Sphaeropthalma amphion Fox
Creators: name: Pitts, James P.
name: Wilson, Joseph S.
name: Williams, Kevin A.
name: Boehme, Nicole F.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Mutillidae
Sphaeropthalma
Sphaeropthalma amphion

description: Sphaeropthalma amphion (Fox)
Mutilla amphion Fox, 1899. Amer. Ent. Soc., Trans. 25: 263, male. Holotype data: Nevada (ANSP).
Photopsis abstrusa Baker, 1905. Invertebrata Pacifica 1: 113, male. Holotype data: California (CUIC). Photopsis nudata Baker, 1905. Invertebrata Pacifica 1: 114, male. Holotype data: California (CUIC).
Diagnosis of male. The male of this species can be recognized by having the mandible with a somewhat tapered apex and with the dorsal carina becoming obsolete distally such that the distal portion of mandible is oblique (Fig. 15). Also, the marginal cell length is short being 0.5–0.9X length of stigma, and this species lacks a sternal felt line. In addition to the mandibular morphology, the genitalia are diagnostic (Fig. 52). The cuspis is elongate (0.7–0.8X free length of paramere) and is dilated towards its apex and has the ventral portion, especially at the apex and inner margin, clothed with long dense setae that have their apices plumose. Diagnosis of female. Pitts et al. (2004) associated and described the female of this species.
Distribution. Found in the xeric regions of Arizona, California, Nevada, Baja California, Mexico, Nevada and Utah, including the Sonoran Desert, Great Basin Desert, Mojave Desert, Colorado Plateau, and San Joaquin Valley.
Hosts. Ancistrocerus c. catskill (Saussure), A. simulator Cameron, Ancistocerus sp., Anthocopa copelandica (Cockerell), Ashmeadiella bigeloviae (Cockerell), A. gillettei Titus, A. meliloti (Cockerell), Ashmeadiella sp., Atoposmia hypostomalis Michener, Chrysis derivata du Buysson, Hoplitis bullifacies (Michener), Hoplitis f. fulgida (Cresson), H. g. grinnelli (Cockerell), H. sambuci Titus, Leptochilus chiricahua Parker, L. rufinodus (Cresson), Leptochilus sp., Osmia marginata Michener, Pisonopsis birkmanni Rohwer, Pisonopsis sp., Sapyga aculeata Cresson on Hoplitis sambuci, Sapyga elegans Cresson on Hoplitis fulgida, Sarcophagidae sp. (Diptera), Stelis sp. on Hoplitis bullifacies, Stelis spp., Trypargilum t. tridentatum (Packard), Trypargilum sp.
Material examined. California, Riverside Co., Deep Canyon: 4 males, 15. Mar.2007, 1 male, 12. Apr.1975, 1 male, 15. May.1969, 1 male, 19. May.1973, 7 males, 22–23. May.2007, 5 males, 23– 24. May.2007, 1 male, 24–26. Jun.1969, 2 males, 23. Jul.1969, 1 male, 3–7. Aug.1969, 1 male, 25– 26. Aug.1969, 1 male, 25. Sep.1969, 20 males, 26.Sep–6. Oct.1969, 1 male, 6–8. Oct.1969, 1 male, 15– 16. Oct.1969, 1 male, 18–20. Oct.1969, 1 male, 11.Nov.1969.
Remarks. Pitts et al. (2004) placed this species in the S. uro species-group and discovered the female. This species is widespread throughout much of the western United States. It is similar to S. ignacio, especially the shape of the cuspis of the genitalia, and can be separated from this species by differences in the marginal cell and type of setae on the cuspis. The marginal cell of S. amphion is shorter than the stigma and the cuspis bears plumose tipped setae, while the marginal cell of S. ignacio is at least 1.75X the length of the stigma and the cuspis bears setae with bifid tips.
description: Published as part of Pitts, James P., Wilson, Joseph S., Williams, Kevin A. & Boehme, Nicole F., 2010, Nocturnal velvet ant males (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) of Deep Canyon, California including four new species and a fifth new species from Owens Lake Valley, California, pp. 1-34 in Zootaxa 2553 on pages 12-14, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.196847