Sphaeropthalma angulifera 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 : 14-15

Sphaeropthalma angulifera Schuster

Sphaeropthalma (Photopsis) angulifera Schuster, 1958 . Ent. Amer. 37: 32. Male. Holotype data: California, Kern Co., Bakersfield (CASC).

Diagnosis of male. The male of this species can be recognized by having mandibles that are weakly excised ventrally with a distinct angulate basal tooth ( Figs 16 , 54 ) and an apex that is tridentate and oblique ( Figs 15 , 54 ), but most importantly the dorsal carina of the mandible is angulate at the midpoint of the mandible coinciding with the ventral tooth ( Figs 16 , 54 ), the posterior margin of the head is quadrate, the mesosternum lacks processes, the second metasomal sternite has a distinct felt line, and the pygidium is granulate. The genitalia also help to diagnose this species ( Fig. 53 ); the cuspis is a uniform diameter from the base to the apex.

Diagnosis of female. Wilson & Pitts (2009) diagnosed the female based on associations made from similarities of the female to that of S. mendica and distributional data.

Material examined. California, Riverside Co.: Deep Canyon, 1 male, 13–18. Jul.1973, 1 male, 18– 19.Jul.1969.

Distribution. This species is found in the Mojave and Western Sonoran deserts.

Remarks. Sphaeropthalma angulifera is morphologically similar to S. unicolor and S. mendica , but can be differentiated from these two species by mandibular morphology (Wilson & Pitts 2009). Although this species is found throughout the Mojave and western Sonoran Deserts, it is extremely rare.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 24. Head, anterior view; except ventral view 17. 13. Odontophotopsis serca; 14. O. setifera; 15. Sphaeropthalma. amphion; 16. S. angulifera; 17. S. angulifera; 18. S. arota; 19. S. becki; 20. S. blakeii; 21. S. difficilis; 22. S. ferruginea; 23. S. ignacio; and 24. S. macswaini.

FIGURES 49 – 58. Acanthophotopsis falciformis: 49. Genitalia, lateral view (from Tanner & Pitts 2009). Dilophotopsis paron: 50. Genitalia, ventral, dorsal, inner lateral view, and lateral view of penis valve; and 51. Mesosoma, oblique ventral view (from Wilson & Pitts 2008). Sphaeropthalma amphion: 52. Genitalia, dorsal, inner lateral view, and lateral view of penis valve (from Pitts et al. 2004). Sphaeropthalma angulifera: 53. Genitalia, dorsal, inner lateral view, and lateral view of penis valve (from Wilson & Pitts 2009). Mandible, anterior view: 54. Sphaeropthalma angulifera; and 55. Sphaeropthalma mendica (from Wilson & Pitts 2009). Sphaeropthalma ferruginea: 56. Genitalia, ventral view left, dorsal view right. Sphaeropthalma ignacio: 57. Genitalia, ventral view left, dorsal view right. Sphaeropthalma macswaini: 56. Genitalia, inner lateral view left.