Sphaeropthalma becki Ferguson, 1967

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 : 352

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.6032649
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/ED726D24-FFBC-FFDD-FF5F-FB9CFD103A9D
treatment provided by	Plazi (2017-09-12 06:25:32, last updated 2024-11-24 22:44:06)
scientific name	Sphaeropthalma becki Ferguson, 1967
status

Treatment

Sphaeropthalma (Micromutilla) becki Ferguson, 1967 . Brigham Young Univ. Sci. Bull. Biol. Ser. 8: 9. ♂. Holotype data: Nevada, Nye County, Hillside , 0.85 mi NNW Mercury ( NMNH).

Diagnosis of male. This species has deeply excised mandible with the tooth forming an oblique angle (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 45), lacks of mesosternal processes, has the marginal cell shorter than the stigma, has the first segment of the metasoma petiolate with the second segment, and has the genitalia with a short cylindrical cuspis (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 2 View FIGURES 1 – 4 ).

Female. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype data: Nevada, Nye County, Hillside , 0.85 mi NNW Mercury, 23 Aug 1964, W.E. Ferguson ( NMNH) . JTNP: 18–21.Jul.2012: 2 ♂ N7; 7 ♂ N5; 11 ♂ N3; 8 ♂ N1; 34 ♂ T; 12 ♂ S1; 40 ♂ S3; 30 ♂ S5; 19 ♂ S7; 9 ♂ S9; 43 ♂ S11; 41 ♂ S13; 54 ♂ S18. 26–28.Aug.2012: 2 ♂ N3; 3 ♂ N1; 4 ♂ S3; 2 ♂ S5; 4 ♂ S7; 4 ♂ S11; 3 ♂ S13; 2 ♂ S18. 22–24.Sep.2012: 1 ♂ S1; 4 ♂ S3; 3 ♂ S11; 1 ♂ S18.

Distribution. USA (Arizona, California, and Nevada).

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

Remarks. This is the smallest species of nocturnal mutillid found at JTNP. It is placed in the S. difficilis species-group ( Pitts & Sadler 2015) and abundant throughout its range ( Table 2 & 3; e.g. Ferguson 1967; Pitts et al. 2009, 2010a; Wilson et al. 2010; 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.

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

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