Photomorphus (Photomorphus) myrmicoides (Cockerell)

Brabant, Craig M., Williams, Kevin A. & Pitts, James P., 2010, True females of the subgenus Photomorphina Schuster (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Zootaxa 2559, pp. 58-68 : 65-66

Photomorphus (Photomorphus) myrmicoides (Cockerell)

( Fig. 6 )

Sphaerophthalma (!) myrmicoides Cockerell, 1895 . Ent. News 6: 62. Holotype female: Columbus, Texas, H.F. Wickham coll. [ANSP].

Diagnosis of female: Females of P. myrmicoides are distinguished from other Photomorphus s.s. females by pygidial sculpture: P. myrmicoides has a dull, shagreened pygidium with carinae on the basal two-thirds or less, whereas other female Photomorphus s.s. have the pygidial striae complete to the apical margin. The absence of a ventral mandibular tooth and brown coloration of the apical tergites are also useful for identification.

Distribution. Widespread in the Great Plains and Texas.

Material examined: USA, Iowa, 1948, Kryger (1 Ψ, ZMUC); Missouri, Jefferson Co.: Maxville, 1.Aug.1938 (2 Ψ, UAIC); Nebraska, Lancaster Co.: Lincoln, 17.Aug.1964, D.W. Ribble (1 Ψ, UNSM); Saunders Co.: Mead, 25.Jul.1977 (1 Ψ, UNSM); Texas, Brazos Co., 4 mi SE College Station, Lick Creek Park, 11.Jun.2009, K.A. Williams (1 Ψ, EMUS).

Remarks. Mickel (1934) associated females that he identified as P. myrmicoides with an undescribed male; this sex association was based on a series of seven females and ten males from Iowa ( Fig. 7 ). These females, however, are not conspecific with the holotype of P. myrmicoides . Unlike P. myrmicoides , these females have the lateral face of the propodeum glabrous, the propodeum and T1 have erect brachyplumose setae dorsally, and T2–4 having plumose apical fringes. Photomorphus myrmicoides lacks obvious bands of plumose setae on the apical tergites, lacks erect brachyplumose setae on the propodeum and T1, and has scattered setae on the lateral face of the propodeum ( Fig. 6 ).

This female is likely conspecific with P. quintilis (Viereck) , known only from males, which has a weak ventral mandibular tooth and shares a large portion if its distribution with this species. We refrain, however, from associating these species without additional evidence, potentially including future DNA studies using ITS1 and ITS2 (e.g., Pilgrim et al., 2008, 2009).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Chronology of taxonomic changes discussed herein.

FIGURES 1 − 6. Habitus, female. 1, Photomorphus archboldi (Florida); 2, P. auriventris (Wisconsin); 3, P. s p i n c i (South Carolina); 4, P. subtenuis (Nebraska); 5, P. impar (South Carolina); 6, P. myrmicoides (Missouri).