Sphaeropthalma ecarinata Schuster

Sphaeropthalma (Physetapsis) ecarinata Schuster, 1958 . Ent. Amer. 37: 20. Male. Holotype data: Palm Springs, California, 23 Nov 1932, T. Zschokke (UMSP).

Diagnosis of male. The male of this species is recognized by the shape of the mandible, which is weakly bidentate apically and has a large tooth ventrally, by the lack of mesosternal processes, and by the genitalia, in which the cuspis is as long as the paramere and the apex of the paramere has a long thickened row of setae directed internally (Fig. 24).

Diagnosis of female. The female of this species has the following combination characters: the dorsum of the body is covered with sparse erect brachyplumose setae, but the integument is not obscured (Figs. 67–70), the ventral margin of the mandible with a deep excision subtended by a large rounded tooth (e.g., Fig. 39), the head below eyes convergent (Fig. 67), the frons is flattened and not evenly rounded to the vertex (Fig. 68), the first metasomal segment is petiolate with the second segment (Fig. 69) and the pygidium is granulate (e.g., Fig. 63).

Description of female: Coloration and Setal Pattern. Body brown to stramineous (Figs. 67–70). Body with sparse erect white brachyplumose setae. Fringes of T2–5 with sparse plumose setae. Legs with white brachyplumose setae.

Head. Head flattened posteriorly in lateral view (Figs. 68), malar space convergent in frontal view (Fig. 67); not as wide as mesosoma, moderately punctate. Eye ovate (Fig. 68), distance from posterior mandibular articulation ~4– 5 X visible length of pedicel. Clypeus protruding anteriorly, posteromedially produced into low triangular tubercle. Antennal scrobe without dorsal carina. Antennal tubercle glabrous (Fig. 67), except with carinate apical margin. Frons not well developed anterior to eye in lateral view. Flagellomere I ~1.75X length of pedicel. Flagellomeres II–III ~1.0–1.4X length of pedicel. Flagellomeres II–X produced apically on ventral side; appearing crenulate. Mandible weakly bidentate apically. Ventral mandibular margin with large round basal tooth (e.g., Fig. 39). Genal carina absent, region virtually glabrous.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma wider anteriorly than posteriorly (Fig. 70), longer than broad. Mesosoma reticulate on dorsum (Fig. 70), some reticulations with margin appearing tuberculate, punctures becoming larger posteriorly. Propleuron anteriorly, mesopleuron medially running vertically, and lateral margin of propodeum with extreme ventral region punctate. Humeral angle dentate. Epaulet prominent. Scutellar scale absent. Mesosternum with low transverse tubercle present medially just anterior to mesocoxa. Metasternum tridentate.

Metasoma. Segment 1 distinctly petiolate with segment 2 (Fig. 69). T1 with small sparse punctures. T2 with dense moderate punctures anteriorly, appearing tuberculate. T2 with felt line, 0.2X length of tergite. T2 reticulate anteriorly, posterior margin with interstitial distance 2– 3 X average puncture width. T3–5 shagreened. T6 with distinct pygidial area defined laterally by weak carinae; surface weakly longitudinally striate to granulate. S2 with anteromedian carinate region. S2–5 with punctation similar to tergites.

Length. ~ 9–11 mm.

Material examined. California, Imperial Co.: Algodones Dunes: Algodones Dunes, Buttercup Campgrd., 3 km SW, 1–2.Jun.2008, Museum Survey Team (UCDC); Cahuilla Ranger Sta., 10 km WSW Glamis, 2 females, 11–15.Sep.2007, R. Kimsey, L. Kim sey, and T.J. Zavortink (UCDC), 7 females, 22.Sep–15.Nov.2008, E. Dreyfus (UCDC), 6 males, 20.Sep.2008, R.B. Kimsey and T.J. Zavortink (UCDC); Coachella Canal Rd., 18.1 km NW Glamis, 2 males, 30.May–3.Jun.2008, Museum Survey Team (UCDC), 1 male, 31.May–3.Jun.2008, Museum Survey Team (UCDC); Gecko Rd. 3.2 km S. Cahuilla Ranger Sta., 3 males, 7.Jun.2008, R. Kimsey and T. Zavortink (UCDC); Roadrunner Campgrd., 10.7 km SW Glamis, 17 males, 31.May–3.Jun.2008, Museum Survey Team (UCDC); Wash Rd. 16.5 km SE Glamis, 1 male, 1–3.Jun.2008, Museum Survey Team (UCDC). Glamis, 1 male, 29.May.1971, M.S. Wasbauer (CDFA); Glamis, 3 mi. NW, 49 males, 15–16.Sep.1972, M.S. Wasbauer and A. Hardy (CDFA), 1 male, 15–16.Sep.1972, M.S. Wasbauer and A. Hardy (UCDC); Glamis, 5 mi SW, 3 females, 25 males, 23.Jul.2005, K.A. Williams (EMUS); S. Ruthven, 2 males, 30.Apr.2001, D.C. Hawks and D. Yanega (UCRC).

DNA voucher specimen data. California, Imperial Co., Algodones Dunes, 5 mi. SW Glamis, 1 male, 5.Aug.2005, K.A. Williams, JP82; 1 female, 5.Aug.2005, K.A. Williams, KW06 (EMUS).

Distribution. Southern California.

Remarks. This species is limited to the Algodones Sand Dunes and surrounding areas, and is particularly abundant on these dunes. The intersexual distances for both ITS1 and ITS2 are less than 0.5% (Table 1). The males of this species may be mistaken for O. sonora, but these species differ in the amount of overlap of the clypeus over the mandibles and in the structure of the mandible. The ventral tooth is lacking in O. sonora, but distinct in S. ecarinata . The females of this species will mostly likely be confused with S. militaris females, but can be separated by the shape of the frons in lateral view.

This species was placed in the subgenus Physetapsis by Schuster (1958). Pitts et al. (2004) synonymized Physetapsis with Sphaeropthalma and placed all the former members of Physetapsis, including S. ecarinata, in Schuster’s Sphaeropthalma clara species-group. After a closer study of the male genitalia of these species and a comparison of the known females, S. ecarinata clearly belongs in the S. orestes species-group and is closely related to S. militaris and S. isolatrix Schuster (formerly of the subgenus Xenophotopsis Schuster) based on genitalic characters.