Sphaeropthalma tetracuspis Schuster

Pitts, James P., Wilson, Joseph S., Williams, Kevin A. & Boehme, Nicole F., 2010, Nocturnal velvet ant males (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) of Deep Canyon, California including four new species and a fifth new species from Owens Lake Valley, California, Zootaxa 2553, pp. 1-34 : 28

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.196847

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5670812

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/504687FB-C746-FFB8-FF65-FE693A7CFB1D

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Sphaeropthalma tetracuspis Schuster
status

 

Sphaeropthalma tetracuspis Schuster

Sphaeropthalma (Photopsis) tetracuspis Schuster, 1958 . Ent. Amer. (n. s.) 37: 31. Male. Holotype data: San Fernando, Lower California, Mexico, 31.Jul.1938, Michelbacher and Ross (CASC).

Diagnosis of male. It can be recognized by having mandibles that are weakly excised ventrally with an indistinct basal tooth and an apex that is tetradentate and oblique ( Fig. 29 View FIGURES 25 – 31 ) and is similar in shape to that of S. mendica ( Fig. 55 View FIGURES 49 – 58 ), the posterior margin of the head is quadrate, the mesosternal lacks processes, the second metasomal sternite has a distinct felt line, and the pygidium is granulate. The genitalia (Fig. 63) are similar to those of S. angulifera ( Fig. 53 View FIGURES 49 – 58 ) and S. mendica (Fig. 60).

Female. Unknown.

Material examined. California, Riverside Co., Deep Canyon: 2 males, 13. May.1963, 1 male, 16. May.1963, 1 male, 24.May.1963, coll. M. Irwin.

Distribution. The western Sonoran Desert into Baja California, Mexico.

Remarks. This species is in the S. unicolor species-group along with S. angulifera , S. mendica , S. pinalea , S. subtriangularis and S. unicolor .

This species is similar to S. mendica and differences in their genitalia are difficult to distinguish, although the cuspis of S. tetracuspis seems to be longer. Besides the differences in the mandibles of these two species, the clypeus of S. tetracuspis is distinctive, the posterior portion pushed forward and the anterior portion shortened. Laterally the clypeus looks curved almost in a ‘C’ shape. The clypeus of the other members of this group is flat anteriorly and gently curved posteriorly.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Mutillidae

Genus

Sphaeropthalma

Loc

Sphaeropthalma tetracuspis Schuster

Pitts, James P., Wilson, Joseph S., Williams, Kevin A. & Boehme, Nicole F. 2010
2010
Loc

Sphaeropthalma (Photopsis) tetracuspis

Schuster 1958
1958
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