Odontophotopsis unicornis 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 : 347

Odontophotopsis unicornis Schuster, 1958

Odontophotopsis (Odontophotopsis) unicornis Schuster, 1958 . Ent. Amer. (n. s.) 37: 52. ♂. Neotype data: USA: AZ: Graham Co., 2.4 mi W Hwy 366 From Hwy 191, 3800’, 14–26.Aug.1993, Hara ( EMUS).

Diagnosis of male. This species has the clypeus concave with a tuberculate process at median proximal margin, but the process is narrowly linguiform, is produced downward over clypeus, is prominent and is much longer than wide (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 108). Additionally, the anterior margin of the clypeus is distinctly emarginated and turned outward, the ocellar area usually is concolorous with the head, but sometimes slightly infuscated, the cuspis is slightly narrowed medially having an apex with stout setae while having thinner setae medially and has an inner margin with circular area of dense short setae. Genitalia are as in Pitts (2007: Figs. 54–56).

Female. Unknown.

Material examined. Neotype data: USA: AZ: Graham Co., 2.4 mi W Hwy 366 From Hwy 191, 3800’, 14– 26.Aug.1993, Hara ( EMUS) . USA: California: San Bernardino County: Joshua Tree National Park, Oasis of Mara , 1 ♂, 20.Sep.2012, D. Garrett ( EMUS) .

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

Activity. This species is seemingly rare at JTNP.

Remarks. Pitts (2007) was unable to locate Schuster’s holotype for this species and designated a neotype. A more thorough discussion of this species can be found in Pitts (2007) and Wilson & Pitts (2010b). This species is most common in the Sonoran Desert (e.g. Pitts et al. 2009; Wilson et al. 2010) and is in the O. unicornis speciesgroup along with O. erebus ( Melander, 1903) .