Acrophotopsis dirce ( Fox, 1899 )

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 : 334

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4319.2.4
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1Ecf4C4A-09Ca-42B4-A105-67Dec7863Fe5
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6032569
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/ED726D24-FFAE-FFCF-FF5F-FE14FD2C392B
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Acrophotopsis dirce ( Fox, 1899 )
status

Treatment

Acrophotopsis dirce ( Fox, 1899)

Mutilla dirce Fox, 1899 . Amer. Ent. Soc., Trans. 25: 257, ♀. Holotype: Arizona, Tucson, coll. Wickham, type no. 4651 ( ANSP).

Acrophotopsis eurygnathus Schuster 1958 . Ent. Amer. (n. s.) 37: 11 (in key), 65, ♂. Holotype: USA, Arizona, Gila Co., Globe View in CoL , 8.VII.1949, coll. Werner & Nutting (CASC). Synonymized by Pitts & Wilson (2009).

Diagnosis of male. This species is highly autapomorphic and has distinct genitalia with thick, flattened parameres that overlap in situ and stout cuspidis ( Pitts & McHugh 2002: Figs. 12–14 View FIGURES 9 – 12 View FIGURES 13 – 18 ); the apices of the cuspis are armed with straight, stout spines and the internal border of the cuspidis are armed with short, stout, ventrally curving spines, as well as sparse setae ( Pitts & McHugh 2002: Figs. l3 View FIGURES 1 – 4 , 14 View FIGURES 13 – 18 ). Additionally, this species lacks mesosternal armature, but has a flattened hypopygidium that is emarginated apically and carinate laterally, and a metasoma that is darker than the head and mesosoma, or has the integument of the mesosoma at least darkened under felt lines.

Diagnosis of female. The female of A. dirce can be separated from that of A. campylognatha Schuster by the mesosoma and second metasomal tergum being only densely punctate (see Pitts & Wilson, 2009: Fig. 3 View FIGURES 1 – 4 ) and the setae on the dorsum of the mesosoma and centrally on the second tergum being distinctly reddish-brown.

Material examined. Mutilla dirce Fox , Holotype: Arizona, Tucson, coll. Wickham, type no. 4651 (ANSP). Acrophotopsis eurygnathus Schuster Holotype: USA, Arizona, Gila Co., Globe , 8.VII.1949, coll. Werner and Nutting (CASC). JTNP: 18–21.Jul.2012: 1 ♂ N9; 20 ♂ N7; 4 ♂ N5; 3 ♂ N3; 12 ♂ N1; 9 ♂ T; 1 ♂ S1; 1 ♂ S5; 3 ♂ S9; 1 ♂ S13; 19 ♂ S18. 26–28.Aug.2012: 6 ♂ S1; 1 ♂ S3; 6 ♂ S9; 4 ♂ S18. 22–24.Sep.2012: 1 ♂ N3; 4 ♂ S9.

Distribution. USA (Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah) and northern Mexico (Sonora).

Activity. This species seems to be active earlier in the season at JTNP.

Remarks. This genus was reviewed by Pitts & McHugh (2002), and Pitts & Wilson (2009). It is closely related to Dilophotopsis Schuster and Schusterphotopsis Pitts (Pitts 2003) , with which it shares having the hypopygidium flattened and carinate posterolaterally. Although this species is found in the Mojave Desert (e.g. Ferguson 1967; Allred 1973 as A. eurygnatha ), this species seems to be more abundant in more southern areas of the Mojave Desert and into the Sonoran Desert ( Table 2 & 3).