Odontophotopsis melicausa ( Blake, 1871 )

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 : 341

Odontophotopsis melicausa ( Blake, 1871)

Agama melicausa Blake, 1871 . Amer. Ent. Soc., Trans. 3: 261. ♂. Holotype data: Texas ( ANSP). Mutilla brevicornis Fox, 1899 . Amer. Ent. Soc., Trans. 25: 255. ♂ . Syntype data: Texas ; Montana ( ANSP). Synonymized by Schuster (1958).

Odontophotopsis mellicornis Baker, 1905 . Invertebrata Pacifica 1: 96. ♂. Holotype data: Nevada, Ormsby County, (CUIC). Synonymized by Schuster (1958).

Diagnosis of male. This species has a head that is quadrate posteriorly, deeply excised mandibles that are distinctly dilated apically (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 33), lacks a tubercle situated posteromedially on the clypeus, has a pair of denticulate mesosternal processes, and has a shiny glabrous pygidium. Genitalia are illustrated by Pitts et al. (2009: Fig. 13 ).

Female. The female of this species has dense appressed setae 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 is excised and has a rounded tooth, flagellomere 1 is longer than flagellomere 2, the lateral margins of the posterior half of the mesosoma are parallel in dorsal view, the first segment of the metasoma is petiolate with the second, the second metasomal segment is of normal length being ~1 × as long as anterior width or just slightly greater, and the pygidium is strongly striate.

Material examined. Agama melicausa Holotype data : Texas, Belfrage ( ANSP). Mutilla brevicornis Syntype data : Texas ; Montana ( ANSP). Odontophotopsis mellicornis Holotype data : Nevada, Ormsby County, ( CUIC) . JTNP: 18–21.Jul.2012: 7 ♂ N9; 9 ♂ N7; 1 ♂ S1; 3 ♂ S11; 2 ♂ S13; 16 ♂ S18. 26–28.Aug.2012: 3 ♂ N7; 5 ♂ N3; 2 ♂ T; 3 ♂ S1; 1 ♂ S7; 2 ♂ S11; 3 ♂ S13. 22–24.Sep.2012: 3 ♂ N9; 3 ♂ N7; 4 ♂ N3; 4 ♂ S11; 8 ♂ S13; 7 ♂ S18.

Distribution. USA (Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming), Canada (British Columbia) and northern Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua, and Sonora).

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

Remarks. The taxonomy of this species is discussed in further detail in Pitts et al. (2009). Although this species is found throughout the west (e.g. Wilson et al. 2010; Pitts et al. 2009, 2010a; Boehme et al. 2012), this species seems to be more abundant in more northern areas of the Mojave Desert ( Table 2 & 3) and into the Great Basin Desert. This species is a member of the O. melicausa species-group.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 18. Odontophotopsis dalyi, sp. nov., genitalia, 13. ventral view, 14. dorsal view; Odontophotopsis odontoloxia, sp. nov., genitalia, 15. ventral view, 16. dorsal view; and Photomorphus schoenwerthi, sp. nov., genitalia, 17. ventral view, 18. dorsal view.