Odontophotopsis serca Viereck, 1904

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 : 345-346

Odontophotopsis serca Viereck, 1904

Odontophotopsis sercus Viereck, 1904 . Amer. Ent. Soc., Trans 30: 87. ♂. Holotype data: Mexico, Lower California ( ANSP).

Diagnosis of male. This species can be recognized by the lack of a clypeal tubercle, by having deeply excised mandibles with a vertical apex (see Boehme et al. 2012: Fig. 8), by having simple but prominent mesosternal processes, and by lacking a sternal felt line. Genitalia are illustrated in Boehme et al. (2012: Fig. 16).

Female. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype data: Mexico, Lower California , type no. 4979 ( ANSP) . JTNP: 18–21.Jul.2012: 3 ♂ N9; 1 ♂ N7; 1 ♂ N5; 3 ♂ N3; 19 ♂ N1; 123 ♂ T; 107 ♂ S1; 9 ♂ S3; 4 ♂ S5; 2 ♂ S9; 6 ♂ S11; 3 ♂ S13; 15 ♂ S18. 26–28.Aug.2012: 3 ♂ N7; 2 ♂ N3; 24 ♂ N1; 130 ♂ T; 187 ♂ S1; 9 ♂ S3; 1 ♂ S5; 2 ♂ S7; 3 ♂ S9; 8 ♂ S11; 3 ♂ S13; 1 ♂ S18. 22–24.Sep.2012: 2 ♂ N7; 3 ♂ N3; 8 ♂ N1; 3 ♂ T; 81 ♂ S1; 1 ♂ S3; 5 ♂ S9; 3 ♂ S11; 1 ♂ S18.

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

Activity. This species is seemingly active throughout the season at JTNP.

Remarks. Odontophotopsis serca , unlike O. armata , never develops a felt line on the second metasomal sternum, but can be easily confused with this species. The clypeal tubercle, however, is distinct in O. armata . This species is a member of the O. serca species-group along with O. armata and O. mariae (Cameron, 1896) . This species, along with O. melicausa , sometimes develops a slight secondary mesosternal tubercle posterior to the primary one and is sometimes unilateral ( Ferguson 1967). The taxonomy of this species is discussed in more detail in Pitts et al. (2009). Although this species is found in the Mojave Desert (e.g. Ferguson 1967; Boehme et al. 2012), this species seems to be more abundant in more southern areas of the Mojave Desert and into the Sonoran Desert ( Table 2 & 3; e.g. Wilson et al. 2010; Pitts et al. 2010a).