Odontophotopsis arcuata 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 : 21-22

Odontophotopsis arcuata Mickel

Odontophotopsis (Odontophotopsis) arcuata Mickel, 1983 . Ann. Amer. Ent. Soc. 76: 541. Male. Holotype data: Palm Springs, California, 15 Sep–15 Oct 1932, T. Zschokke (UMSP).

Diagnosis of male. This species possesses the following combination of characters: the mandible is arcuately excised ventrally throughout its length ( Fig. 42 ), the mesosternum has a pair of distinct spines followed by several sets of denticles, the metasternum is bidentate, and the pygidium is defined laterally by carinae and is granulate. The genitalia are illustrated in Fig. 8 .

Diagnosis of female. The female of this species has the ventral margin of the mandible lacking a basal tooth or distinct angulation, flagellomere 1 being only slightly longer than flagellomere 2, the mesosoma being hexagonal 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 brown to stramineous ( Figs. 56–58 ). Mandible apices black. Flagellum light yellow. Head, dorsum of mesosoma, pleurae, and T2 with dense decumbent white plumose setae obscuring sculpture. Plumose condition of setae stronger at base, becoming brachyplumose towards tip. Dorsum also with erect white brachyplumose setae. T1 covered with both decumbent white plumose setae and erect white brachyplumose setae. T2–5 and S2–5 with dense fringes of white plumose setae. Legs with white brachyplumose setae.

Head. Head rounded posteriorly ( Fig. 56 ), not as wide as mesosoma, moderately punctate, without distinct dorsal and vertical areas in lateral view. Eye ovate ( Fig. 57 ), distance from posterior mandibular articulation ~2.5– 3 X visible length of pedicel. Clypeus protruding anteriorly, posteromedially produced into low triangular tubercle. Genal region below eyes parallel in lateral view. Antennal scrobe without dorsal carina. Antennal tubercle carinate and shagreened, appearing lamellate. Flagellomere I ~1.2X length of pedicel. Flagellomeres II–III ~1.0–1.2X length of pedicel. Mandible bidentate apically, but internal tooth weak (not illustrated in Fig. 31 due to illustration angle). Dorsal mandibular carina without tooth-like projection at anterior termination of carina ( Fig. 31 ). Ventral mandibular margin without basal tooth, although mandible widens significantly at basal fifth ( Fig. 31 ). Genal carina absent.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma hexagonal in outline, as wide as long ( Fig. 58 ). 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. Propodeum with distinct dorsal and lateral faces; glabrous laterally.

Metasoma. Segment 1 distinctly sessile with segment 2. Tergite 1 with small dense punctures. Tergite 2 with dense moderate punctures that are obscured by setae. Tergite 2 with felt line, 0.25X length of tergite. Fringes of T3–5 dense, projecting over and obscuring following tergite. Tergite 3–T5 shagreened. Tergite 6 with distinct pygidial area defined laterally by carinae that become stronger posteriorly ( Fig. 59 ); surface longitudinally striate; posterior margin rounded. Sternite 2 with slight anteromedian tumid region. Sternite 2–S5 with punctation similar to tergites.

Length. ~ 4–7 mm.

Material examined. California, Imperial Co. : Algodones Dunes: Cahuilla Ranger Sta. 10 km WSW Glamis, 2 males, 11–15.Sep.2007, R. Kimsey, L. Kimsey, and T.J. Zavortink ( UCDC), 12 males, 22.Sep–15.Nov.2008, E. Dreyfus ( UCDC); Roadrunner Campgrd., 10.7 km SW Glamis, 10 males, 31.May–3.Jun.2008, Museum Survey Team ( UCDC); Gecko Rd. 3.2 km S Cahuilla Ranger Sta., 1 male, 7.Jun.2008, R.B. Kimsey and T.J. Zavortink ( UCDC); Cahuilla Ranger Sta. 9.8 km WSW Glamis, 3 males, 20.Sep.2008, R.B. Kimsey and T.J. Zavortink ( UCDC); Wash Rd. 16.5 km SE Glamis, 1 male, 1–3.Jun.2008, Museum Survey Team ( UCDC). Glamis: 5 males, 20.Nov.1967, 1 female, 2.Apr.1971, A.J. Gilbert ( CDFA); 29 females, 26.May.1971, M.S. Wasbauer and M.E. Irwin ( CDFA); 2 females, 29.May.1971, M.S. Wasbauer; 10 females, 29.May.1971, 82 females, 1 male, 24.Apr.1972, M.S. Wasbauer ( CDFA); 2 females, A. Hardy and M. Irwin ( LACM); Glamis, 3 mi. N, 2 females, 2 males, 15–16.Sep.1972, M.S. Wasbauer and A. Hardy ( CDFA), 1 female, 7–12.Apr.1973, M.S. and J.S. Wasbauer ( CDFA), 13 males, 10.Sep.1974, M.S. Wasbauer and R. McMaster ( CDFA); Glamis, 2 mi. W, 1 female, 22.May.1975, D.G. Manley ( DGMC); Glamis, 3 mi. NW, 2 females, 16.Oct.1972, 2 females, 54 males, 15–16.Sep.1972, M.S. Wasbauer and A. Hardy ( CDFA); Glamis, 5 mi SW, 30 males, 23.Jul.2005, K.A. Williams ( EMUS); Glamis, 5 mi. SSE, 32°55’55”N, 115°0’31”W, 2 females, 10.Apr.1979 ( CDFA); Glamis, 7 mi. SE, 32°55’20”N, 114°59’14”W, 1 female, 19–24.Mar.1979, 6 females, 25.Mar.1979 – 8.Apr.1979; 3 females, 9–24.Apr.1979 ( CDFA); Glamis, 8 mi. W, 4 males, 21.Jun.2004, K.A. Williams ( KAWC); Holtville, 12.4 mi. ESE, 32°44’34”N, 115°11’53”W, 1 female, 13.Apr.1979 ( CDFA); Ogiby, 3.5 mi. W, 32°48’48”N, 114°53’51”, 3 females, 12.Apr.1979 ( CDFA); Seeley, 6 mi. W, 1 female, 24.Apr.1972, E.L. Paddock ( CDFA).

DNA voucher specimen data. California, Imperial Co. : Algodones Dunes: 5 mi SW Glamis, 1 male, 23.Jul.2005, K.A. Williams, JP272; 1 female, 25.Aug.2005, K.A. Williams, KW16 ( EMUS).

Distribution. Southern California.

Remarks. This species is limited to the Algodones Sand Dunes and surrounding areas, and is particularly abundant on these dunes. The sexes of the species were associated using molecular data. The intersexual distance of this species is low, 0% for ITS1 and 0.5% for ITS2 (Table 1).

Mickel and Clausen (1983) did not place this species into a species-group. This species should be considered a member of the O. parva species-group and is closely related to O. parva Schuster based on morphology.

Figures

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 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 56 – 70. Odontophotopsis arcuata, female: 56. head, anterior view; 57. lateral view; 58. dorsal view of mesosoma, anterior left; and 59. pygidium. Sphaeropthalma blakeii, female: 60. head, anterior view; 61. lateral view; 62. dorsal view of mesosoma, anterior left; and 63. pygidium. S. difficilis, female: 64. head, anterior view; 64. lateral view; and 66. dorsal view of mesosoma, anterior left. S. ecarinata, female: 67. head, anterior view; 68. head, lateral view; 69. lateral view; and 70. dorsal view of mesosoma, anterior left.