Sphaeropthalma nana ( Ashmead, 1896 )

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 : 357-358

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4319.2.4
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1Ecf4C4A-09Ca-42B4-A105-67Dec7863Fe5
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6032669
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/ED726D24-FFB7-FFD7-FF5F-FAD4FC1E3D09
treatment provided by	Plazi (2017-09-12 06:25:32, last updated 2023-10-28 00:05:38)
scientific name	Sphaeropthalma nana ( Ashmead, 1896 )
status

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Sphaeropthalma nana ( Ashmead, 1896)

Photopsis nanus Ashmead, 1896: 181 , ♂. Lectotype: Arizona, Tucson ( NMNH); Pitts et al. 2004: 224, ♂ (as type species of Micromutilla Ashmead).

Mutilla acontius Fox, 1899: 266 , ♂. Lectotype: New Mexico, Las Cruces ( ANSP).

Mutilla Ashmeadii Fox, 1899: 289 . Replacement name for Photopsis nanus Ashmead, 1896 , nec Mutilla nana Smith 1879 .

Photopsis nana Ashmead : Lelej & Brothers 2008: 35, ♂ (as type species of Micromutilla Ashmead).

Diagnosis of male. This species can be recognized by its small size, the moderately emarginate mandibles (see Pitts 2007: Fig. 27), the small marginal cell, which is shorter than the stigma measured along the costal margin, the lack of mesosternal processes, the genitalia with an extremely short cuspis that barely surpasses the penial valve in lateral view, and the lack of plumose setae even along the margins of the metasomal terga. Genitalia are illustrated in Boehme et al. (2012: Fig. 9 View FIGURES 9 – 12 ).

Female. Unknown.

Material examined. Lectotype data: Ph. nanus : Arizona, Tucson , type no. 3279 ( NMNH) ; Lectotype data: M. acontius : New Mexico, Las Cruces , type no. 3279 ( ANSP) . JTNP: 18–21.Jul.2012: 1 ♂ N7.

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

Activity. This species is seemingly rare at JTNP.

Remarks. Boehme et al. (2012) designated the Lectotype, and reinstated the name for stability and to lessen potential confusion based on article 59.3 of ICZN (1999). See Boehme et al. (2012) for the complicated taxonomic history of this species. This species is a member of the S. nana species-group ( Pitts & Sadler 2015) and is typically rare ( Table 2 & 3; e.g. Ferguson 1967; Pitts et al. 2009; Boehme et al. 2012).

References

Boehme, N. F., Tanner, D. A., Williams, K. A. & Pitts, J. P. (2012) Faunal study of the velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) and their activity patterns and habitat preference at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nye County, Nevada, USA. Zootaxa, 3587, 1 - 45.

Ashmead, W. H. (1896) Descriptions of new parasitic Hymenoptera. Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 23, 179 - 182.

Ferguson, W. E. (1967) Male Sphaeropthalmine mutillid wasps of the Nevada Test Site. Brigham Young University Science Bulletin, 8, 1 - 26. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. part. 7443

Fox, W. J. (1899) The North America Mutillidae. Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 25, 219 - 292.

Lelej, A. S. & Brothers, D. J. (2008) The genus-group names of Mutillidae (Hymenoptera) and their type species, with a new genus, new name, new synonymies, new combinations and lectotypifications. Zootaxa, 1889, 1 - 79.

Pitts, J. P., Parker, F. D. & Pitts-Singer, T. L. (2004) A review of the Sphaeropthalma uro species-group (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), with taxonomic changes. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 77, 223 - 234. https: // doi. org / 10.2317 / 0308.11.1

Pitts, J. P. (2007) Revision of Odontophotopsis Viereck (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Part 1, with a description of a new genus Laminatilla. Zootaxa, 1619, 1 - 43.

Pitts, J. P. & Sadler, E. A. (2015) Description of a new species and species-group of Sphaeropthalma Blake (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) with an updated classification of the genus. Zootaxa, 3947 (2), 282 - 288. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3947.2.10