Sphaeropthalma angulifera Schuster

Sphaeropthalma (Photopsis) angulifera Schuster, 1958 . Ent. Amer. 37: 32. Male. Holotype data: California, Kern Co., Bakersfield (CASC).

Diagnosis of male. The male of this species can be recognized by having mandibles that are weakly excised ventrally with a distinct angulate basal tooth (Figs 16, 54) and an apex that is tridentate and oblique (Figs 15, 54), but most importantly the dorsal carina of the mandible is angulate at the midpoint of the mandible coinciding with the ventral tooth (Figs 16, 54), the posterior margin of the head is quadrate, the mesosternum lacks processes, the second metasomal sternite has a distinct felt line, and the pygidium is granulate. The genitalia also help to diagnose this species (Fig. 53); the cuspis is a uniform diameter from the base to the apex.

Diagnosis of female. Wilson & Pitts (2009) diagnosed the female based on associations made from similarities of the female to that of S. mendica and distributional data.

Material examined. California, Riverside Co.: Deep Canyon, 1 male, 13–18. Jul.1973, 1 male, 18– 19.Jul.1969.

Distribution. This species is found in the Mojave and Western Sonoran deserts.

Remarks. Sphaeropthalma angulifera is morphologically similar to S. unicolor and S. mendica, but can be differentiated from these two species by mandibular morphology (Wilson & Pitts 2009). Although this species is found throughout the Mojave and western Sonoran Deserts, it is extremely rare.