Acanthophotopsis falciformis 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 : 3-4

Acanthophotopsis falciformis Schuster

Acanthophotopsis falciformis falciformis Schuster, 1958 . Ent. Amer. 37: 13. Male. Holotype data: Palm Springs, California, male, fall, 1932, T. Zschokke (UMSP).

Acanthophotopsis falciformis furcisterna Schuster, 1958 . Ent. Amer. 37: 14. Male. Holotype data: Tucson, Arizona, 5.Oct.1935, O. Bryant (UMSP).

Diagnosis of male. The male of this species can be recognized by unique quadridentate mandibles ( Fig. 1 ; also see Figs 6 & 12 of Tanner et al. 2009). The mandibles have three apical teeth, plus a fourth tooth that projects posteriorly over the clypeus ( Fig. 1 ). Also, the males have the posterior head margin elongate posteriorly, large conical mesosternal processes, only a single spur on the tibia of the middle leg, a paramere of the genitalia that is squat, and a cuspis that is curled apically ( Fig. 49 ).

Female. Unknown, possibly it will be mistaken as a species of Sphaeropthalma near Sphaeropthalma blakeii .

Material examined. California, Riverside Co.: Deep Canyon, 5 males, 2. May.1963, 2 males, 3. May.1963, 3 males, 16. May.1963, 1 male, 30. May.1963, 2 males, 8.Oct.1963, coll. M.E. Irwin and E.I. Schlinger, 12 males, 9.Oct.1963, coll. M.E. Irwin and E.I. Schlinger ( UCRC, EMUS); 2 males, 18.May. 1969, coll. M.E. Erwin; 2 males, 21–29.May. 1973 2 males, 27.May–1. Jun.1970, 2 males, 18.May.1969, coll. M.E. Erwin; 1 male, 24.May.1969, coll. M.E. Erwin and S. Frommer, 3 males, 13–18. Jun.1969, 1 males, 15. Jun.1969, 3 males, 18–19. Jun.1969, 4 males, 20–24. Jun.1969, 3 males, 2–3. Jul.1969, 1 male, 30– 31.Jul.2007.

Distribution. Nevada and southern Utah south into California, Arizona, and as far southwest as Zacatecas, Mexico.

Remarks. This species is rarely collected and is not limited to Deep Canyon. This genus was recently revised by Tanner et al. (2009).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 12. Head, anterior view. 1. Acanthophotopsis falciformis; 2. Acrophotopsis campylognatha; 3. Odontophotopsis acmaea; 4. O. armata; 5. O. aufidia; 6. O. bellona; 7. O. biramosa; 8. O. clypeata; 9. O. inconspicua; 10. O. mamata; 11. O. melicausa; and 12. O. quadrispinosa.

FIGURES 49 – 58. Acanthophotopsis falciformis: 49. Genitalia, lateral view (from Tanner & Pitts 2009). Dilophotopsis paron: 50. Genitalia, ventral, dorsal, inner lateral view, and lateral view of penis valve; and 51. Mesosoma, oblique ventral view (from Wilson & Pitts 2008). Sphaeropthalma amphion: 52. Genitalia, dorsal, inner lateral view, and lateral view of penis valve (from Pitts et al. 2004). Sphaeropthalma angulifera: 53. Genitalia, dorsal, inner lateral view, and lateral view of penis valve (from Wilson & Pitts 2009). Mandible, anterior view: 54. Sphaeropthalma angulifera; and 55. Sphaeropthalma mendica (from Wilson & Pitts 2009). Sphaeropthalma ferruginea: 56. Genitalia, ventral view left, dorsal view right. Sphaeropthalma ignacio: 57. Genitalia, ventral view left, dorsal view right. Sphaeropthalma macswaini: 56. Genitalia, inner lateral view left.