinus, which makes the mandibular apices appear biramose (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 29), and by the clypeus, which has a horseshoe-shaped tubercle posteromedially that overhangs the clypeus as a slight hood-like or nasutiform process. Also, this species has a single mesosternal process on each side of the midline, and has the cuspis being approximately half the free length of the paramere (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 10 ). FEMALE. Unknown.

Material examined. Type material. Holotype of O. biramosa : California, Imperial County, Holtville , 2 Jul 1929, P.W. Owens ( NMNH) . Other material. Nevada, Nye Co., AMNWR: Non-dune site 2: 1 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009 , 1 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, NFB ; Non-dune site 4: 1 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, NFB.

Distribution. USA (Arizona, California and Nevada).

Activity. Males were active in late summer and mid-autumn (late July and late September).

Remarks. Odontophotopsis biramosa were too rarely encountered to determine their habitat preference. Three O. biramosa males were collected in July and September via light trapping. Odontophotopsis biramosa was not found at the NTS. A more thorough taxonomic discussion of this species can be found in Pitts (2007). This species is currently placed in the O. setifera species-group, but Pitts et al. (2010b) found them to not be closely related.

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).