Sphaeropthalma pallida ( Blake, 1871 )

Boehme, Nicole F., Tanner, David A., Williams, Kevin A. & Pitts, James P., 2012, Faunal study of velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) and their activity patterns and habitat preference at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nye County, Nevada, USA, Zootaxa 3587, pp. 1-45 : 36

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3587.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:91FCB387-5D4F-4F12-ABDC-B06D7F60A271
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5627566
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038187E5-162B-FF8A-FF09-EFD7FCABFA4A
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Sphaeropthalma pallida ( Blake, 1871 )
status

Treatment

Sphaeropthalma pallida ( Blake, 1871)

Agama pallida Blake, 1871: 263 ,

3. Holotype: Texas (ANSP).

Sphaeropthalma (Micromutilla) arizonae Schuster, 1958: 16 ,

3. Holotype: Arizona, Tucson (UMSP).

Diagnosis. MALE. This small species can be recognized by the deeply excised mandibles that are oblique apically (see Pitts et al. 2010a: Fig. 27), a marginal cell that is approximately the same length as the stigma, the mesosternum lacks processes, the first metasomal segment is sessile with the second, plumose setal fringes are absent on the metasoma, and the cuspis of the genitalia is very short just barely surpassing the free length of the penis valve (see Pitts et al. 2010a: Fig. 61). FEMALE. Unknown.

Material examined. Type material. Holotypes: A. pallida : Texas, type no. 4552 ( ANSP); S. arizonae : Arizona, Tucson, 5 June 1935, Bryant ( UMSP) . Other material. Nevada, Nye Co., AMNWR: Non-dune site 1: 5 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, NFB ; Non-dune site 2: 1 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 9 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 4–6.VIII.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 17–19.VIII.2009, NFB ; Non-dune site 4: 3 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 1 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 4 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 17–19.VIII.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 1: 1 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 4 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 2: 1 ♂, LT, 17–19.VIII.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 4: 2 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, NFB ; Sand dune site 5: 1 ♂, LT, 24.VI.2008, NFB, DAT & JPP, 1 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 2 ♂, LT, 17–19.VIII.2009, NFB.

Distribution. USA (Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas).

Activity. Males were active from late spring through late summer (June through August).

Remarks. Sphaeropthalma pallida were distributed uniformly over sand dune and non-dune habitats (U=15.5, p>0.2). Forty-two S. pallida males were collected from June through August via light trapping. Seven S. pallida males were found at the NTS in August ( Ferguson 1967).