Odontophotopsis setifera

Pitts, James P., 2007, Revision of Odontophotopsis Viereck (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Part 1, with a description of a new Genus Laminatilla, Zootaxa 1619, pp. 1-43 : 16-18

6. Odontophotopsis setifera species-group

( Figs. 27–31 )

Diagnosis. This species-group is easily diagnosed by the unique mandibular feature of having an extremely large dorsal tooth that is separated from the lower portion of the mandibular apex by a deep, wide sinus, which makes the mandibular apices appear biramose ( Fig. 27 ).

Male. Coloration. Body testaceous, antenna and legs slightly paler, stramineous; head, mesosoma and metasoma uniform in color throughout; body clothed with sparse, erect, brachyplumose and also decumbent, pale, plumose setae; apical margins of T1-T6 and S2-S6 with thick white plumose fringe; setae of terminal segment tinged with yellow.

Head. Subquadrate posteriorly. Mandible excised ventrally, angle of excision acute, depth of excision 0.33X width of mandible at excision; dorsal carina strong, terminating at strong inner tooth, mandible vertical throughout; mandible greatly dilated beyond excision. Dorsal tooth of mandible separated from other teeth by deep sinus. Clypeus greatly depressed below margin of mandibles, median area concave; median anterior margin of clypeus as wide as length of F1, lateral angle projecting dorsally, tuberculate; surface of clypeus polished, almost impunctate, apically with only few erect setae; scape with single ventral carina. F1 ~0.75X length of F2. Front, vertex, and gena with sparse, shallow punctures, immediately posterior to antennal insertion, becoming separated and sparse on vertex and gena; ocelli moderate in size, ocellocular distance 2X greatest width of lateral ocellus.

Mesosoma. Sides and dorsum of pronotum coarsely punctate, dorsum with moderate, confluent, deep punctures, sides with somewhat larger, shallower punctures; mesonotum with moderate, contiguous, shallow punctures; notaulus weak, obsolete on anterior 0.75 of mesonotum; scutellum moderately punctate; dorsum and posterior face of propodeum conspicuously, shallow reticulate, reticulations extending on to sides of propodeum, but becoming coarse, punctate-reticulate; Metapleuron polished; anterolateral area of mesopleuron polished; remainder of mesopleuron with moderate to contiguous punctures; mesosternal processes large, triangular, acute apically, separated by distance 1.5X their height; surface of mesosternum with shallow, depressed groove along midline, otherwise with sparse punctures, interstitial regions polished. Metasternum deeply bidentate. Marginal cell on costa long, ~1.5X length of stigma.

Metasoma. First metasomal segment subsessile with second, approximately as long as middle femur; T1 with shallow punctured at sides separated by ~ 1X puncture width; T2 polished, with fine, scattered punctures throughout; T3-5 weakly punctured, punctures most obvious at anterior and posterior margins; pygidium ovate, slightly longer than wide, polished, not margined; S2 with small, shallow, punctures, closer and deeper than on T3; sternal felt line ~0.2X length of tergal felt line; S3-5 very weakly punctured. Hypopygium with close, shallow punctures apically, apical margin rounded.

Remarks. This species-group is the same as defined by Schuster (1958). Both species have been reported to be rare ( Ferguson 1967), but this may be an artifact of their limited distribution and environment or seasonal effects. In certain areas these species can be abundant and may need to be placed in a separate speciesgroup at a later date.

Some aspects of mandibular and clypeal morphology, the sternal processes and the genitalia of the two species in this group differ greatly; it may be that these species are not closely related.

Figures

FIGURES 23 – 31. Odontophotopsis quadridentata: Fig. 23. head, frontal view; Fig. 24. mesosternum, lateral view; Fig. 25. genitalia, dorsal view; Fig. 26. cuspis, lateral view, dorsum to the left. Odontophotopsis biramosa: Fig. 27. head, frontal view; Fig. 28. genitalia, dorsal view. Odontophotopsis setifera: Fig. 29. mesosternum, lateral view; Fig. 30. genitalia, dorsal view; Fig. 31. genitalia, lateral view.