Odontophotopsis melicausa (Blake)

Pitts, James P., Wilson, Joseph S., Williams, Kevin A. & Boehme, Nicole F., 2009, Velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) of the Algodones sand dunes of California, USA, Zootaxa 2131, pp. 1-53 : 26

Odontophotopsis melicausa (Blake)

Agama melicausa Blake, 1871 . Amer. Ent. Soc., Trans. 3: 261. Male. Holotype data: Texas, Belfrage (ANSP). Mutilla brevicornis Fox, 1899 . Amer. Ent. Soc., Trans. 25: 255. Male. Holotype data: Texas (ANSP). Odontophotopsis mellicornis Baker, 1905 . Invertebrata Pacifica 1: 96. Male. Holotype data: Ormsby Co., Nevada

(CUIC).

Diagnosis of male. This species has a head that is quadrate posteriorly, has deeply excised mandibles that are distinctly dilated apically ( Fig. 44 ), lacks a tubercle situated posteromedially on the clypeus, has a pair of denticulate mesosternal processes, and has a shiny glabrous pygidium. The genitalia are illustrated in Fig. 13 .

Diagnosis of female. The female of this species can be recognized by the ventral margin of the mandible being excised and having a rounded tooth ( Fig. 33 ), flagellomere 1 being longer than flagellomere 2, the lateral margins of the posterior half of the mesosoma being parallel in dorsal view, the first segment of the metasoma being petiolate with the second, the second metasomal segment being of normal length, ~ 1X as long as anterior width or just slightly greater, the pygidium being strongly striate, and by the dense appressed setae on the dorsum that obscure the integumental sculpture and are distinctly plumose at the base of the setal shaft becoming simple apically.

Material Examined. California, Imperial Co. : Algodones Dunes: Niland-Glamis Road, 7.4 km NW Glamis. 3 males, 1–2.Jun.2008, Museum Survey Team ( UCDC); Wash Road, 0.7 km W at railroad post 168, 10.4 km SE Hwy 78, 3 males, 18–22.Sep.2008, R.B. Kimsey and T.J. Zavortink ( UCDC). Glamis, 7.5 km N, 1 male, 11–15.Sep.2007, R. Kimsey, L. Kimsey, and T.J. Zavortink ( UCDC); Glamis, 3 mi. NW, 3 males, 15–16.Sep.1972, M.S. Wasbauer and A. Hardy ( CDFA).

Distribution. Central and Western USA in to northern Mexico.

Remarks. This female was associated with the male in Cache Co., Utah (Pitts et al. 2007). The ITS1 and ITS2 sequences from the male and female of this species were identical and are included in Table 1 for completeness. This species ranges throughout the western USA and usually makes up a major portion of any fauna, but is rare on the Algodones Sand Dunes.

Figures

FIGURES 31 – 46. Lateral view of mandible, 31 – 40 female and 41 – 46 male. 31. O. arcuata; 32. O. inconspicua; 33. O. melicausa; 34. O. obscura; 35. O. parva; 36. O. villosa; 37. Sphaeropthalma blakeii; 38. S. difficilis; 39. S. militaris; 40. S. triangularis; 41. O. ambigua; 42. O. arcuata; 43. O. aufidia; 44. O. melicausa; 45. O. becki; and 46. O. django.

FIGURES 7 – 22. Dorsal view of genitalia, except Figs. 15, 17, 19, and 21 lateral view of cuspis. 7. Odontophotopsis ambigua; 8. O. arcuata; 9. O. aufidia; 10. O. biramosa; 11. O. clypeata; 12. O. inconspicua; 13. O. melicausa; 14 and 15. O. obscura; 16 and 17. O. parva; 18 and 19. O. quadrispinosa; 20 and 21 O. sonora; and 22. O. villosa.