Acrophotopsis dirce ( Fox, 1899 )

Acrophotopsis dirce ( Fox, 1899) , ♂ ♀

( Figs 83–84, 89 View FIGURES 81–92 , 95–96 View FIGURES 93–98 , 101–102, 107–108 View FIGURES 99–110 , 115–118 View FIGURES 111–118 , 133–136 View FIGURES 125–147 , 156–159, 160–163 View FIGURES 148–163 )

Mutilla dirce Fox, 1899: 257 . Holotype female: Arizona, Tucson, coll. Wickham, type no. 4651 (ANSP), examined.

Acrophotopsis eurygnathus Schuster, 1958: 11 (in key), 65. Holotype male: USA, Arizona, Gila Co., Globe, 8.VII.1949, coll. Werner & Nutting (CASC), examined. Synonymized by Pitts & Wilson (2009).

Acrophotopsis dirce : Pitts & Wilson 2009: 207. Transferred into Acrophotopsis and associated with male.

Acrophotopsis campylognatha : Pitts & Wilson 2009: 207. Female association was based on misidentification.

Diagnosis. FEMALE. This species can be recognized immediately by the short triangular pygidial plate, which is wider than long and uniformly microreticulate ( Figs 107–108 View FIGURES 99–110 ). Features considered diagnostic for other species in this genus all seem to vary within Acr. dirce : the epaulet tubercle can be sharp or blunt; the mesonotum and T2 disc setae vary from silvery to dark brown ( Figs 83–84 View FIGURES 81–92 , 95–96 View FIGURES 93–98 ); and the short bushy plumose setae can be present or absent from the lateral and posterior areas of the mesonotum and the posterior half of the T2 disc. Body length 4.5–8.5 mm. MALE. This species can be immediately recognized by the paramere that is dorsoventrally flattened throughout its length ( Figs 160–161 View FIGURES 148–163 ). The following characters are also useful for diagnosis: frons without raised triangular carina adjacent to clypeus ( Figs 133–134 View FIGURES 125–147 ); pronotum with suture interrupted between epaulets; legs mostly or entirely pale yellow-brown, without orange tint, contrasting with orange-brown mesosomal cuticle ( Figs 115–118 View FIGURES 111–118 ); metasoma largely blackened, at least around felt lines on T2 ( Figs 115–118 View FIGURES 111–118 ); and cuspis relatively short and parallel-sided without specialized bristles ( Figs 160–161 View FIGURES 148–163 ). Body length 8–13 mm.

Material examined. MEXICO: Sonora: 8 km NW San Carlos, SW Sierra Aguaje , 30.III–5.IV.2006, malaise trap, 27°03.00'N 108°43.91'W, M.E. Irwin and F.D. Parker ( 5♂, EMUS) GoogleMaps ; 8 mi SE Alamos , 28.III.1961 ( 2♂, CASC) ; 16 mi SE Empalme , 8.V.1953 ( 1♂ MIUP, 2♂ EMEC) ; 40 mi N Hermosillo , 8.VIII.1960, P.H. Arnaud, E.S. Ross, and D.C. Rentz ( 1♂, CASC) ; 47 km ENE Alamos, 3.7 km ENE Rancho los Llanos, El Chalate, malaise at water in tropical deciduous forest, 700 m, 27°04.9'N 108°45.4'W, 1–6.VI.2007, M.E. Irwin ( 1♂, EMUS) GoogleMaps ; Alamos , 4.IX.1970, W.J. Hanson and T.L. Whitworth ( 1♂, EMUS) ; Desemboque , 20–31.VII.1953, B. Malkin ( 1♂, CASC) ; 1–15.VIII.1953, B. Malkin ( 2♂, CASC) ; San Bernardo , 30.VII.1935, H.S. Gentry ( 1♂, CASC) ; San Carlos Bay , 13.VII.1965, W.E. Ferguson ( 2♂, CASC) . USA: Arizona: Cochise Co. : 3 mi W US 66, road to Dragoon ( 1♀, FSCA) ; 4 mi E Portal ( 1♀, EMEC) ; Cave Creek Canyon ( 1♀, TAMU) ; Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge ( 1♀, EMUS) ; Sunsites , ironwood & Sherwood Roads ( 1♀, FSCA) ; Mohave Co. : 15 mi SE Boulder Dam ( 1♀, CSCA) ; Lime Kiln Canyon Road , 7.2 mi. SE Virgin River ( 6♀, CSCA) ; Santa Cruz Co. : Duquesne Road , 5.7 mi E Kino Springs Road ( 12♀, CSCA) ; Duquesne Road, W edge National Forest ( 19♀, CSCA) ; Jct. Duquesne Road and Kino Springs Drive ( 6♀, CSCA) ; Santa Cruz Co., Proctor Road near Madera Canyon ( 2♀, CSCA) ; Yavapai Co., Date Creek Wash, Hwy. 93 ( 2♀, CSCA) ; California: Inyo Co. : 2.5 mi S, 2.5 mi W Big Pine ( 6♀, CSCA) ; 2 mi S, 1 mi W Lone Pine , Alabama Hills sand habitat ( 1♀, EMEC) ; 3 mi N Lone Pine ( 5♀, CSCA) ; 3 mi NNW Lone Pine, Owens Valley ( 1♀, EMEC) ; Owens Lake Valley ( 12♀, CSCA) ; Sierra Nevada range, 1 mi. W Big Pine ( 2♀, CSCA) ; Big Pine Creek , 1 mi W Big Pine ( 2♀, EMEC) ; Paxton Sand Dunes , 13 mi N, 1 mi E Ridgecrest ( 1♀, EMEC) ; San Bernardino Co. : Joshua Tree National Monument, Pleasant Valley ( 2♀, CASC) ; Joshua Tree National Park , 49 Palms ( 1♀, CSCA) ; Panamint Range, Butte Valley , Anvil Spring ( 1♀, CSCA) ; Nevada: Clark Co., Lava Butte Wash at NV167 ( 1♀, CASC) ; Lincoln Co., Beaver Dam State Park , 11.VIII.1971, G.M. Nishida and D.F. Zoller ( 1♂, EMUS) ; Nye Co., Mercury ( 1♀, EMUS) ; NE Foothills, Muddy Mts. ( 1♀, CASC) ; Newberry Mts , N of Bridge Canyon ( 1♀, CASC) ; New Mexico: Hidalgo Co.: Lordsburg ( 3♀, FSCA) ; Stone Cabin , U ranch ( 2♀, FSCA EMUS) ; Highway 113, 11 mi S Interstate 10, lantern trap, K. A. Williams: 19–20.V.2009 ( 8 ♂, EMUS) ; 10–13.VIII.2009 ( 11 ♂, EMUS) ; Luna Co. , 14.5 mi W Deming on Interstate 10, lantern trap, K. A. Williams : 19–20.V.2009 ( 16 ♂, EMUS) ; 10–13.VIII.2009 ( 2 ♂, EMUS) ; Socorro Co., Sevilleta NWR ( 1♀, EMUS) . Utah, Washington Co.: Beaver Dam Wash, Lytle Ranch Preserve , 20.VII–6.VIII.1987, W.J. Hanson ( 3♂, EMUS) ; Leeds Canyon , 17.VII.1980, Hanson, Knowlton, and Clemons ( 2♂, EMUS) ; Snow Canyon , 15.VI.1983, W.J. Hanson ( 1♂, EMUS) . See Pitts & McHugh (2002) for additional records. We examined 40 additional females and nearly 2,000 males from various similar localities ( ASUT, CNCI, DGMC, EMUS, UMSP) .

Distribution. Mexico: Sonora; USA: Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Remarks. This is the most common and widely distributed species in Acrophotopsis . Females from the Madrean Archipelago in southeastern Arizona and New Mexico (Eastern morph) tend to have fewer plumose setae on the T2 disc and mesonotum than those seen in females from the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts in Arizona, California, and Nevada (Western morph). Eastern morph males tend to have the hind femur dark brown apically ( Fig. 118 View FIGURES 111–118 ) and the cuspis slightly longer and more acutely pointed apically, while Western morph males tend to have the legs uniformly pale yellow-brown ( Fig. 117 View FIGURES 111–118 ) and the cuspis slightly shorter and apically blunter. Eastern morph females seem to always have the mesonotum and T2 disc with dark brown setae ( Figs 83 View FIGURES 81–92 , 95 View FIGURES 93–98 ), while Western morph females have these setal patches varying from brown to pale yellow or silvery (e.g. Figs 84 View FIGURES 81–92 , 96 View FIGURES 93–98 ). Future studies on Acr. dirce could reveal that these are discrete species, rather than regional variants.

The published DNA sequences of Acr. dirce from Pitts & Wilson (2009) actually belong to Acr. paratropicalis sp. nov., and the specimens that were discussed as Acr. campylognatha in Pitts & Wilson (2009) belong to Acr. dirce .