Sphaeropthalma militaris 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 : 44-45

Sphaeropthalma militaris Schuster

Sphaeropthalma (Photopsis) militaris Schuster, 1958 . Ent. Amer. 37: 27. Male. Holotype data: California, Riverside County, Hopkins Well, 29 May 1952, G.A. Marsh (CASC).

Diagnosis of male. The male of this species can be recognized by the deep excision on the ventral margin of the mandible with the mandible being tridentate and vertical apically, by the dense brush of orangish setae projecting forward off of the anterior margin of the clypeus (Fig. 93), by the lack of mesosternal processes, and by the genitalia, which have dorsoventrally flattened paramere that is thickly setose apically and a cylindrical cuspis that is approximately three-fourths the free length of the paramere ( Fig. 25 ).

Diagnosis of female. The female of this species has the following combination characters: the dorsum of the body is covered with sparse erect brachyplumose setae, but the integument is not obscured ( Figs. 74–77 ), the ventral margin of the mandible has a deep excision subtended by a large rounded tooth ( Fig. 39 ), the head below the eyes is convergent ( Fig. 67 ), the frons is evenly rounded to the vertex in lateral view ( Fig. 75 ), the first metasomal segment is petiolate with the second segment ( Fig. 76 ), and the pygidium is granulate.

Description of female: Coloration and Setal Pattern. Body stramineous ( Figs. 74–77 ). Long dense white brachyplumose setae present throughout; sparse erect plumose setae present on pronotum anteriorly, propodeum and T1. Metasomal segments 2–5 with dense fringes of white plumose setae. Legs with white brachyplumose setae.

Head. Head rounded posteriorly ( Fig. 74 ), not as wide as mesosoma, moderately punctate. Eye ovate, distance from posterior mandibular articulation ~3– 4 X visible length of pedicel. Frons evenly rounded to vertex in lateral view ( Fig. 75 ). Malar space in frontal view convergent ( Fig. 74 ). Eyes ~0.5X eye length posterior to edge of frons in lateral view. Head rounded in lateral view. Clypeus protruding anteriorly, posteromedially produced into low triangular tubercle. Antennal scrobe without dorsal carina. Antennal tubercle glabrous, except with carinate apical margin. Flagellomere I ~1.5X length of pedicel. Flagellomeres II–III ~1.0–1.2X length of pedicel. Mandible bidentate apically ( Fig. 39 ). Ventral mandibular margin with large basal tooth ( Fig. 39 ). Genal carina absent. Hypostomal carina lamellate medially.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma wider anteriorly than posteriorly ( Fig. 77 ), longer than broad. Mesosoma densely confluently punctate on dorsum, becoming reticulate posteriorly. 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 rounded in lateral view, reticulate.

Metasoma. Segment 1 distinctly petiolate with segment 2 ( Fig. 76 ). T1 with small sparse punctures. T2 with dense moderate punctures anteriorly. T2 with felt line, 0.25X length of tergite. T3–5 shagreened. T6 with distinct pygidial area defined laterally by weak carinae, surface granulate. S2 with slight anteromedian carinate region. S2–5 with punctation similar to tergites.

Length. ~ 8–11.5 mm.

Material examined. Arizona, Yuma Co., Tacna, 7.5–8 mi E, Mohawk Sand Dunes, 4 females, 21.Mar–4.Apr.1998 ( UAIC, EMUS); Tacna, 10 mi E, Mohawk Sand Dunes, 1 female, 20.Mar–4.Apr.1998 ( UAIC); Tacna, 10 mi E, Mohawk Sand Dunes, 1 female, 21.Mar.1997, W.B. and B.C. Warner ( UAIC). California, Imperial Co. : Algodones Dunes: Cahuilla Ranger Sta.: 9.8 km WSW Glamis, 3 males, 20.Sep.2008, R.B. Kimsey and T.J. Zavortink ( UCDC); 4.1 km SE Hwy. 78, 3 males, 18–22.Sep.2008, R.B. Kimsey and T.J. Zavortink ( UCDC); 10 km WSW Glamis, 19 males, 22.Sep–15.Nov.2008, E. Dreyfus ( UCDC); Coachella Canal Rd., 18.1 km NW Glamis, 14 males, 30.May–3.Jun.2008, Museum Survey Team ( UCDC); Osborne Overlook, 5.7 km WSW Glamis, 1 female, 24–28.Mar.2008, Museum Survey Team ( UCDC); Roadrunner Campgrd., 10.7 km SW Glamis, 3 males, 31.May–3.Jun.2008, Museum Survey Team ( UCDC); Wash Rd., 10.4 km SE Hwy. 78, 1 female, 30.Apr–3.May.2008, Museum Survey Team ( UCDC). Glamis, 8 km S, 2 males, 11–15.Sep.2007, R. Kimsey, L. Kimsey, and T.J. Zavortink ( UCDC); Glamis, 2.5 mi NE Coachella Bridge #1 Site 24, 32º51’41”N, 115º4’6”W, 1 female, 17.Apr.1979 ( CDFA); Glamis, 7 males, 26.May.1971, M.S. Wasbauer and M.E. Irwin ( CDFA), 4 females, 29.May.1971, M.S. Wasbauer ( CDFA); Glamis, 1.3 rd mi. W, 1 male, 30.Jul.1996, G. Kung ( LACM); Glamis, 3 mi. N, 1 male, 1 female, 7–12.Apr.1973, M.S. and J.S. Wasbauer ( CDFA), 6 males, 10.Sep.1974, M.S. Wasbauer and R. McMaster ( CDFA); Glamis, 3 mi. NW, 12 males, 15–16.Sep.1972, M.S. Wasbauer and A. Hardy ( CDFA); Glamis, 5 mi SW, 2 females, 3 males, 23.Jul.2005, K.A. Williams ( EMUS); S. Ruthven, 1 male, 24.Apr.2004, D. Yanega ( UCRC); Seeley, 6 mi. W, 1 female, 24.Apr.1972, E.L. Paddock ( CDFA); 8 mi. W Glamis, 1 male, 21.Jun.2004, K.A. Williams ( KAWC). Riverside Co.: Blythe, 1 female, 2.May.1967, J. Johnson ( CDFA); Rice Valley Dunes, 35 mi. N of Blythe, 1 female, 15.Apr.2001, D. Yanega ( UCRC). Mexico, Sonora , 6 mi. N El Golfo, 1 male, 10.Apr.1973, M.S. Wasbauer ( CDFA).

DNA voucher specimen data. California, Imperial Co., Algodones Sand Dunes , 2 males, JP87, JP129 ( EMUS); 5 mi. SW Glamis, 1 female, 23.Jul.2005, K.A. Williams, JP717 ( EMUS).

Distribution. Southern California and western Arizona into Mexico.

Remarks. This species is not limited to the Algodones Sand Dunes and surrounding areas, but is particularly abundant on these dunes. Only ITS1 was obtained from both a male and a female of this species. The intersexual distance for ITS1 is low, 0.6% (Table 1). The morphology of this female is similar to the female of its close relative S. orestes (Fox) and could be easily confused with S. ecarinata .

Figures

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 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.

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 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.