Sphaeropthalma blakeii ( Fox, 1893 )

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 : 352-353

Sphaeropthalma blakeii ( Fox, 1893)

Photopsis Blakeii Fox, 1893 . Calif. Acad. Sci., Proc. 4: 6. ♂. Lectotype data: Baja California, San Jose del Cabo (ANSP). Mutilla Gautschii Dalla Torre, 1897 . Cat. Hym. 50. New name erroneously proposed for Photopsis Blakeii Fox , thought to be preoccupied by Cameron, 1894.

Mutilla ceyx Fox, 1899 . Amer. Ent. Soc., Trans. 25: 262. ♂. Lectotype data: Calmili Mines (ANSP). Synonymized by Ferguson (1967).

Diagnosis of male. This species is easily recognized by the posterior margin of the head being quadrate, by the weakly excised mandible that is dilated apically (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 37), by the large stigma that is slightly longer than the marginal cell, by the denticles on the internal margin of the hind coxa, by the lack of mesosternal processes, by the quadrate pygidium, and by the lobate dorsoventrally flattened condition of the cuspis, which has long setae along the internal margin that coalesce apically (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 23).

Diagnosis of female. The female of this species can be diagnosed by the following combination of characters: the dorsum of the body is covered with sparse erect brachyplumose setae, but the integument is not obscured, the ventral margin of the mandible lacks an excision and lacks a dorsal tooth at the termination of the dorsal carina, the head below eyes is parallel, the head evenly rounded in lateral view, the first metasomal segment is sessile with the second segment and the pygidium is granulate.

Material examined. Lectotype data: Baja California, San Jose del Cabo ( ANSP) . JTNP: 18–21.Jul.2012: 3 ♂ N9; 3 ♂ N7; 12 ♂ N5; 6 ♂ N3; 3 ♂ N1; 1 ♂ T; 1 ♂ S7; 1 ♂ S11; 12 ♂ S18. 26–28.Aug.2012: 1 ♂ N7; 2 ♂ N3; 1 ♂ S1; 6 ♂ S3; 1 ♂ S5; 2 ♂ S9; 1 ♂ S11; 2 ♂ S13; 1 ♂ S18. 22–24.Sep.2012: 8 ♂ N9; 6 ♂ N7; 25 ♂ N5; 58 ♂ N3; 1 ♂ N1; 1 ♂ T; 13 ♂ S1; 13 ♂ S3; 4 ♂ S5; 9 ♂ S7; 13 ♂ S9; 15 ♂ S11; 54 ♂ S13; 77 ♂ S18. 26–28.Oct.2012: 4 ♂ N1; 1 ♂ S1; 10 ♂ S5; 8 ♂ S7; 16 ♂ S9; 1 ♂ S11; 2 ♂ S13; 3 ♂ S18.

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

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

Remarks. Pitts et al. (2009) recently associated the sexes of this species and discussed the taxonomy. It is placed in the S. blakeii species-group ( Pitts & Sadler 2015) and is abundant throughout its range ( Table 2 & 3; e.g. Ferguson 1967; Pitts et al. 2009, 2010a; Wilson et al. 2010; Boehme et al. 2012).