Sphaeropthalma mendica ( 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 : 356-357

Sphaeropthalma mendica ( Blake, 1871)

Agama mendica Blake, 1871 . Amer. Ent. Soc., Trans. 3: 259. ♂. Syntype data: Nevada ( ANSP). Mutilla aspasia Blake, 1879 . Amer. Ent. Soc., Trans. 7: 250. ♀ . Holotype data: Nevada ( ANSP). Synonymized by Ferguson (1967).

Photopsis nebulosus Blake, 1886 . Amer. Ent. Soc., Trans. 13: 275. ♂. Holotype data: Nevada (ANSP). Synonymized by Ferguson (1967).

Diagnosis of male. This species has mandibles that are weakly excised ventrally with a indistinct basal tooth and an apex that is tridentate and oblique (see Pitts et al. 2010a: Fig. 55), the posterior margin of the head is quadrate, the mesosternum lacks processes, the second metasomal sternum has a distinct felt line, and the pygidium is granulate. The genitalia of this species are quite similar to those of S. angulifera . Genitalia are illustrated by Pitts et al. (2010a: Fig. 60).

Diagnosis of female. This species has the dorsum of the body covered with dense erect red to pale orange brachyplumose setae that obscure the integument; the ventral margin of the mandible has a slight excision, but lacks a ventral tooth and a dorsal tooth at termination of dorsal carina; the head below the eyes widens towards the mandibular insertions; the first metasoma segment is sessile with the second segment; and the pygidium is longitudinally striate and granulate between the striae; the eyes are larger than the distance from the posterior margin of the eye to the vertex of the head (the eye is from 1.2 to 1.4 times as big as the length from the margin of the eye to the vertex of the head); and the apical margins of the terga have dense fringes of white plumose setae.

Material examined. Agama mendica Syntype data : Nevada, type no. 4551 ( ANSP). Mutilla aspasia Holotype data : Nevada, type no. 4574 ( ANSP). Photopsis nebulosus Holotype data : Nevada, type no. 4549 ( ANSP) . JTNP: 18–21.Jul.2012: 1 ♂ N5; 3 ♂ N3; 2 ♂ N1; 1 ♂ T; 3 ♂ S1; 1 ♂ S3; 2 ♂ S13; 110 ♂ S18. 26–28.Aug.2012: 1 ♂ N7; 2 ♂ T; 11 ♂ S1; 1 ♂ S13; 14 ♂ S18. 22–24.Sep.2012: 1 ♂ T; 1 ♂ S1; 1 ♂ S3; 5 ♂ S9; 4 ♂ S13; 30 ♂ S18. 26– 28.Oct.2012: 1 ♂ S1.

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

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

Remarks. There is a wide array of integumental coloration in this species (Wilson & Pitts 2009). Specimens range from nearly black integument to a more reddish-brown color characteristic of most nocturnal mutillids. Female integumental coloration has a range similar to the males. At JTNP only the reddish-brown color form was collected. This species is a member of the S. unicolor species-group ( Pitts & Sadler 2015) and is typically abundant throughout its range ( Table 2 & 3).