Sphaeropthalma mendica ( Blake, 1871 )

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 : 33

Sphaeropthalma mendica ( Blake, 1871)

Agama mendica Blake, 1871: 259 ,

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

Mutilla aspasia Blake, 1879: 250 ,

♀. Holotype: Nevada ( ANSP).

Photopsis nebulosus Blake, 1886: 275 ,

3. Holotype: Nevada ( ANSP).

Diagnosis. MALE. The male of this species can be recognized by having mandibles that are weakly excised ventrally with a indistinct basal tooth and an apex that is tridentate and oblique (see Pitts et al. 2010a: Fig. 55), the posterior margin of the head is quadrate, the mesosternum lacks processes, the second metasomal sternite has a distinct felt line, and the pygidium is granulate. The genitalia of this species are quite similar to those of S. angulifera . Genitalia are illustrated by Pitts et al. (2010a: Fig. 60). FEMALE. The female of this species can be diagnosed by the following combination of characters: the dorsum of the body is covered with dense erect red to pale orange brachyplumose setae that obscure the integument; the ventral margin of the mandible has a slight excision, but lacks a ventral tooth and a dorsal tooth at termination of dorsal carina; the head below the eyes widens towards the mandibular insertions; the first metasoma segment is sessile with the second segment; and the pygidium is longitudinally striate and granulate between the striae; the eyes are larger than the distance from the posterior margin of the eye to the vertex of the head (the eye is from 1.2 to 1.4 times as big as the length from the margin of the eye to the vertex of the head); and the apical margins of the tergites have dense fringes of white plumose setae.

Material examined. Type material. Lectotype of A. mendica : Nevada, type no. 4551 ( ANSP) . Holotypes: M. aspasia : Nevada, type no. 4574 ( ANSP) ; Ph. nebulosus: Nevada, type no. 4549 ( ANSP) . Other material. Nevada, Nye Co., AMNWR: Non-dune site 1: 4 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, NFB ; Non-dune site 2: 3 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 17–19.VIII.2009, 5 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 16–18.X.2009, NFB ; Non-dune site 3: 1 ♀, PT, 16. IV.2009, 1 ♀, PT, 1 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, 16 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 4 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 29 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 16–17.X.2009, NFB, 1 ♂, LT, 29–31.X.2009, NFB & SDB ; Non-dune site 4: 1 ♀, PT, 23. VII.2008, 1 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 8 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, 8 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 3 ♂, LT, 17–19.VIII.2009, 20 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 1: 1 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 4: 1 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 5: 1 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, NFB ; Non-dune site 5: 2 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 4 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, NFB ; Mesquite site 1: 1 ♀, PT, 8.VII.2008, NFB & DAT.

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

Activity. Males were active from mid-spring through mid-autumn (May through October). Two females were collected, one in July 2009 and one in April 2009.

Remarks. Sphaeropthalma mendica were collected significantly more often in non-sand dune habitats than in sand dune habitats (U=24, p=0.02). Three female and 122 male S. mendica were collected throughout the course of this study. The females were collected in April and July via pitfall trapping, and males were collected from May through October via light trapping. One hundred fifty-seven females and 58 males of S. mendica were found at the NTS ( Ferguson 1967; Allred 1973). The female specimens were collected from April through November via pitfall trapping and the males were collected from July through August via pitfall, light trapping and net collecting.

There is a wide array of integumental coloration in this species ( Wilson & Pitts 2010). Specimens range from nearly black integument to a more reddish-brown color characteristic of most nocturnal velvet ants. Female integumental coloration has a range similar to the males. At AMNWR, only the reddish-brown color form was collected.

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. 4551] [ mendica ].