Odontophotopsis inconspicua ( Blake, 1886 )

Wilson, Joseph S., 2017, Nocturnal Velvet Ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) of Joshua Tree National Park, Riverside County, California with the description of three new species, Zootaxa 4319 (2), pp. 329-367 : 340

Odontophotopsis inconspicua ( Blake, 1886)

Photopsis inconspicuus Blake, 1886 . Amer. Ent. Soc., Trans. 13: 272. ♂. Holotype data: California ( ANSP).

Mutilla infelix Dalla Torre, 1897 . Cat. Hym. 50. New name for Photopsis inconspicuous Blake not Mutilla inconspicuus Smith.

Diagnosis of male. This species has the following combination of characters: the mandible is excised ventrally, forming a slight tooth that is dilated towards the apex (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 32), the mesosternum only has one pair of large distinct spines that are flattened to slightly concave on the posterior side, the metasternum is tridentate, the second sternum of the metasoma lacks a felt line, and the pygidium is granulate and is defined laterally by carinae. Genitalia are illustrated by Pitts et al. (2009: Fig. 12 ).

Diagnosis of female. The female of this species can be diagnosed by dense appressed setae present on the dorsum that obscures the integumental sculpture and are distinctly plumose at the base of the setal shaft becoming simple apically. Also the ventral margin of the mandible has a distinct angulation, flagellomere 1 is much longer than flagellomere 2, the mesosoma is hexagonal in dorsal view, the first segment of the metasoma is sessile with the second, and the second metasomal segment is of normal length being ~1 × as long as anterior width or just slightly greater.

Material examined. Holotype data: California ( ANSP) . JTNP: 18–21.Jul.2012: 1 ♂ N1; 5 ♂ T; 2 ♂ S1; 1 ♂ S3; 1 ♂ S11; 36 ♂ S18. 26–28.Aug.2012: 3 ♂ N3; 3 ♂ N1; 11 ♂ T; 102 ♂ S1; 11 ♂ S3; 1 ♂ S5; 3 ♂ S7; 23 ♂ S9; 5 ♂ S11; 11 ♂ S13; 19 ♂ S18. 22–24.Sep.2012: 1 ♂ N7; 2 ♂ N3; 1 ♂ N1; 1 ♂ T; 6 ♂ S3; 2 ♂ S5; 3 ♂ S7; 23 ♂ S9; 5 ♂ S11; 11 ♂ S13; 19 ♂ S18. 26–28.Oct.2012: 1 ♂ S3; 4 ♂ S9.

Distribution. USA (Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah).

Activity. This species is seemingly active throughout the season at JTNP.

Remarks. Pitts et al. (2009) recently associated the sexes using distributional and morphological data. Further taxonomic description of this species can also be found in Pitts et al. (2009). This species is a member of the O. venusta species-group and is seemingly abundant throughout its range ( Table 2 & 3; e.g. Wilson et al. 2010; Pitts et al. 2009, 2010a; Boehme et al. 2012).

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 12. Photomorphus schoenwerthi, sp. nov., 9. habitus; 10. head, frontal view; 11. mesosternum; and 12. pygidium.