Odontophotopsis parva Schuster

Pitts, James P., Wilson, Joseph S., Williams, Kevin A. & Boehme, Nicole F., 2009, Velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) of the Algodones sand dunes of California, USA, Zootaxa 2131, pp. 1-53 : 28-29

Odontophotopsis parva Schuster

Odontophotopsis parva Schuster, 1958 . Ent. Amer. 37: 55. Male. Holotype data: Arlington, Arizona, 17 Jun 1919 (UMSP).

Diagnosis of male. This species possesses the following combination of characters: the mandible is excised ventrally forming an angle, but does not taper towards the apex, the mesosternum has only one pair of large distinct spines that have a posterior face that is longitudinally sulcate, the metasternum is bidentate, and the pygidium is granulate and is defined laterally by carinae. The genitalia are illustrated in Figs. 16 and 17 .

Diagnosis of female. The female of this species can be recognized by the ventral margin of the mandible having a distinct angulation ( Fig. 35 ), flagellomere 1 being only slightly longer than flagellomere 2, the lateral margins of the posterior half of the mesosoma being parallel in dorsal view, the first segment of the metasoma being sessile with the second, the second metasomal segment being of normal length, ~ 1X as long as anterior width or just slightly greater, the pygidium being longitudinally striate, and by the dense appressed setae present on the dorsum that obscure the integumental sculpture and are distinctly plumose at the base of the setal shaft becoming simple apically.

Description of female: Coloration and Setal Pattern. Body reddish-brown to brown ( Figs. 82–84 ); posterior margin of T2 and metasomal segments 3–6 slightly darker. Mandible apices black. Flagellum and legs stramineous. Setae dense in general, but only slightly concealing sculpture. Head, mesosoma, and T2 covered with dense depressed plumose setae that are white on head and mesosoma and orangish on T2. Plumose condition of setae stronger at base, becoming brachyplumose towards tip. Sparse erect white brachyplumose setae present on body, densest on vertical face of propodeum. T2–5 and S2–5 with fringe of white plumose setae. Legs with white brachyplumose setae.

Head. Head rounded posteriorly ( Fig. 82 ), not as wide as mesosoma, moderately punctate, in lateral view rounded dorsally. Eye slightly ovate, distance from posterior mandibular articulation ~2.5X visible length of pedicel. Genal region below eyes parallel in lateral view. Clypeus protruding anteriorly, posteromedially produced into low triangular tubercle. Antennal scrobe without dorsal carina. Antennal tubercle carinate outlining shield-like region. Flagellomere I ~1.5X length of pedicel. Flagellomeres II–III ~0.75–1.2X length of pedicel. Mandible bidentate with weak internal tooth ( Fig. 35 ). Dorsal mandibular carina without tooth-like projection at anterior termination of carina. Ventral mandibular margin with weak basal angulation. Genal carina absent. Hypostomal region produced medially into lamella.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma wider anteriorly than posteriorly, longer than broad ( Fig. 84 ), sides parallel posterior to mesopleural angulation. Mesosoma densely confluently punctate on dorsum. Propleuron anteriorly, mesopleuron medially running vertically, and lateral margin of propodeum with extreme ventral region punctate. Humeral angle dentate. Scutellar scale absent. Mesosternum with low transverse tubercle present medially just anterior to mesocoxa. Metasternum tridentate. Propodeum with distinct dorsal and vertical faces.

Metasoma. Segment 1 distinctly sessile with segment 2 ( Fig. 83 ). T1 with small sparse punctures. T2 with dense moderate punctures anteriorly, less so posteriorly. T2 with felt line, ~0.25X length of tergite. T3–5 with dense fringes. T3–5 shagreened. T6 with distinct pygidial area defined laterally by carinae, surface longitudinally striate, apical margin produced medially. S2 with slight anteromedian tumid region. S2–5 with punctation similar to tergites.

Length. ~ 6–9.5 mm.

Material examined. California, Imperial Co. : Algodones Dunes: Cahuilla Ranger Station. 2 males, 11–15.Sep.2007, R. Kimsey, L. Kimsey, and T.J. Zavortink ( UCDC); Algodones Dunes, Niland-Glamis Rd., 7.4 km NW Glamis, 5 males, 3–30.May.2008, S. Heydon and K. Lorenzen ( UCDC), 3 males, 1–2.Jun.2008, Museum Survey Team ( UCDC); Roadrunner Campgrd., 10.7 km SW Glamis, 4 males, 31.May–3.Jun.2008, Museum Survey Team ( UCDC); Wash Rd., 0.7 km W at railroad post 168, 10.4 km SE Hwy 78, 3 males, 18–22.Sep.2008, R.B. Kimsey and T.J. Zavortink ( UCDC); Wash Rd., 6.6 km SE Hwy. 78, 1 male, 7–10.Jun.2008; Wash Rd., 7 km SE Hwy. 78, 5 males, 9–10.Jun.2008, R.B. Kimsey and T.J. Zavortink ( UCDC); Wash Rd. 16.5 km SE Glamis, 3 males, 1–3.Jun.2008, Museum Survey Team ( UCDC). Glamis, 7.5 km N, 1 male, 11–15.Sep.2007, R. Kimsey, L. Kimsey, and T.J. Zavortink ( UCDC); Glamis, 8 km S, 1 male, 11–15.Sep.2007, R. Kimsey, L. Kimsey, and T.J. Zavortink ( UCDC); Glamis, 1 female, 26.May.1971, M.S. Wasbauer and M.E. Irwin ( CDFA); 1 female, 24.Apr.1972, M.S. Wasbauer ( CDFA); Glamis, 3 mi. NW, 6 females, 87 males, 15–16.Sep.1972, 1 male, 16.Oct.1972, M.S. Wasbauer and A. Hardy ( CDFA); Glamis, 3 mi. N, 22 females, 7–12.Apr.1973, M.S. and J.S. Wasbauer ( CDFA), 4 males, 10.Sep.1974, M.S. Wasbauer and R. McMaster ( CDFA); Glamis, 8 mi. W, 6 males, 21.Jun.2004, K.A. Williams ( KAWC); Glamis, 10.4 km NW, 1 female, 3–30.Mar.2008, S. Heydon and K. Lorenzen ( UCDC).

DNA voucher specimen data. Arizona, Pima Co. , 1 male, JP126; La Paz Co., 10 mi. E Blythe, 1 female, 27.May.2007, Wilson, Williams, and Pitts, JP807 ( EMUS)

Distribution. Southern California and southwestern Arizona.

Remarks. This sex association is based on morphological similarities, abundance, other unpublished sex associations in this species-group and molecular data, which was 0.4% or less for ITS1 (Table 1). This species is limited to the Algodones Sand Dunes and surrounding areas, and is particularly abundant on these dunes.

The females of this species are sometimes mistaken for O. inconspicua , but they differ in the shape of the mesosoma. The mesosoma of O. inconspicua is as wide as long in dorsal view ( Fig. 73 ), while that of O. parva is distinctly longer than wide ( Fig. 84 ).

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 22. Dorsal view of genitalia, except Figs. 15, 17, 19, and 21 lateral view of cuspis. 7. Odontophotopsis ambigua; 8. O. arcuata; 9. O. aufidia; 10. O. biramosa; 11. O. clypeata; 12. O. inconspicua; 13. O. melicausa; 14 and 15. O. obscura; 16 and 17. O. parva; 18 and 19. O. quadrispinosa; 20 and 21 O. sonora; and 22. O. villosa.

FIGURES 31 – 46. Lateral view of mandible, 31 – 40 female and 41 – 46 male. 31. O. arcuata; 32. O. inconspicua; 33. O. melicausa; 34. O. obscura; 35. O. parva; 36. O. villosa; 37. Sphaeropthalma blakeii; 38. S. difficilis; 39. S. militaris; 40. S. triangularis; 41. O. ambigua; 42. O. arcuata; 43. O. aufidia; 44. O. melicausa; 45. O. becki; and 46. O. django.

FIGURES 71 – 84. Odontophotopsis inconspicua, female: 71. head, anterior view; 72. lateral view; and 73. dorsal view of mesosoma, anterior left. Sphaeropthalma militaris, female: 74. head, anterior view; 75. head, lateral view; 76. lateral view; and 77. dorsal view of mesosoma, anterior left. O. obscura, female: 78. head, anterior view; 79. lateral view; 80. dorsal view of mesosoma, anterior top; and 81. pygidium. O. parva, female: 82. head, anterior view; 83. lateral view; and 84. dorsal view of mesosoma, anterior top.