Sphaeropthalma edwardsii (Cresson)

Pitts, James P., 2006, Review of the Sphaeropthalma imperialis species­group (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), with descriptions of females and taxonomic notes, Zootaxa 1248, pp. 1-20 : 6-10

Sphaeropthalma edwardsii (Cresson)

Mutilla Edwardsii Cresson, 1875 . Amer. Ent. Soc., Trans. 5: 119. Male. Holotype: Oregon (ANSP). Sphaeropthalma (Photopsis) edwardsii edwardsii (Cresson) , Schuster 1958. Ent. Amer. (n. s.) 37: 36. Male.

Sphaeropthalma (Photopsis) edwardsii flammifera Schuster, 1958 . Ent. Amer. (n. s.) 37: 36. Male. Holotype: California, Antioch, 14.Sep.1941, coll. J.R. Fisher (UMSP). New Synonym.

Diagnosis

The male of S. edwardsii can be separated from all other Sphaeropthalma species by its coloration. The pubescence varies from yellow to scarlet, while the integumental coloration varies from orange to piceous and the wings are dark brown to black ( Fig. 26 ). This species also has the following unique combination of characters. The mandible is diagnostic being moderately dilated, distally little or scarcely wider than at tooth, the ventral basal tooth of the mandible is small, and the apex is vertical. Also, the clypeus is moderately depressed below the dorsal mandibular margin, the sternal felt line is absent, and the genitalic morphology is unique ( Figs. 8–10 ). The female of this species is easily recognized by the unique combination of having a small ventral angulation located basally on the mandible, a distinctly petiolate metasomal segment 1, a granulate pygidium, the presence of plumose setae especially on the fringes of the metasomal tergites, and the dense long yellow setae that obscures the integumental sculpturing ( Fig. 24 ).

Female. Coloration and Setal Pattern ( Fig. 24 ). Integument fuscous, except metasomal segments 5–6 ferruginous. Dorsum of head, mesosoma, and metasoma with long dense reddish to yellow­orange brachyplumose setae obscuring integument; setae denser on posterior margin of head and tergal margins. Slightly shorter plumose setae also present on dorsum. Head below antennal tubercles, scape, genal region, pleura, and legs with white brachyplumose setae, not as dense as on dorsum. Fringes of tergites with dense white yellow plumose setae; disk with sparse yellow plumose setae, as well as aforementioned setae. T3–T5 with anterior margin with dense white plumose setae. Sternites with sparse white brachyplumose setae. Fringes of sternites with dense white plumose setae.

Head. Rounded posteriorly, not as wide as mesosoma; coarsely punctate. Eye round. Antennal tubercles striate. Scrobe with lateral carina beginning just below eye, becoming weaker above height of antennal tubercle but continuing to antennal tubercle. Mandible bidentate, with slight ventral angulation basally; dorsal carina continuing to internal tooth. Genal carina absent. Flagellomere I ~2.25X pedicel length; flagellomere II ~1.75X length of pedicel. Clypeus truncate with slight median emargination; tuberculate posteriorly, appearing longitudinally carinate from anterior margin to posterior tubercle.

Mesosoma. Slightly longer than wide. Humeral angles dentate. Dorsum with distinct lateral margin. Coarsely punctate. Propleuron coarsely to moderately punctate. Mesopleuron with medial area moderately punctate and produced outward from dorsal to ventral margin; otherwise glabrous and nitid. Metapleuron and lateral faces of propodeum glabrous and nitid. Propodeum with distinct vertical and dorsal faces; reticulate.

Metasoma. Segment 1 distinctly petiolate with segment 2. T1 moderately punctate. T2 coarsely confluently punctate. T3–T5 and S3–S5 micropunctate, appearing granulate. S2 similar in punctation to T2, with anterior medial tumid region. Pygidium laterally defined by carinae, conspicuously granulate to colliculate.

Distribution

Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon.

Material examined

USA: Arizona: Santa Cruz Co., Madera Canyon, 1ɗ, 26.Aug.1968, coll. K. Lorenzen ( KAWC). California: Alameda Co., Tesla, 1ɗ 1Ψ, 25.Sep.1948, coll. P.D. Hurd ( CISC); Tresia, 1ɗ, I.1951, coll. Thompson ( CISC); Tresia, 2ɗ, 25.Sep.1951, coll. P.D. Hurd ( CISC; EMUS); Contra Costa Co., Antioch, 1ɗ, 13.Sep.1941, coll. J.R. Fisher ( CISC); Antioch, 1ɗ 1Ψ, 22.Aug.1952, coll. G.A. Marsh ( EMUS); Antioch, 1ɗ 1Ψ, 26.Sep.1954, coll. M.S. Wasbauer ( CISC, EMUS); Rock City, Mt Diablo, 1Ψ, 24.May.1940 ( CISC);. Colusa Co., Arbuckle , 1ɗ, 17.Aug.1962, coll. P.M. Marsh ( UCDC); Fresno Co., Jacalitos Canyon, 2ɗ, 31.Jul.1956, coll. R.O. Schuster.Aug. ( UCDC); L. Panoche Cr., 1ɗ, 28.Jun.1952, coll. H.F. Robinson ( UCDC); Kern Co., 1ɗ, 5–6.Jun.1962, coll. R.E. Bellamy ( EMUS); Bakersfield, 9ɗ, 20.Jul.1951 – 28.Jul.1951, coll. L.W. Isaak ( UCDC); Taft, 1ɗ, 25.Jul.1956, coll. T.R. Haig ( UCDC); Wasco, 1ɗ, 26.Jun.1951, coll. L.W. Isaak ( UCDC); Kings Co., Helm, 1ɗ, 24.Jul.1955, coll. H. Michalk ( UCDC); 4.8 mi W Kettleman City, 1ɗ, 13.Jun.1970, coll. F.G. Andrews & M.S. Wasbauer ( CDFA); Los Angeles Co., Palmdale area, 1ɗ, 10.Jul.1964 ( LACM); Merced Co., Los Banos, 1Ψ, 22.Oct.1948, coll. H.R. Greenfield ( CISC); Mono Co., 1ɗ, 14.Jul.1969, coll. O. Shields ( LACM); San Luis Obispo Co., 4 mi S. Shandon, 1Ψ, 10.Oct.1979, coll. R.J. Skalski ( UCDC); Siskiyou Co., Gazelle, 1ɗ, 29.Jul.1978, coll. F.D. Horn ( UCDC); 5 mi N Gazelle, 1ɗ, 13.Aug.1980, 1ɗ, 16.Jul.1981, coll. F.D. Horn ( CDFA); Solano Co., Cold Canyon, 19 km NNW Vacaville, 2ɗ, 30Jun1992, coll. B.L. Fisher ( UCDC); Cold Canyon, 19 km NNW Vacaville, 2ɗ, 28Jun1992, coll. P.S. Ward ( UCDC); Cold Canyon, 9 mi W Winers, 3ɗ, 22.Jun.1992 – 20Jun1993, coll. J.A. De Benedictis ( UCDC); Solano Co., Gates Canyon, 1ɗ, 21.Jul.1980, coll. J.B. Johnson ( EMUS); Stanislaus Co., Del Puerto Canyon, 5 mi W Patterson, 1ɗ, 9Jun2005, coll. K.A. Williams ( KAWC); Del Puerto Canyon, 20 mi W Payson, 2ɗ, 27.May.2001, coll. K.A. & E.E. Williams ( KAWC); La Grange, 8ɗ, 7.Jun.1955 – 8.Sep.1970, coll. R.P. Allen ( UCDC); LaGrange, 1ɗ, 30.Aug.1961, 1ɗ, 6Jun1968, 2ɗ, 4.Aug.1975 – 5.Sep.1975, coll. R.P. Allen ( CDFA); Trinity Co., 25 mi N Weaverville, 1Ψ, 12.Aug.1980, coll. C.Y. Kitayama ( UCDC); Tulare Co., Poso creek near Posey, 1ɗ, 23. MAR.2000, coll. T.D. Waite ( BYUC); Yolo Co., 4 mi SW Dunnigan, 1ɗ, 15.Sep.1959, coll. B.N. Chaniotis ( UCDC); 8 mi NW Winters, 1ɗ, 10.Sep.1959, coll. B.N. Chaniotis ( UCDC); Winters, 1ɗ, 27Jun1962, coll. P.M. Marsh ( UCDC); 8 mi NW Winters, 4ɗ, 2.Sep.1959 – 6.Aug.1959, coll. J. Fowler ( UCDC); 7 mi W Zamora, 1ɗ, 31Jun1959, coll. J. Fowler ( UCDC). Nevada: Washoe Co., Red Rock, 1ɗ, 20.Jun.1969, coll. R.C. Bechtel ( NVDA).

Remarks

The sex association is based on collection data, distribution, and similarities in coloration and morphology. Furthermore, the female resembles the other females in this species­group.

Retaining subspecies designations is unwarranted. Study of the genitalia has revealed no distinguishable differences. Furthermore, the two subspecies have overlapping ranges. In the males, coloration of the pubescence can vary from yellow or golden yellow to brilliant scarlet or carmine­fulvous and the integumental coloration can vary from orange or brownish­orange to piceous. Head sculpture also varies from having almost confluent, coarse punctures to shallow punctures that range from moderately separated to almost contiguous. Females vary in setal coloration similarly to males.

Figures

FIGURES 26 – 29. Males, lateral view: 26. Sphaeropthalma edwardsii; 27. S. imperialis; 28. S. megagnathos; 29. S. marpesia.

FIGURES 8 – 19. Genitalia: penial valve, lateral view; internal lateral view, penial valve removed; ventral view left, dorsal view right; Sphaeropthalma edwardsii: 8 – 10. S. imperialis: 11 – 13. S. marpesia: 14 – 16; S. megagnathos: 17 – 19.

FIGURES 20 – 25. Sphaeropthalma imperialis female, dark form: 20. lateral view; 21. anterior portion of second metasomal tergite; S. imperialis female, light form: 22. lateral view; 23. pygidium, dorsal view; 24. S. edwardsii female, lateral view; 25. S. marpesia female, lateral view.