Sphaeropthalma chandleri Pitts

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 : 20-21

Sphaeropthalma chandleri Pitts , NEW SPECIES

Diagnosis of male. This species is can be diagnosed by the mandible having a moderate ventral tooth ( Fig. 38 ) with an oblique apex, the marginal cell being 0.75X the length of the stigma, the lobed hind coxa and the granulate pygidium ( Fig. 40 ).

Description of male. Coloration ( Figs 38–40 ). Body testaceous; flagellum and legs stramineous. Ocellular triangle infuscated. Body clothed with sparse, erect, brachyplumose, whitish setae. T1 lacking plumose fringe at distal margin. T2 and S2 with sparse fringe of whitish plumose setae. T3–5 and S3–5 each with sparser, less conspicuous fringe of whitish plumose setae. Setae sometimes tinged yellow.

Head. Head distinctly rounded posteriorly. Mandible ( Fig. 38 ) tridentate, moderately excised beneath, angle of ventral tooth oblique; dorsal carina incomplete; apex oblique; mandible slightly tapered beyond excision. Clypeus depressed slightly below margin of mandible, median area concave; surface of clypeus polished, almost impunctate, with few erect setae; apex moderately bidentate. F1 approximately 0.66X length of F2. Ocelli moderate in size, ocellocular distance 1.25–1.5X greatest width of lateral ocellus.

Mesosoma . Sides and dorsum of pronotum glabrous, dorsum with small, shallow punctures. Mesonotum with small, sparse, shallow punctures, surface mostly glabrous. Notaulus incomplete on anterior 0.3 of mesonotum. Scutellum weakly punctate. Axillae not projecting posteriorly. Dorsum and posterior face of propodeum indistinctly reticulate, reticulations extending on to sides of propodeum, either remaining reticulate laterally or becoming coarse, punctate-reticulate. Anterolateral area of mesopleuron glabrous; remainder of mesopleuron with weak, sparse punctures only visible at certain angles; interstitial areas glabrous. Metapleuron polished. Mesosternal processes absent. Metasternum bidentate. Mid femur not swollen. Marginal cell on costa short, 0.75–0.8X length of stigma.

Metasoma. First metasomal segment sessile, slightly nodose when viewed laterally. Pygidium quadrate, strongly granulate ( Fig. 40 ), but not strongly margined; S2 with sternal felt line 0.3–0.5X length of tergal felt line. Hypopygium quadrate. Genitalia (Fig. 66) with paramere acicular; cuspis elongate,>0.75X free length of paramere, and cylindrical basally, laterally flattened, densely setose along the ventral and inner margins.

Length. 6.0–7.5 mm.

Female. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype: California, Riverside Co., Deep Canyon, 3.May.1963 ( UCRC). Paratypes: California, Riverside Co.: Deep Canyon, 2 males, 2. May.1963, 1 males 15–18. May.1970, 1 male, 30. May.1963, 1 male, 22.Jun.1963 ( UCRC, EMUS); Painted Canyon, near Mecca, 4 males, 14.Apr.1974, coll. M. Wasbauer ( CDFA).

Distribution. Known only from Deep Canyon and Painted Canyon.

Etymology. Named after Raymond Thornton Chandler (1888–1959), who was an American crime writer that greatly influenced the modern private eye story and created the famous protagonist, Philip Marlowe.

Remarks. This species currently should be placed into the S. noctivaga species-group based on presence of plumose setal fringes on the metasoma, T1 broadly attaching to T2 on the metasoma, and the forewing with a short marginal cell. However, differences in mandibular and genitalic morphology make this placement doubtful without the aid of molecular data.

This species could be confused with S. sublobata , because the lobes on the hind coxae are quite similar. However, the pygidium of S. sublobata is glabrous, not granulate, and there are noticeable differences in the mandible, especially in the narrower size and shallower depth of the ventral excision in S. sublobata .

Figures

FIGURES 38 – 43. Sphaeropthalma chandleri, sp. nov.: 38. Head, anterior view; and 39. Habitus. Sphaeropthalma fergusoni, sp. nov.: 40. Pygidium, dorsal view; 41. Head anterior view; 42. Head, dorsal view; and 43. Habitus.