Odontophotopsis hammetti Pitts

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 : 9

Odontophotopsis hammetti Pitts , NEW SPECIES

Diagnosis of male. This species can be recognized by the hind coxae with longitudinal hirsute carinae along their inner margin, and also having the mandible ( Fig. 32 ) tridentate apically, weakly excised ventrally with the angle of excision obtusely angulate, the dorsal carina complete terminating at moderate tooth, and the apex vertical. Also, this species has a flattened to slightly concave mesosternum similar to other species of Odontophotopsis , but lacks the associated mesosternal processes and has dense plumose setal fringes on the metasoma ( Fig. 33 ).

Description of male. Coloration ( Figs 32, 33 ). Body testaceous; flagellum and legs stramineous. Body clothed with dense, erect, brachyplumose, yellowish-white setae. T1 with sparse plumose fringe at distal margin. T2 and S2 with dense fringe of whitish plumose setae. T3–5 and S3–5 each with sparser, but conspicuous fringes of whitish plumose setae.

Head. Head rounded to slightly quadrate posteriorly. Mandible ( Fig. 32 ) tridentate, weakly excised beneath, excision obtuse, ventral tooth angulate; dorsal carina complete terminating at moderate tooth; apex vertical; mandible dilated ventrally beyond excision; mandible slightly curving ventrally towards apex. Clypeus depressed below margin of mandible, median area concave; surface of clypeus polished, impunctate, with few erect setae; apex truncate, not bidentate. F1 approximately 0.75X length of F2. Ocelli moderate in size, ocellocular distance approximately 1.25X greatest width of lateral ocellus. Head weakly sculptured with punctures slightly wider than setal bases; interstitial regions glabrous.

Mesosoma . Sides and dorsum of pronotum coarsely punctate, dorsum with moderate, shallow punctures, sides with somewhat larger, contiguous punctures. Mesonotum with moderate, contiguous, shallow punctures. Notaulus obsolete on anterior 0.3 of mesonotum. Scutellum coarsely, confluently punctate. Axillae not projecting posteriorly. Dorsum and posterior face of propodeum conspicuously, shallow reticulate, reticulations extending on to sides of propodeum, either remaining reticulate laterally or becoming coarse, punctate-reticulate. Anterolateral area of mesopleuron with moderate, shallow, separated punctures; remainder of mesopleuron with deeper, contiguous to confluent punctures; interstitial areas micropunctate. Metapleuron polished. Mesosternal processes absent, but mesosternum flattened, impunctate; area narrow anteriorly just at midline, widening to mid coxal width posteriorly. Mid coxa edentate. Hind coxa with distinct hirsute carina running longitudinally along inner margin. Metasternum bidentate. Mid femur not swollen. Marginal cell on costa short, 1.25–1.5X length of stigma.

Metasoma. First metasomal segment broad, nodose. Pygidium elongate and ovate, polished to weakly granulate along posterior margin, not strongly margined; S2 with felt line tuft-like, 0.2X length of tergal felt line. Hypopygium elongate and ovate. Genitalia (Fig. 64) with paramere acicular; cuspis elongate, approximately 0.5X free length of paramere, and cylindrical in lateral view, with moderate basal pit.

Female. Unknown.

Length. 11–13 mm.

Material examined. Holotype: California, Riverside Co., Deep Canyon, 11.Nov.1963, coll. E. Schlinger ( UCRC). Paratypes: California, Riverside Co., Deep Canyon: 1 male, 25. Sep.1969, 1 male, 26.Sep– 6. Oct.1969, 1 male, 9. Oct.1963, 2 males, 11.Nov.1963 ( UCRC, EMUS).

Distribution. Currently known only from Deep Canyon, but will presumably be found throughout at least the western Sonoran Desert.

Etymology. Named after Samuel Dashiell Hammett (1894–1961), who was a well-known American author of hardboiled detective novels and short stories, and creator of the famous protagonist, Sam Spade.

Remarks. Although this species lacks mesosternal processes, it clearly belongs in Odontophotopsis due the characteristic genitalia and overall appearance of the species (i.e., density of plumose setae, weakly punctate head, etc.). Furthermore, the species has the mesosternum broadly, but weakly concave and impunctate similar to other Odontophotopsis having mesosternal processes, but unlike Sphaeropthalma , which have the mesosternum punctate and convex on either side of the midline. The species belongs in the O. parva species-group, based on mandibular morphology and the bidentate metasternum. This is the only species in this species-group that lacks a densely granulate pygidium. However, recent phylogenetic analyses of Odontophotopsis ( Pitts et al. 2010) suggest this species-group is paraphyletic with respect to the O. tapajos species-group. Some of these species lack developed mesosternal processes and all lack a granulate pygidium.

Figures

FIGURES 32 – 37. Odontophotopsis hammetti, sp. nov.: 32. Head, anterior view; and 33. Habitus. Sphaeropthalma arnalduri, sp. nov.: 34. Head, dorsal view; 35. Head oblique lateral view; 36. Mesosoma, lateral view; and 37. Habitus.