Sphaeropthalma becki Ferguson

Pitts, James P., Wilson, Joseph S., Williams, Kevin A. & Boehme, Nicole F., 2010, Nocturnal velvet ant males (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) of Deep Canyon, California including four new species and a fifth new species from Owens Lake Valley, California, Zootaxa 2553, pp. 1-34 : 15-18

Sphaeropthalma becki Ferguson

Sphaeropthalma (Micromutilla) becki Ferguson, 1967 . Brigham Young Univ. Sci. Bull. Biol. Ser. 8: 9. Male. Holotype data: Hillside, 0.85 mi NNW Mercury, Nye Co., Nevada, 23 Aug 1964, W.E. Ferguson (NMNH).

Diagnosis of male. This species is recognized by its small body size, the deeply excised mandible with the ventral tooth forming an oblique angle ( Fig. 19 ; see also Fig. 45 in Pitts et al. 2009) while the dorsal carina is complete and the apex of the mandible is slightly oblique, the absence of mesosternal processes, the marginal cell which is shorter than the stigma, the first segment of the metasoma which is petiolate with the second segment, and the genitalia with a short cylindrical cuspis (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 2 ).

Female. Unknown.

Material examined. California, Riverside Co., Deep Canyon: 1 male, 2. May.1963, 2 males, 23– 25. May.1970, 1 male, 24. May.1969, 2 males, 21–29.May.1973, 34 males, 22–23. May.2007, 2 males, 27.May– 1. Jun.1970, 2 males, 5–13. Jun.1973, 4 males, 13–18. Jun.1969, 1 male, 18–19. Jun.1969, 1 male, 27– 28. Jun.1969, 1 male, 1– 2.Jul.19694 males, 2–3. Jul.1969, 1 male, 10–12. Jul.1969, 1 male, 13–14. Jul.1969, 1 male, 13–20. Jul.1973, 1 male, 19–21.Jul.1969, 55 males, 30–31. Jul.2007, 2 males, 4–5. Aug.1969, 4 males, 5– 7. Aug.1969, 2 males, 7–9. Aug.1969, 2 males, 9–11. Aug.1969, 2 males, 17–30. Aug.1973, 1 male, 25– 26. Aug.1969, 1 male, 28–30. Aug.1969, 1 male, 30.Aug.–7. Sep.1973, 2 males, 26.Sep–6. Oct.1969, 2 males, 6. Oct.1969, 1 male, 6–8.Oct.1969.

Distribution. California and southwestern Arizona northward into southern Nevada.

Remarks. This species is not endemic to Deep Canyon, but is among the smallest mutillids that occur here. Ferguson (1967) gives a complete discussion of this species.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 24. Head, anterior view; except ventral view 17. 13. Odontophotopsis serca; 14. O. setifera; 15. Sphaeropthalma. amphion; 16. S. angulifera; 17. S. angulifera; 18. S. arota; 19. S. becki; 20. S. blakeii; 21. S. difficilis; 22. S. ferruginea; 23. S. ignacio; and 24. S. macswaini.

FIGURES 44 – 48. Sphaeropthalma mankelli, sp. nov.: 44. Head, anterior view; 45. Habitus; and 46. Apex of wing. Acrophotopsis campylognatha: 47. genitalia, dorsal view (scale 0.5 mm) and 48. Close up of cuspis (scale 0.2 mm) (Fig. 47. from Pitts & McHugh 2002).

FIGURES 1 – 12. Head, anterior view. 1. Acanthophotopsis falciformis; 2. Acrophotopsis campylognatha; 3. Odontophotopsis acmaea; 4. O. armata; 5. O. aufidia; 6. O. bellona; 7. O. biramosa; 8. O. clypeata; 9. O. inconspicua; 10. O. mamata; 11. O. melicausa; and 12. O. quadrispinosa.