Acanthophotopsis snellingi Tanner & Pitts, 2009

Acanthophotopsis snellingi Tanner & Pitts, 2009 , ♂ ♀

( Figs 6, 12 View FIGURES 2–13 , 18 View FIGURES 14–19 , 25 View FIGURES 20–26 , 31, 37 View FIGURES 27–38 , 51–53 View FIGURES 48–56 , 73–76 View FIGURES 69–80 )

Acanthophotopsis snellingi Tanner & Pitts in Tanner et al., 2009: 201. Holotype male: Mexico, Zacatecas, 9 mi S Fresnillo , 18.VIII.1956, D. D. Linsdale (EMEC), 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 mesonotum and the basal patches of T2 ( Figs 6 View FIGURES 2–13 , 18 View FIGURES 14–19 ). T2 is wider than long and coarsely areolate basally with separated to sparse punctures in the posterior half. Body length 6.0 mm. MALE. This species can be recognized by the following combination of characters: mandible tridentate without inward-facing blunt tooth ( Fig. 52 View FIGURES 48–56 ), apically vertical with the dorsal carina continuous to the inner apical tooth ( Fig. 53 View FIGURES 48–56 ); clypeus unarmed basally, forming horizontal plate ( Fig. 51 View FIGURES 48–56 ); vertex elongate with lateral margins parallel directly behind eyes ( Fig. 31 View FIGURES 27–38 ); T1–2 mostly reddish-brown, concolorous with mesosoma, apical tergites often darkened ( Fig. 25 View FIGURES 20–26 ); and free paramere length wide throughout its length until extreme apex ( Fig. 73 View FIGURES 69–80 ). Body length 11.5 mm.

Description. Female (hitherto unknown). Coloration. Body cuticle entirely orange-brown, except T2 fringe and T3–6 darker brown. Body setae entirely pale yellowish white, except mesosomal dorsum anteriorly and T2 disc with anterolateral patches of blackish-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, subcircular, in lateral view, height 1.2 × width; in anterior view, inner eye margins sub-parallel, malar space 0.65 × eye height, vertex height 1.5 × eye height, interocular distance 2.1 × 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. Antennal scrobe with faint trace of interrupted dorsal carina. Antennal tubercle smooth, tubercles separated. F1 length 1.5 × pedicel length; F2 1.6 × pedicel length. Mesosoma. Mesosomal length 1.1 × width; mesosomal length 0.95 × T2 length; mesosomal width 0.8 × T2 width. Humeral carina obliterated; humeral corner rounded; lateral pronotal sculpture areolate; setae sparse brachyplumose. Entire mesosoma areolate-punctate, except mesopleuron anterior and posterior to vertical mesopleural ridge and metapleuron surrounding 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 73:86:98:100:83:64. Dorsal, posterior, and lateral propodeal surfaces evenly rounded into one another. Metasoma. T1 shape subpetiolate, widest apically, apical width 0.35 × T2 maximum width; T1 disc areolate-punctate dorsally; disc setae interspersed long simple and short plumose; fringe setae plumose. S1 with high blunt longitudinal carina. T2 length 0.9 × width; disc areolate-punctate, many intervals cariniform, disc anteriorly slightly raised with slightly coarser sculpture; disc setae interspersed erect and appressed; fringe setae plumose; T2 felt line linear, 0.35 × T2 length; posterior felt line edge terminating at 0.65 × T2 length. S2 sculpture slightly sparser than T2. T3–5 discs with interspersed short appressed simple setae, short erect plumose setae, and long erect brachyplumose setae; fringe setae plumose to brachyplumose. Pygidium smooth, convex, without defined pygidial plate.

Material examined. MEXICO: Durango, 20 mi S Rodeo , 21.VIII.1960 ( 1♀, AMNH) ; Zacatecas, 9 mi. S Fresnillo , 20.VIII.1956, D. D. Linsdale ( 1 ♂ paratype, EMEC) ; 15 km E. Sombrerete , 28–31.VII.1951 ( 2♂, EMEC) . See Tanner et al. (2009) for additional records.

Distribution. Mexico: Chihuahua, Durango *, and Zacatecas.

Remarks. This species is rare; it was described based on three specimens and only two additional males were found in the course of this study. Although it overlaps with Aca. evansii and Aca. bequaertii in central Mexico, it is the only Acanthophotopsis species whose distribution does not extend North into the USA and it occurs farther South than any other Acanthophotopsis species. Structurally, males of Aca. snellingi are similar to Aca. dorophora , particularly in the head and mandible shape. A single female from Durango was found with similar morphology and coloration to the female of Aca. dorophora . Although Aca. snellingi has not been collected in Durango, it was collected in the adjacent states of Zacatecas and Chihuahua. Based on geographic distribution and similarity to Aca. dorophora , we recognize this as the previously unknown female of Aca. snellingi .