Sphaeropthalma sublobata Schuster, 1958

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 : 359

Sphaeropthalma sublobata Schuster, 1958

Sphaeropthalma (Micromutilla) sublobata Schuster, 1958 . Ent. Amer. (n. s.) 37: 16. ♂. Holotype data: Mt. Home , Idaho, 7.Jul.1951, J. Nottingham ( SEMC) .

Diagnosis of male. This species can be recognized by the weakly excised mandibles that are oblique apically (see Pitts et al. 2010a: Fig. 28), a marginal cell that is approximately 0.75 × the length of the stigma, the mesosternum lacks processes, the first metasomal segment is sessile with the second, plumose setal fringes are present on the metasoma, the hind coxa has large lobes, the pygidium glabrous, and the cuspis of the genitalia is thickened, densely setose, and long being approximately 0.75 × the free length of the paramere (see Pitts et al. 2010a: Fig. 62).

Female. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype data: Mt. Home , Idaho, 7.Jul.1951, J . Nottingham. ( SEMC) . USA: California: San Bernardino County: Joshua Tree National Park, Dale Mine, 2 ♂, 25.May.2012, F. & T. Cambon ( EMUS) . JTNP: 18–21.Jul.2012: 1 ♂ T.

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

Activity. This species is seemingly rare throughout its range.

Remarks. Schuster designated a holotype from Mt. Home, Idaho. He also designated a holotype from Ehrenberg, Arizona located in UMSP. This second holotype is not conspecific with the first holotype and does not match the characters Schuster (1958) listed for this species in his key. This species is a member of the S. brachyptera species-group ( Pitts & Sadler 2015) and is seemingly rare throughout its range ( Table 2 & 3).