Odontophotopsis exogyra Viereck

Pitts, James P., 2007, Revision of Odontophotopsis Viereck (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Part 1, with a description of a new Genus Laminatilla, Zootaxa 1619, pp. 1-43 : 12-13

Odontophotopsis exogyra Viereck

( Figs. 13–17 )

Odontophotopsis (Odontophotopsis) exogyrus Viereck, 1903 . Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., Proc. 54: 738, male. Holotype: California, La Jolla (ANSP).

Diagnosis. This species is easily differentiated from other Odontophotopsis species due to its uniquely dilated mandible ( Figs. 13, 14 ), which is tridentate and deeply excised with the apical portion dilated and ventrally curved. Also, the head is quadrate posteriorly and the mesosternum is armed along the midline with a pair of closely spaced, subequal, spine-like processes on each side ( Fig 15 ). The setal coloration and integument are orange rather than brown, the metasoma is subsessile, and the pygidium is polished, glabrous, not defined laterally and has an apical fringe of setae.

Male. Coloration and setal pattern. Body orange, antenna brown; head, mesosoma and metasoma uniform in color throughout; body clothed with sparse, erect, golden orange setae, only few white plumose setae on mesosoma; first metasomal tergum without plumose fringe at distal margin; second tergum and sternum with thick fringe of orange white plumose setae; T3-5 and S3-5 each with thinner, less conspicuous fringe of pale plumose setae. Tibial spurs and legs concolorous with body.

Head. Quadrate posteriorly. Mandible deeply excised ventrally, angle of excision rounded ( Figs. 13, 14 ); dorsal carina strong, medially lamelliform, terminating at strong inner tooth; subdistal inner tooth weak ( Figs. 13, 14 ); mandible strongly dilated beyond excision, appearing contorted due to dorsal margin strongly curving ventrally ( Figs. 13, 14 ). Clypeus depressed below margin of mandibles ( Fig. 13 ), median area concave, lateral angle slightly tuberculate, posteromedial area slightly tuberculate; surface of clypeus polished, almost impunctate, anterior margin with dense setae; scape with single ventral carina. F1 ~0.75X length of F2. Front, vertex, and gena with moderate, shallow, close punctures, immediately posterior to antennal insertion, becoming separated and sparse on vertex and gena; ocelli moderate in size, ocellocular distance 2X greatest width of lateral ocellus.

Mesosoma. Sides and dorsum of pronotum shallowly punctate, dorsum with moderate, confluent, shallow punctures, sides with somewhat larger, shallower punctures; mesonotum with small, contiguous, shallow punctures; notaulus weak, obsolete on anterior 0.5X of mesonotum; scutellum coarsely, confluently punctate; dorsum and posterior face of propodeum conspicuously, shallow reticulate, reticulations extending to sides of propodeum for 2–3 puncture widths, but becoming coarse, punctate-reticulate; metapleuron with moderate, close punctures on ventral 0.33, polished and impunctate on dorsal 0.66; anterolateral area of mesopleuron with contiguous to confluent punctures medially, punctate area 3–4 punctures wide, remainder glabrous or becoming so; remainder of mesopleuron with deeper, contiguous to confluent punctures; mesosternum with pair of spur-like processes on each side ( Fig. 15 ), triangular, acute apically, separated by distance 2X their height, processes equal in height; surface of mesosternum with shallow, depressed groove along midline, otherwise with moderate, close punctures. Metasternum bidentate. Marginal cell on costa short 1.5X length of stigma.

Metasoma. First metasomal segment subnodose; T1 closely punctured at sides, almost impunctate medially; T2 polished, with fine, scattered punctures throughout; T3-5 weakly punctured, punctures most obvious at anterior and posterior margins; pygidium elongate ovate, 2X as long as wide, punctate-granulate anteriorly, not defined laterally, with apical fringe of setae; S2 with small, shallow, well separated punctures, felt line 0.33X length of tergal felt line; S3-5 very densely punctured. Hypopygium with close, moderate punctures, rounded. Genitalia as in Figs. 16 and 17 .

Distribution. California.

Material examined. USA, California, Los Angeles Co., Glendale, 1 male, Aug.1953, 6 males, Sep.1952, W.M. Schlinger ( UCDC); Glendale, 1 male, 11.Jul.1952, W.M. Schlinger ( EMUS); 1 male, 24.Mar.1949, 2 males, 24.Jul.1949, 2 males, 31.Jul.1949, 1 male, 18.Aug.1950, 3 males, 11.Sep.1949, E.I. Schlinger ( UCDC); San Gabriel Mts, Camp Eaton, Newcomb Ranch, 3 km E, 1860m, 3 males, 23–27.Jul.2001, J.N.

Hogue ( SFVS); Tanbark Flat, 8 males, 14.Aug–3.Sep.1950, E.B. Goodwin ( UCDC); Monterey Co., Bixby Creek, 1 male, 16.Aug.1949, M.S. Wasbauer ( CDFA); Riverside Co., Garner valley, Kenworthy Forest Service Station, 1470 m, 1 male, 4.Jun.2002, M.E. Irwin and F.D. Parker; Santa Barbara Co., Cuyama, 6 mi. SW, Aliso Canyon, 1 male, 9.Jul.1965, M. Gardner ( UCDC); Aliso Park, 1 male, 14.Jul.1965, J.S. Buckett ( UCDC); San Bernardino Co., Camp O-Ongo, 1 male, 6200’, 25.Aug.1981, J.N. Hogue ( EMUS); San Diego Co., Pine Valley, 1 male, 14.Jul.1927, J.F. Kelsey ( UAIC); Santa Cruz Co., Santa Cruz, 1 male, 15.Aug.1961, Tourney ( CDFA); Shasta Co., Anderson, 1 male, Jul–Aug.1955, J. Willis ( UCDC); Tulare Co., Ash Mt Kaweah Power Station, 2 males, 25.Jul.1985, L. Bezark ( CDFA); near Three Rivers, 1 male, 13.Aug.1960, W.E. Simonds ( CDFA); Tuolumne Co., Strawberry, 1 male, 17.Jul.1951, A.T. McClay ( UCDC).

Remarks. This species-group is the same as defined by Schuster (1958). Mandibular and genitalic morphology, as well as the compound sternal processes are similar to O. quadridentata , and it is probable that these species are closely related.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 22. Odontophotopsis exogyra: Fig. 13. head, frontal view; Fig. 14. mandible; Fig. 15. mesosternum, lateral view; Fig. 16. genitalia, lateral view; Fig. 17. penal valve, lateral view. Odontophotopsis hexadonta: Fig. 18. mandible; Fig. 19. mesosternum, lateral view; Fig. 20. mesosternum, ventral view; Fig. 21. genitalia, lateral view; Fig. 22. penal valve, lateral view.