Sphaeropthalma yumaella Schuster

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 : 29

Sphaeropthalma yumaella Schuster

Sphaeropthalma (Micromutilla) yumaella Schuster, 1958 . Ent. Amer. 37: 19. Male. Holotype data: Wellton, Yuma Co., Arizona (CUIC).

Diagnosis of male. This species is recognized by the strongly excised mandible ( Fig. 31 ), the lack of mesosternal processes, the marginal cell that is shorter than the stigma, the first segment of the metasoma that is sessile with the second segment, and the genitalia that have a long thick cylindrical cuspis that tapers apically and has a large basal pit on the internal margin (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 6 ).

Female. Unknown, but see Pitts et al. (2009).

Material examined. California, Riverside Co., Deep Canyon: 1 male, 5–17. Apr.1970, 4 males, 2. May.1963, 1 male, 15. May.1969, 1 male, 15–23. May.1970, 1 male, 16. May.1962, 4 males, 16. May.1963, 1 male, 18. May.1969, 1 male, 19. May.1973, 28 males, 22–23. May.2007, 1 male, 24. May.1969, 1 male, 5– 13. Jun.1973, 3 males, 6–13. Jun.1969, 1 male, 13. Jun.1963, 2 male, 20. Jun.1963, 2 males, 13–18. Jun.1969, 1 male, 18–19. Jun.1969, 1 male, 24–26. Jun.1969, 1 male, 30. Jun.1964, 1 male, 29.Jun–6. Jul.1973, 2 males, 3– 7. Jul.1969, 4 males, 7. Jul.1964, 3 males, 10. Jul.1963, 3 males, 10–12. Jul.1969, 1 male, 11–13. Jul.1969, 1 male, 13–20. Jul.1973, 1 male, 19–21. Jul.1969, 2 males, 23. Jul.1969, 1 male, 23–24. Jul.1969, 12 males, 30– 31. Jul.2007, 1 male, 4–5. Aug.1969, 4 males, 5–7. Aug.1969, 1 male, 5–9. Sep.1969, 2 males, 9–11. Aug.1969, 3 males, 16–17. Aug.1969, 1 male, 24. Aug.1969, 2 males, 25–26. Aug.1969, 1 male, 11. Sep.1969, 2 males, 23. Sep.1963, 1 male, 25. Sep.1969, 5 males, 26.Sep–6. Oct.1969, 3 males, 6–8. Sep.1969, 1 male, 9. Oct.1963, 1 male, 11. Nov.1963, 1 male, 10–22.Dec.1969.

Distribution. Mojave Desert from Southern Nevada southward throughout the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and southern California into Baja California, Mexico.

Remarks. This species is widespread and not endemic to Deep Canyon. This species is placed into the S. noctivaga species-group that also contains S. brachyptera , S. chandleri , sp. nov., S. noctivaga , and S. yumaella .

Figures

FIGURES 25 – 31. Head, anterior view. 25. Sphaeropthalma. megagnathos; 26. S. mendica; 27. S. pallida; 28. S. sublobata; 29. S. tetracuspis; 30. S. triangularis; and 31. S. yumaella.

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.