Sphaeropthalma becki Ferguson 1967
Creators: name: Boehme, Nicole F.
name: Tanner, David A.
name: Williams, Kevin A.
name: Pitts, James P.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Mutillidae
Sphaeropthalma
Sphaeropthalma becki

description: Sphaeropthalma becki Ferguson, 1967
Sphaeropthalma (Micromutilla) becki Ferguson, 1967: 9,
3. Holotype: Nevada, Nye County, Hillside, 0.85 mi NNW Mercury (NMNH).
Diagnosis. MALE. This species is recognized by the deeply excised mandible with the tooth forming an oblique angle (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 45), the lack of mesosternal processes, the marginal cell shorter than the stigma, the first segment of the metasoma petiolate with the second segment, and the genitalia with a short cylindrical cuspis (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 2). FEMALE. Unknown.
Material examined. Type material. Holotype of S. becki: Nevada, Nye County, Hillside, 0.85 mi NNW Mercury, 23 Aug 1964, W.E. Ferguson (NMNH). Other material. Nevada, Nye Co., AMNWR: Non-dune site 1: 1 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, 1 ♂, PT, 7. VII.2009, 6 ♂, LT, 4–6.VIII.2009, NFB; Non-dune site 2: 1 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 1 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, NFB; Non-dune site 3: 2 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, NFB, 1 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 10 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, 5 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 19 ♂, LT, 4–6.VIII.2009, 13 ♂, LT, 17–19.VIII.2009, 1 ♂, PT, 4.IX.2009, NFB; Non-dune site 4: 9 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 5 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, 11 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 6 ♂, LT, 17–19.VIII.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, NFB; Sand dune site 1: 8 ♂, LT, 26.VI.2008, NFB, DAT & JPP, 1 ♂, PT, 5.VIII.2008, NFB, 1 ♂, PT, 19.XII.2008, NFB & SDB, 99 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, NFB, 15 ♂, LT, 1 ♂, PT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 26 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 10 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, 60 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 3 ♂, LT, 2 ♂, PT, 4–6.VIII.2009, 35 ♂, LT, 17–19.VIII.2009, 6 ♂, LT, 4–6.IX.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, NFB; Sand dune site 2: 2 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, 3 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, 5 ♂, LT, 1 ♂, MT, 21–23.VII.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 17–19.VIII.2009, NFB; Sand dune site 3: 1 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 4–6.IX.2009, NFB; Sand dune site 4: 2 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 1 ♂, MT, 6–9.VII.2009, 10 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, NFB; Sand dune site 5: 2 ♂, LT, 13.VI.2008, NFB & DAT, 7 ♂, LT, 24.VI.2008, NFB, DAT & JPP 2 ♂, LT, 23.VII.2008, NFB & DAT, 4 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, 3 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, 6 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 13 ♂, LT, 17–19.VIII.2009, 4 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, NFB; Non-dune site 5: 6 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, NFB, 4 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 6 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, 15 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 4–8.VIII.2009, 4 ♂, LT, 4–6.IX.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, NFB; Copeland site: 1 ♂, LT, 13. VI.2008, 1 ♂, LT, 14.V.2008, NFB & DAT; Spring meadows site: 1 ♂, PT, 26.VI.2008, NFB, DAT & JPP, 1 ♂, PT, 5.VIII.2008, NFB.
Distribution. USA (Arizona, California and Nevada).
Activity. Males were active from late spring throughout the summer (June through September).
Remarks. Sphaeropthalma becki were distributed uniformly over sand dune and non-dune habitats (U=13.5, p>0.2). Four hundred eighty-eight S. becki males were collected from late May through September via light, pitfall and malaise trapping. Eighteen S. becki males were found at the NTS from July through August via light and pitfall trapping (Ferguson 1967).
description: Published as part of Boehme, Nicole F., Tanner, David A., Williams, Kevin A. & Pitts, James P., 2012, Faunal study of velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) and their activity patterns and habitat preference at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nye County, Nevada, USA, pp. 1-45 in Zootaxa 3587 on page 27, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3587.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/283115