Acrophotopsis campylognatha Schuster, 1958

Acrophotopsis campylognatha Schuster, 1958 , ♂ ♀

( Figs 82, 88 View FIGURES 81–92 , 94 View FIGURES 93–98 , 100, 106 View FIGURES 99–110 , 113–114 View FIGURES 111–118 , 129–132 View FIGURES 125–147 , 152–155 View FIGURES 148–163 )

Acrophotopsis campylognathus Schuster, 1958: 11 (in key), 69. Holotype male: Mexico, Baja California, Arroyo Rosarito , 29.III.1935, C.M. Brown (CASC), examined.

Diagnosis. FEMALE. The following combination of characters is diagnostic: the epaulet tubercle is blunt and usually shorter than the largest tubercles at the base of T2 ( Figs 82, 88 View FIGURES 81–92 ); the mesonotum has silvery to pale orange brachyplumose setae antero-mesally, the lateral and posterior areas have dense short distinctly plumose whitish setae ( Figs 82, 88 View FIGURES 81–92 , 94 View FIGURES 93–98 ); the T2 disc is covered with silvery to pale orange brachyplumose setae anteriorly, the posterior half of T2 is covered mostly with whitish setae ( Figs 82 View FIGURES 81–92 , 94 View FIGURES 93–98 ); and the pygidial plate is elongate triangular with densely microreticulate sculpture ( Fig. 106 View FIGURES 99–110 ). Body length 5–9 mm. MALE. This species can be immediately recognized by the uniformly pale brown body coloration ( Figs 113–114 View FIGURES 111–118 ). The following characters are also useful for diagnosis: frons without raised triangular carina adjacent to clypeus ( Figs 129–130 View FIGURES 125–147 ); pronotum with suture interrupted between epaulets; legs pale yellow-brown, without orange tint, contrasting with orange-brown mesosomal cuticle ( Figs 113– 114 View FIGURES 111–118 ); paramere not especially flattened apically; and cuspis elongate without specialized bristles ( Figs 152–153 View FIGURES 148–163 ). Body length 9–14 mm.

Description. Female (hitherto unknown). Coloration. Body uniformly pale brown, except legs and antennae lighter yellow-brown. Body setae entirely pale silvery, mesosomal dorsum andT2 disc anteriorly each with pale orange-brown setal patch. Head. Head width 0.85 × mesonotal width; vertex width 0.75 × mesonotal width. Frons convex; vertex rounded; frons and vertex areolate-punctate. Eye large, ovate, in lateral view, height 1.25 × width; in anterior view, inner eye margins sub-parallel, malar space 0.8 × eye height, vertex height 0.9 × eye height, interocular distance 2.0 × eye height. Clypeus with mesal tubercle. Genal sculpture areolate; without genal and postgenal carinae. Mandible oblique, bidentate apically; dorsal basal carina terminating in small sharp tooth in basal third; ventrally with large, rounded tooth basally. Antennal scrobe with apparent dorsal carina interrupted by adjacent areolation margins. Antennal tubercle rounded, with irregular carinae and punctures. F1 length 1.9 × pedicel length; F2 1.9 × pedicel length. Mesosoma. Mesosomal length 1.0 × width. Humeral carina mostly obliterated by surrounding areolation margins, terminating in low blunt apparent tubercle; epaulet placed on short tubercle; humeral corner forming blunt angle in dorsal view; lateral pronotal sculpture faintly areolate; setae sparse, brachyplumose; dorsal and lateral surfaces separated by low interrupted carina. Mesosomal dorsum coarsely areolate, intervals reduced to carinae and scattered tubercles; entire mesosomal dorsum with interspersed erect and appressed brachyplumose setae and numerous short bushy plumose setae, except bushy plumose setae absent from anteromesal portion of mesonotum; lacking scutellar scale or defined 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 73:85:99:100:85:74. Vertical mesopleural ridge with coarse areolations; metapleuron and mesopleuron (posterior to ridge) smooth with scattered brachyplumose setae. Propodeum areolate dorsally, evenly rounded into posterior face with shallower areolations; lateral propodeal surface mostly smooth with faint traces of areolations, differentiated from dorsal and posterior surfaces by punctation. Metasoma. T1 shape narrowly petiolate, apical width 0.35 × T2 maximum width; T1 disc areolate-punctate; disc setae interspersed short plumose and long brachyplumose; fringe plumose. S1 with blunt longitudinal ridge. T2 length 1.0 × width; disc areolate throughout with many longitudinal intervals cariniform, basally forming many scattered erect tubercles; disc setae mostly erect brachyplumose in anterior half, with short distinctly plumose setae on posterior half of disc; fringe plumose; T2 felt line ovate, 0.3 × T2 length; posterior felt line edge terminating at 0.7 × T2 length. S2 sculpture slightly finer than T2 sculpture, with baso-mesal longitudinal punctate ridge. T3–5 disc with interspersed appressed short and erect long simple to brachyplumose setae; fringe setae plumose. Pygidial plate elongate sub-triangular with posterior margin bluntly rounded, basal width 1.1 × mesal width, maximum length 1.2 × maximum width; sculpture uniformly microreticulate.

Material examined. MEXICO, Baja California: 2.5 mi NW Catavina ( 2♀, CSCA) ; 2.8 mi E San Telmo ( 1♀, CSCA) ; 31.7 mi WNW Bahia de Los Angeles ( 1♀, CSCA) ; Baja California Sur: Arroyo San Gregorio , 13 km WNW La Purissima ( 1♂, CSCA) ; Las Barracas , ca. 30 km E Santiago, 24–26.VI.1983 ( 1♀, MIUP) . USA: California, Riverside Co., P.L. Boyd Deep Canyon Research Station ( 4 ♀, UCRC) ; Chino Canyon, nr, Palm Springs , 20.IV.1960 ( 2♂ MIUP, 4♂ EMEC). See Pitts & McHugh (2002) for additional records .

Distribution. Mexico: Baja California and Baja California Sur; USA: California.

Remarks. A female was associated with Acr. campylognatha by Pitts & Wilson (2009), but this was based on misidentification. In both sexes, Acr. dirce is variable in color and can be mostly pale yellow-brown, like Acr. campylognatha . Examination of male genitalia and female pygidial shape is necessary to differentiate these species. True Acr. campylognatha apparently occur only in the western Sonoran and Peninsular deserts, from Palm Springs, California south to Baja California. On re-examination, previously published records of Acr. campylognatha from the Mojave Desert ( Wilson et al. 2010) were actually Acr. dirce (KAW & JPP, pers. obs.). Structurally, males of Acr. campylognatha are nearly identical to Acr. mickeli from Baja California Sur, and these species may eventually be recognized to be conspecific.

The females described here came from Deep Canyon near Palm Springs in Riverside County, CA , a locality where Acr. campylognatha is the only recorded Acrophotopsis male. Like Acr. mickeli , these females have a slender pygidial plate, which immediately separates them from only other species known from California, Acr. dirce .