Acanthophotopsis dorophora Schuster, 1958

Acanthophotopsis dorophora Schuster, 1958 , ♂ ♀

( Figs 3, 9 View FIGURES 2–13 , 15 View FIGURES 14–19 , 21 View FIGURES 20–26 , 28, 34 View FIGURES 27–38 , 42–44 View FIGURES 39–47 , 61–64 View FIGURES 57–68 )

Acanthophotopsis dorophora Schuster, 1958: 104 . Holotype male: USA, Arizona, Tucson , 26.VIII.1935, O. Byant (UMSP), examined.

Diagnosis. FEMALE. This species can be recognized by its coloration: the body cuticle is uniformly orange brown, with blackish-brown setae restricted to the basal patches of T2 ( Figs 3 View FIGURES 2–13 , 15 View FIGURES 14–19 ). T2 is longer than wide and coarsely areolate basally with separated to sparse punctures in the posterior half. Body length 8–10 mm. MALE. This species can be recognized by the following combination of characters: mandible tridentate without inward-facing blunt tooth ( Fig. 43 View FIGURES 39–47 ), apically vertical with the dorsal carina continuous to the inner apical tooth ( Fig. 44 View FIGURES 39–47 ); clypeus unarmed basally, forming horizontal plate ( Fig. 43 View FIGURES 39–47 ); vertex elongate with lateral margins parallel directly behind eyes; T1–2 mostly reddish-brown, concolorous with mesosoma, apical tergites sometimes darkened ( Fig. 21 View FIGURES 20–26 ); and free paramere length gradually tapering to acute apex ( Fig. 61 View FIGURES 57–68 ). Body length 10–15 mm.

Description. Female (hitherto unknown). Coloration. Body cuticle entirely brown, except legs and antennae slightly lighter yellow-brown, and T2 fringe and T3–6 somewhat darker brown. Body setae entirely pale yellowishwhite, except mesosomal dorsum with pale orange setae and T2 disc with anterolateral patches of dark brown setae. Head. Head width 0.85 × mesonotal width; vertex width 0.75 × mesonotal width. Frons convex; vertex elongated; frons and vertex areolate-punctate. Eye large, ovate, in lateral view, height 1.45 × width; in anterior view, inner eye margins sub-parallel, malar space 0.5 × eye height, vertex height 1.0 × eye height, interocular distance 1.75 × eye height. Clypeus with punctate basomesal longitudinal ridge. Gena sculpture areolate; genal and postgenal carinae obliterated. Mandible oblique, bidentate apically; dorsal basal carina gradually terminating near mid-length; ventral carina terminating in weak blunt angle. F1 length 1.55 × pedicel length; F2 1.6 × pedicel length. Mesosoma. Mesosomal length 1.0 × width; mesosomal length 0.8 × T2 length; mesosomal width 0.85 × T2 width. Humeral carina obliterated; humeral corner rounded; lateral pronotal sculpture areolate; setae sparse brachyplumose. Entire mesosoma areolate-punctate, except mesopleuron anterior to vertical mesopleural ridge and metapleuron below endophragmal pit with sparser sculpture; setae interspersed erect and appressed brachyplumose; lacking any trace of scutellar scale or transverse arcuate carinae. Ratio of transverse distances, in dorsal view, between epaulets, humeral angles, anterior spiracles, widest lateral mesonotal margins, propodeal spiracles, and posterolateral propodeal corners 69:88:99:100:84:78. Dorsal, posterior, and lateral propodeal surfaces evenly rounded into one another. Metasoma. T1 shape subsessile, widest apically, apical width 0.5 × T2 maximum width; T1 disc punctate dorsally; disc setae interspersed long simple and plumose; fringe setae plumose. S1 with blunt longitudinal raised area interrupted by punctures. T2 length 1.1 × width; disc with dense oblique punctures, intervals apparently shagreened, disc anteriorly slightly raised with punctures coarser and some intervals cariniform; disc setae interspersed erect and appressed; fringe setae plumose; T2 felt line linear, 0.4 × T2 length; posterior felt line edge terminating at 0.7 × T2 length. S2 sculpture slightly sparser than T2. T3–5 discs with interspersed short appressed simple setae and long erect brachyplumose setae; fringe setae plumose to brachyplumose. Pygidium smooth, convex, without defined pygidial plate.

Material examined. USA: California: Imperial Co., Palo Verde , 17.VIII.1946, P. Hurd ( 1♂ MIUP) ; Riverside Co. : Blythe , 2.XI.1936, C. Dammers ( 2♀, UMSP) ; Sand Dunes , 1 mi W Blythe, 23.V.1970, M. Wasbauer ( 1♂, CSCA) ; Nevada, Clark Co., Slim Creek below Blue Point Spring , 8.II–28.VI.1995, W. Pratt ( 2♀ 1♂, CASC) . See Tanner et al. (2009) for additional records .

Distribution. USA: Arizona, California, and Nevada *.

Remarks. This sex association is based on collection of two females and one male in the same pitfall trap setup in Nevada. In addition to their co-occurrence in the trap, the males and females are similar in size and coloration. Two identical females were found in Blythe, California in the Sonoran Desert ecoregion, where males have also been found. The females from Blythe are labeled with a manuscript name as S. ( A.) virgunculoides, apparently by Mickel or Schuster. The inspiration for this manuscript name ( Sphaerophthalma [sic] virguncula Blake, 1886 ) is transferred into Acanthophotopsis below.