Sphaeropthalma yumaella Schuster 1958
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 yumaella

description: Sphaeropthalma yumaella Schuster, 1958
Sphaeropthalma (Micromutilla) yumaella Schuster, 1958: 19,
3. Holotype: Arizona, Yuma County, Wellton (CUIC).
Diagnosis. MALE. This species is recognized by the strongly excised mandible (see Pitts et al. 2010a: Fig. 31), the lack of mesosternal processes, the marginal cell being shorter than the stigma, the first segment of the metasoma sessile with the second segment, and the genitalia with a long thick cylindrical cuspis that tapers apically and has a large basal pit on the internal margin (see Pitts et al. 2009: Fig. 6). FEMALE. Unknown.
Material examined. Type material. Holotype of S. yumaella: Arizona, Yuma County, Wellton (CUIC). Other material. Nevada, Nye Co., AMNWR: Non-dune site 1: 1 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, NFB; Non-dune site 2: 1 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, NFB, 1 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 4 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 4–6.VIII.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 17–19.VIII.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, NFB; Non-dune site 3: 1 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 4–6.VIII.2009, NFB; Non-dune site 4: 1 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 4–6.VIII.2009, NFB; Sand dune site 1: 19 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, NFB, 2 ♂, LT, 1 ♂, PT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 2 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 4 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, 5 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 18–23.IX.2009, NFB; Sand dune site 3: 1 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, NFB; Sand dune site 4: 1 ♂, LT, 9.VI.2008, NFB & DAT, 2 ♂, LT, 12–14.V.2009, 14 ♂, LT, 26–28.V.2009, NFB, 1 ♂, LT, 8–15.VI.2009, NFB & DAT, 1 ♂, LT, 23–25.VI.2009, 1 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, NFB; Sand dune site 5: 3 ♂, LT, 24.VI.2008, NFB, DAT & JPP, 2 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, NFB; Non-dune site 5: 9 ♂, LT, 6–8.VII.2009, 2 ♂, LT, 21–23.VII.2009, NFB; Copeland site: 1 ♂, LT, 5.V.2008, DAT, 2 ♂, LT, 14.V.2008, NFB & DAT.
Distribution. USA (Arizona, California and Nevada), Mexico (Baja California).
Activity. Males were active from mid-spring through late summer (May through mid-September).
Remarks. Sphaeropthalma yumaella were distributed uniformly over sand dune and non-dune habitats (U=13, p>0.2). Ninety-two S. yumaella males were collected from May through September via light trapping. Sphaeropthalma yumaella was not found at the NTS.
This species is widespread (Pitts et al. 2009). Based on mandibular and genitalic morphology, along with wing venation similarities, this species is closely related to S. brachyptera Schuster, S. noctivaga (Melander), S. sublobata Schuster, and Odontophotopsis piute Mickel. Additional taxonomic description for this species can be found in Pitts et al. (2009).
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 39, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3587.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/283115