Odontophotopsis quadridentata Schuster

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 : 15-16

Odontophotopsis quadridentata Schuster

( Fig. 23–26 )

Odontophotopsis (Odontophotopsis) quadridentata Schuster, 1958 . Ent. Amer. (n. s.) 37: 51, male. Holotype: California, Kern Co., Taft, 13.Jun.1942, W.C. Cook (UMSP).

Diagnosis. The mesosternal processes are unique. The mesosternum is armed along the midline with four separated subequal spine-like processes, with two processes on each side of midline that are arranged in almost a square shaped pattern with the posterior pair slightly wider apart than the anterior pair. Sometimes a third smaller tooth is present posterior to the second tooth as in Fig. 24 . The setal coloration varies from white to pale golden, while the integument is orange. The mandible is tridentate and deeply excised ventrally ( Fig. 23 ) with the apical portion moderately dilated, but not contorted or ventrally curved as in O. exogyra ( Fig. 13, 14 ). Also, the metasoma is petiolate and slightly nodose, the pygidium varies from polished to slightly granulate but is undefined laterally and has a dense apical fringe of setae.

Male. Coloration. Body orange; antenna darker, orange to brown; head, mesosoma and metasoma uniform in color throughout; body with sparse, erect, white to pale golden setae, only few white plumose setae on mesosoma; T1 with plumose fringe at distal margin; T2 and S2 with thick fringe of golden white plumose setae; T3-5 and S3-5 each with thinner, less conspicuous fringe of pale plumose setae; metasoma also with long erect pale golden setae. Tibial spurs and legs concolorous with body.

Head. Quadrate posterior to eye, vertex ~0.75X eye length. Mandible deeply excised ventrally, angle of excision rounded ( Fig. 23 ); dorsal carina strong, medially lamelliform, terminating at strong inner tooth ( Fig. 23 ); subdistal inner tooth weak ( Fig. 23 ); mandible moderately dilated beyond excision, not contorted ( Fig. 23 ). Clypeus depressed below margin of mandibles ( Fig. 23 ), median area concave, lateral angle not tuberculate, posteromedian area flat; surface of clypeus polished, almost impunctate, anterior margin with simple dense setae; with sparse short plumose setae posterolaterally. Scape with single ventral carina. F1 ~0.75X length of F2. Front, vertex, and gena with moderate, shallow, close punctures becoming separated and sparse on vertex and gena; ocelli moderate in size, ocellocular distance 1.5X 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 0.75 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; metapleuron polished; anterolateral area of mesopleuron polished between indistinct shallow punctures; remainder of mesopleuron with deeper, contiguous to confluent punctures; mesosternum with pair of spur-like processes on each side (sometimes third small tooth present posterior to second tooth as in Fig. 24 ), triangular, acute apically, processes equal in height, anterior teeth separated by ~ 3X their height, posterior teeth separated by ~ 5X their height, anterior teeth separated from posterior teeth by ~1.5– 2 X their height; surface of mesosternum with shallow, depressed groove along midline, otherwise with moderate, close punctures laterally, smaller medially. Metasternum bidentate. Marginal cell on costa short 1.25X length of stigma.

Metasoma. First metasomal segment nodose, petiolate; T1 closely coarsely punctured laterally, impunctate posteromedially; 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, weakly granulate anteriorly, not defined laterally, with dense apical fringe of setae; S2 with small, shallow, well separated punctures more widely separated than on T2, felt line 0.25X length of tergal felt line; S3-S5 densely punctured. Hypopygium with close, moderate punctures, rounded apically. Genitalia as in Figs. 25 and 26 .

Distribution. California, Nevada and Utah. This species possibly is restricted to the Great Basin Desert and higher elevations in surrounding areas.

Material examined. USA, California, Fresno Co., Little Pinoche Reservoir, 4 mi W of I-5, 1 male, 27.May.2005, E.E. & K.A. Williams ( EMUS); Inyo Co., Big Pine Cr. , 1 male, 15.Jul.1977, Schuster and Smith ( UCDC); Kern Co., 3 Pine Canyon, 12 males, 26.May.2005, K.A. Williams ( EMUS); Kern Co., Bakersfield, 5 males, 20.Jul.1951, L.W. Isaak ( UCDC); Nevada, Churchill Co., Horse Creek, 1 male, 23.Jul.1968, R.C. Bechtel and P.C. Martinelli ( EMUS); Blow Sand Mt, 1 male, 2.Aug.1979, Denno and Grissell ( UCDC); Sand Mt, 3 males, 1.Aug.1979, Bechtel, Banks, Horton, and Rust ( UCDC); Clark Co., Mt Springs Summit, 1 male, 2.Jul.1961, F.D. Parker ( EMUS); Douglas Co., Pine Nut Creek, 2 males, 7.Aug.1972, G.M. Nishida ( EMUS); Esmeralda Co., Middle Creek , 1 male, 1.Aug.1967, 3 males, 22.Jul.1971, 1 male, 31.Jul.1972, G.M. Nishida ( EMUS); Lincoln Co., Oak Springs Summit, 15 males, 10.Aug.1971, G.M. Nishida and D.F. Zoller ( EMUS); Beaver Dam State Park, 14 males, 11.Aug.1971, G.M. Nishida and D.F. Zoller ( EMUS; NVDA); 4 males, 9.Aug.1971, 1 male, 10.Aug.1971, G.M. Nishida ( EMUS); Oak Springs Summit, 1 male, 6.Aug.1974, 1 male, 9.Aug.1971, G.M. Nishida and D.F. Zoller ( EMUS); Mineral Co., Alum Creek, 1 male, 31.Jul.1967, C.D. Cooney ( EMUS); Nye Co., Duckwater, 1 male, 14.Aug.1961, F.D. Parker ( UCDC); McIntyre Summit, 3 males, 23.Jul.1964, R.C. Bechtel ( EMUS); Pershing Co., Dago Pass, 1 male, 19.Jul.1971, G.M. Nishida and D.F. Zoller ( EMUS); Utah: Tooele Co., Dugway, 4 males, 7–21.Aug.2003, J.S. Wilson ( EMUS); Wayne Co., 3.5 mi N Hanksville, 1 male, 21–2.Aug.2001 ( EMUS).

Remarks. This species-group is the same as defined by Schuster (1958). This species likely is closely related to O. exogyra given the similarities in morphology, but it is more widespread.

Figures

FIGURES 23 – 31. Odontophotopsis quadridentata: Fig. 23. head, frontal view; Fig. 24. mesosternum, lateral view; Fig. 25. genitalia, dorsal view; Fig. 26. cuspis, lateral view, dorsum to the left. Odontophotopsis biramosa: Fig. 27. head, frontal view; Fig. 28. genitalia, dorsal view. Odontophotopsis setifera: Fig. 29. mesosternum, lateral view; Fig. 30. genitalia, dorsal view; Fig. 31. genitalia, lateral view.

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.