Odontophotopsis cockerelli (Melander)

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 : 7-8

Odontophotopsis cockerelli (Melander)

( Figs. 1–3 , 80 )

Mutilla cockerelli Melander, 1903 . Amer. Ent. Soc., Trans. 29: 307, male. Holotype: Cuero, Texas (NMNH).

Diagnosis. This species is easily recognized by the unique dilated condition of the middle and hind trochanters ( Fig. 1 ), which form a right angle along the internal margin, making them appear dentate. Also, the mesosternum is unlike any other species having five isolated teeth on each side that together form an oval shape in outline. Other characters useful for identification are the tridentate mandibles that are deeply excised, the bidentate metasternum, the nodose metasoma, the lack of a sternal felt line, the black metasoma that is much darker than the head and mesosoma ( Fig. 80 ), and the polished pygidium that is not distinctly defined laterally. The shape of the cuspis of the genitalia, which is swollen medially, is distinctive as well ( Fig. 2 ).

Male. Coloration and setal pattern ( Fig. 80 ). Head, mesosoma and first segment of metasoma ferruginous; antenna, legs and remainder of metasoma black to red black; head and mesosoma uniform in color throughout; body clothed with sparse, erect, pale white simple setae; only few plumose setae on mesosoma; T1 without plumose fringe at distal margin; T2 and S2 with thick fringe of pale plumose setae; T3-T5 and S3- S5 each with thinner, less conspicuous fringe of pale plumose setae. Tibial spurs white, not concolorous with legs.

Head. Rounded posteriorly. Mandible excised ventrally, angle of excision rounded; dorsal carina strong, medially lamelliform, terminating at strong inner tooth; subdistal inner tooth weak; mandible slightly dilated beyond excision. Clypeus slightly depressed below margin of mandibles, median area concave; lateral angle weakly tuberculate; surface of clypeus polished, almost impunctate, with setae throughout; scape with single ventral carina. F1 ~0.75X length of F2. Front, vertex, and gena with moderate, shallow, close 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 0.5X of mesonotum; scutellum coarsely, confluently punctate; dorsum and posterior face of propodeum conspicuously, shallowly reticulate, diameter of reticulations ~0.6X width of lateral ocellus; reticulations extending to sides of propodeum, but becoming coarse, punctate-reticulate; metapleuron with moderate, close punctures on ventral 0.33, polished and impunctate on dorsal 0.66; anterolateral area of mesopleuron with moderate, shallow, separated punctures; remainder of mesopleuron with deeper, contiguous to confluent punctures; mesosternum with five isolated tubercles on each side, forming outline of oval; surface of mesosternum with shallow, depressed groove along midline, otherwise with moderate, close punctures. Metasternum bidentate. Inner margins of middle and hind trochanters dentate ( Fig. 1 ). Marginal cell on costa longer than stigma.

Metasoma. First metasomal segment nodose; T1 closely punctured throughout; T2 polished, with deep punctures, 1– 2 X puncture width apart, becoming denser on apical margin; T3-T5 as densely punctured as apical margin of T2, punctures most obvious at anterior and posterior margins; pygidium almost as broad as wide, punctate-granulate on apical margin, remainder glabrous and polished, with apical fringe, not strongly margined; S2 with moderate, deep punctures, separated by 1– 2 X puncture width; sternal felt line absent; S3- S5 densely punctured. Hypopygium with close, moderate punctures apically, concave posteromedially. Genitalia as in Figs. 2 and 3 .

Distribution. Central and Southern mixed grasslands of Oklahoma and central Texas.

Material examined. USA: Oklahoma: Bryan Co., Durant, 1.Jul.1910, Hunter ( UMSP); Grady Co., Tuttle, 1 male, 12.May.2004, 2 males, 12.Jun.2004, 1 male, 4.July.2005, 1 male, 5.July.2005, 6 males, 7.July.2005, B. Baldwin ( EMUS); Marshall Co., Lake Texoma, Willis, 2 mi E, 3 male, Jul.1965, R.M. Bohart ( EMUS, UCDC). Texas: Bastrop Co., Stengl Ranch, 1 male, 21–23.Aug.1993, J. Gillaspy ( EMUS); Dimmit Co., Winter Haven, 1 male, 15.May.1936, G.E. Jones ( UMSP); Ward Co., Monahan's Sand Hills SP, 3 males, 25–26.V.2006, K.A. Williams and J.S. Wilson ( EMUS).

Remarks. This species-group is the same as defined by Schuster (1958). Melander (1903) stated that the type locality was in west Texas. Cuero, however, is southeast of San Antonio in DeWitt Co., Texas.

This species has unique mesosternal armature and coloration compared to most other Odontophotopsis , and is reminiscent of Photomorphus . Due to the seemingly shared characters with Photomorphus , the placement of this species has been questioned. Schuster (1958) placed this species in the Photomorphina key, a subgenus of Photomorphus , as well as in the Odontophotopsis key. The genitalia are somewhat similar to other Odontophotopsis , but very different from typical Photomorphus . Furthermore, this species differs from most Photomorphina, because the mentum is not carinulate and the sternal felt line is lacking. This species is best placed in Odontophotopsis . Molecular data from the species-specific loci 1st and 2nd internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS1 and ITS2) also supports this placement (Pitts, unpub.).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 12. Odontophotopsis cockerelli: Fig. 1. hind leg trochanter; Fig. 2. genitalia, lateral view, penal valve removed; Fig. 3. penal valve lateral view. Odontophotopsis denticoxa: Fig. 4. mandible; Fig. 5. middle coxa. Odontophotopsis dentifera: Fig. 6. mandible; Fig. 7. middle coxa; Fig. 9 genitalia, dorsal view; Fig. 10. cuspis, lateral view, dorsum to left. Odontophotopsis polis: Fig. 8. mandible; Fig. 11. genitalia, dorsal view; Fig. 12. lateral view, penal valve removed.

FIGURES 80 – 84. Odontophotopsis cockerelli: Fig. 80. habitus. Odontophotopsis villosa: Fig. 81. habitus. Sphaeropthalma macswaini: Fig. 82. head. Photomorphus piceogaster: Fig. 83. head.