Sphaeropthalma uro ( Blake, 1879 )

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 : 360-361

Sphaeropthalma uro ( Blake, 1879)

Agama uro Blake, 1879 . Amer. Ent. Soc., Trans. 7: 253. ♂. Syntype data: Texas ( ANSP). Photopsis melanderi Baker, 1905 . Invertebrata Pacifica 1: 112. ♂ . Holotype data: Texas, Coryell Co. ( CUIC). Synonymized by Krombein (1979).

Sphaeropthalma (Photopsioides) uro stenognatha Schuster, 1958 . Ent. Amer. (n. s.) 37: 38. ♂. Holotype data: Arizona, St. Carlos (UMSP). Synonymized by Krombein (1979).

Diagnosis of male. This species can be recognized by the mandible, which is slightly to very broadly dilated apically, has a sharp dorsal carina that is blade-like to apex of mandible such that the mandible vertical throughout, but has a weak ventral emargination and tooth (see Boehme et al. 2012: Fig. 21). Also, the clypeus is strongly depressed, the anterior margin hidden below dorsal mandibular rims, the head is quadrate posteriorly, the marginal cell is 0.75–1.0X the length of the stigma, S2 lacks a felt line and the cuspis of the genitalia are broadly spatulate and bear plumose setae (see Pitts et al. 2004: Figs 19–21).

Diagnosis of female. This species has the dorsum lacking dense appressed setae that obscures the integumental sculpture, the first segment of the metasoma is sessile with the second segment, the antennal scrobes have dorsal carinae, the mandible has a slightly developed ventral basal tooth and lacks a dorsal tooth at the termination of the dorsal carina, flagellomere 1 is almost 2 × as long as the pedicel, the legs are concolorous with mesosoma or at most slightly infuscated or lighter than mesosoma, the propodeum length in lateral view is subequal to 0.5 × maximum height, the metasomal segments have sparse plumose pubescence apically and the apical metasomal segments are concolorous with basal metasomal segments, T2 is coarsely punctate throughout with the interstitial distance less than a puncture width and the pygidium is undefined laterally by carinae.

Material examined. Agama uro Syntype data: Texas ( ANSP) . Photopsis melanderi Holotype data: Texas, Coryell Co., Birkman ( CUIC) . Sphaeropthalma (Photopsioides) uro stenognatha Holotype data: Arizona, St. Carlos , 27 August 1935, F.H. Parker ( UMSP) .

Distribution. USA (Arizona, California, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah) and northern Mexico (Baja California and Sonora).

Activity. No specimens of this species were collected during the course of this study.

Remarks. No specimens of this species were seen from JTNP ( Table 2 & 3), but given that it occurs all around the park and throughout the Southwest, it likely occurs at JTNP as well. Host data and a more detailed treatment of the taxonomy for this member of the S. uro species-group ( Pitts & Sadler 2015) are presented in Pitts et al. (2004).