Sphaeropthalma amphion ( Fox, 1899 )

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 : 24-25

Sphaeropthalma amphion ( Fox, 1899)

Mutilla amphion Fox, 1899: 263 ,

3. Lectotype (designated here): Nevada ( ANSP).

Photopsis abstrusa Baker, 1905: 113 ,

3. Holotype: California ( CUIC).

Photopsis nudata Baker, 1905: 114 ,

3. Holotype: Clairmont, California ( CUIC).

Diagnosis. MALE. The male of this species can be recognized by having the mandible with a somewhat tapered apex and with the dorsal carina becoming obsolete distally such that the distal portion of mandible is oblique (see Pitts et al. 2010a: Fig. 15). Also, the marginal cell length is short being 0.5–0.9 × length of stigma, and this species lacks a sternal felt line. In addition to the mandibular morphology, the genitalia are diagnostic. The cuspis is elongate (0.7–0.8 × free length of paramere) and is dilated towards its apex and has the ventral portion, especially at the apex and inner margin, clothed with long dense setae that have their apices plumose. Genitalia are illustrated by Pitts et al. (2010a: Fig. 52). FEMALE. The female of this species can be recognized by the following characters: the dorsum lacks dense appressed setae obscuring the integumental sculpture, the first segment of the metasoma is sessile with the second segment, the antennal scrobes have dorsal carinae, the mandible has a slightly developed ventral basal tooth and lacks a dorsal tooth at the termination of the dorsal carina, flagellomere 1 is almost 2 × as long as the pedicel, the legs are concolorous with mesosoma, or at most slightly darker or lighter than mesosoma, the propodeum length in lateral view is subequal to 0.5 × maximum height, the metasomal segments have sparse to dense plumose pubescence apically, the apical metasomal segments are concolorous with the basal segments, T2 is coarsely confluently punctate laterally and on basal ~0.66, apical ~0.33 with sparse indiscernible punctures, the pygidium undefined laterally by carinae, and plumose setae are present on the metasomal fringes.

Material examined. Type material. Lectotype of M. amphion : Nevada, Type no. 4654 ( ANSP) . Holotypes: Ph. abstrusa: California ( CUIC) ; Ph. nudata: Clairmont, California ( CUIC) . Other material. Nevada, Nye Co., AMNWR: Non-dune site 3: 1 ♂, LT, 29–31.X.2009, NFB & SDB .

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

Activity. One male was collected in late October 2009. No females were collected.

Remarks. Sphaeropthalma amphion were too rarely encountered to determine their habitat preference. Only one S. amphion male was collected in late October at a light trap. Ten S. amphion males were found at the NTS in August at light traps and a mammal trap ( Ferguson 1967). This species is widespread throughout much of the western United States ( Pitts et al. 2004). Host data and taxonomy for this species is presented in Pitts et al. (2004). For this study we have designated a lectotype from the available syntypes. We selected the lectotype from the only specimen available. The label data are as follows [Nev.] [Type no. 4654] [ M. amphion Fox ]. The metasoma is broken off, but is still with pinned portion of the specimen.