Odontophotopsis parva Schuster, 1958

Wilson, Joseph S., 2017, Nocturnal Velvet Ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) of Joshua Tree National Park, Riverside County, California with the description of three new species, Zootaxa 4319 (2), pp. 329-367 : 344-345

Odontophotopsis parva Schuster, 1958

Odontophotopsis (Odontophotopsis) parva Schuster, 1958 . Ent. Amer. (n. s.) 37: 55. ♂. Holotype data: Arizona, Arlington ( UMSP).

Diagnosis of male. This species has the mandible excised ventrally forming an angle, but does not taper towards the apex (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 35), the mesosternum has only one pair of large distinct spines that have a posterior face that is longitudinally sulcate, the metasternum is bidentate, and the pygidium is granulate and is defined laterally by carinae. The genitalia are illustrated by Pitts et al. (2009: Figs 16, 17 ).

Diagnosis of female. The female of this species has the ventral margin of the mandible having a distinct angulation (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 35), flagellomere 1 being only slightly longer than flagellomere 2, the lateral margins of the posterior half of the mesosoma being parallel in dorsal view, the first segment of the metasoma being sessile with the second, the second metasomal segment being of normal length, ~1 × 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.

Material examined. Holotype data: Arizona, Arlington , 17.Jun.1919, A. Wetmore ( UMSP) . JTNP: 26– 28.Aug.2012: 2 ♂ S9. USA: California: San Bernardino County: Joshua Tree National Park, Dale Mine , 1 ♂, 25.Jun.2012, F. & J. Cambon ( EMUS) .

Distribution. USA (Arizona, California, and Nevada) and northern Mexico (Sonora).

Activity. This species is seemingly rare at JTNP.

Remarks. This species is in the O. parva species-group and the taxonomy of this species has been discussed in Pitts et al. (2009). This species seems to be rare throughout its range ( Table 2 & 3; e.g. Pitts et al. 2009).

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 18. Odontophotopsis dalyi, sp. nov., genitalia, 13. ventral view, 14. dorsal view; Odontophotopsis odontoloxia, sp. nov., genitalia, 15. ventral view, 16. dorsal view; and Photomorphus schoenwerthi, sp. nov., genitalia, 17. ventral view, 18. dorsal view.