Odontophotopsis bellona Mickel

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 : 23

Odontophotopsis bellona Mickel

Odontophotopsis (Odontophotopsis) bellona Mickel, 1983 . Ann. Amer. Ent. Soc. 76: 541. Holotype data: Cortaro, Pima Co. , Arizona, 2100 ft, 5 Jun 1969, J. Burger (UMSP).

Diagnosis of male. This species is recognized by having the mandible tridentate with a large basal tooth on the ventral margin (Mickel and Clausen,1981: Fig. 17 ) and by the pygidium being defined laterally by carinae and having distinctly granulate sculpturing. Also, this species has a mesosternal process that is bifid apically ( Fig. 106 and Mickel and Clausen, 1981: Fig. 25 ). The genitalia are illustrated by Mickel and Clausen (1981) in their Fig. 4 .

Female. Unknown.

Material examined. California, Imperial Co., Algodones Dunes, Niland-Glamis Rd. , 7.4 km NW Hwy 78: 1 male, 24–28.Mar.2008, Bohart Museum Survey Team ( UCDC), 1 male, 1–2.Jul.2008, Museum Survey Team ( UCDC).

Distribution. Sonoran and Mojave Deserts.

Remarks. This species is rare so far on the dunes, but can be found in larger numbers elsewhere, such as in Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center near Palm Desert, California.

Mickel and Clausen (1983) discussed that this species could be confused with O. acmaea , a member of the O. parva species-group, due to the similarities in the shape of the mesosternal processes. These two species, however, can be separated based on mandibular morphology. Odontophotopsis bellona is the only species known, so far, that has a large ventral tooth with a large ventral excision coupled with a granulate pygidium. All other species ( O. parva and O. venusta species-groups) that have the pygidium sculptured only have weakly excised mandibles with weak ventral teeth. Mickel and Clausen (1983) did not place this species in a species-group, but it could be insinuated that this species was closely related to O. acmaea and belongs in the O. parva species-group due to the comparison their discussion. This is not the case. Although we refrain from placing this species in a species-group here, it is believed that this species is closely allied with species in the O. melicausa and O. serca species-groups rather than the O. parva species-group.

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 100 – 107. Sphaeropthalma arota, male: 100. genitalia, dorsal view right, ventral left; 101. head, dorsal view; and 102. mandible, lateral view. Photomorphus clandestina, male, 103. genitalia, dorsal view left, ventral right; 104. mandible, lateral view; and 105. mesosternal processes, oblique angle, posterior view. Odontophotopsis bellona, male, 106. mesosternal processes, anterior view; Photomorphus clandestina, male, 107. genitalia, dorsal view left, ventral right.

FIGURES 23 – 30. 23 – 26 Genitalia, dorsal view left, ventral right. 23. Sphaeropthalma blakeii; 24. S. ecarinata; 25. S. militaris; 26. S. triangularis; 27. Dorsal view of Odontophotopsis villosa, female; 28. Anterior view of head of O. villosa, female; 29. Anterior view of head of O. biramosa, male; and 28. Anterior view of head of O. sonora, male.

FIGURES 1 – 6. Lateral view of genitalia. 1. Acanthophotopsis falciformis; 2. Sphaeropthalma becki; 3. S. difficilis; 4. S.