Odontophotopsis quadridentata 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 : 345

Odontophotopsis quadridentata Schuster, 1958

Odontophotopsis (Odontophotopsis) quadridentata Schuster, 1958 . Ent. Amer. (n. s.) 37: 51, ♂. Holotype: California, Kern Co., Taft , 13.Jun.1942, W.C. Cook ( UMSP).

Diagnosis of male. This species has unique mesosternal processes. The mesosternum is armed along the midline with four separated subequal spine-like processes, with two processes on each side of midline that are arranged in almost a square shaped pattern with the posterior pair slightly wider apart than the anterior pair. Sometimes a third smaller tooth is present posterior to the second tooth as in Fig. 24 ( Pitts 2007). The setal coloration varies from white to pale golden, while the integument is orange. The mandible is tridentate and deeply excised ventrally (see Pitts 2007: Fig. 23) with the apical portion moderately dilated, but not contorted or ventrally curved as in O. exogyra (see Pitts 2007: Fig. 13, 14 ). Also, the metasoma is petiolate and slightly nodose, the pygidium varies from polished to slightly granulate but is undefined laterally and has a dense apical fringe of setae.

Material examined. Holotype: California, Kern Co., Taft , 13.Jun.1942, W.C. Cook ( UMSP).

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

Remarks. This species was not collected in the course of this study and specimens have not been seen of it from JTNP, but may occur in JTNP. This species was reviewed in Pitts (2007) and is placed in its own speciesgroup.

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.