Acrophotopsis mickeli Pitts, 2002

Acrophotopsis mickeli Pitts, 2002 , ♂ ♀

( Figs 85, 90 View FIGURES 81–92 , 97 View FIGURES 93–98 , 103, 109 View FIGURES 99–110 , 119–120 View FIGURES 119–124 , 137–140 View FIGURES 125–147 , 164–167 View FIGURES 164–175 )

Acrophotopsis mickeli Pitts in Pitts & McHugh, 2002: 341. Holotype male: Mexico, Baja California Sur, 6 mi SW Santiago , 31.VIII.1959, Light Trap, K.W. Radford and F.G. Werner (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 ( Fig. 91 View FIGURES 81–92 ); the mesonotum has brown brachyplumose setae antero-mesally, the lateral and posterior areas have dense short distinctly plumose whitish setae ( Figs 85, 91 View FIGURES 81–92 , 97 View FIGURES 93–98 ); the T2 disc is covered with brown brachyplumose setae anteriorly, the posterior half of T2 is covered mostly with whitish setae ( Figs 85 View FIGURES 81–92 , 97 View FIGURES 93–98 ); and the pygidial plate is elongate triangular with densely microreticulate sculpture ( Fig. 109 View FIGURES 99–110 ). Body length 4.5–8.5 mm. MALE. This species can be recognized by the following combination of characters: frons without raised triangular carina adjacent to clypeus ( Figs 137–138 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 119–120 View FIGURES 119–124 ); paramere not especially flattened apically ( Figs 164–166 View FIGURES 164–175 ); and cuspis relatively short, more or less parallel-sided, without specialized brisles ( Figs 164–166 View FIGURES 164–175 ). Body length 9–12 mm.

Description. Female (hitherto unknown). Coloration. Body uniformly pale brown, except legs and antennae lighter yellow-brown. Body setae entirely pale silvery, mesosomal dorsum and T2 disc anteriorly each with dark blackish-brown setal patch. Head. Head width 0.8 × mesonotal width; vertex width 0.75 × mesonotal width. Frons convex; vertex rounded; frons and vertex areolate-punctate. Eye large, ovate, in lateral view, height 1.3 × width; in anterior view, inner eye margins sub-parallel, malar space 0.75 × eye height, vertex height 0.75 × 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 2.0 × pedicel length; F2 2.0 × pedicel length. Mesosoma. Mesosomal length 1.0 × width; mesosomal length 0.85 × T2 length; mesosomal width 0.85 × T2 width. Humeral carina interrupted by surrounding areolation margins, terminating in low blunt 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 punctation. 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 brown colored 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 77:85:99:100:83:74. 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 0.3 × 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, 0.4 × 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 1.3 × mesal width, maximum length 1.2 × maximum width; sculpture uniformly microreticulate.

Material examined. MEXICO: Baja California, 1 km N Rancho El Mezquital , 2815/11350 ( 1♀, CASC) ; Baja California Sur: 1 km S Todos Santos ( 1♀, EMUS) ; 2.5 mi SE Todos Santos ( 1♀, CASC) ; 6.5 mi S, 1 mi E El Pescadero ( 1♀, FSCA) ; 7.5 mi W El Triunfo ( 1♀, CASC) ; 9 mi N Cabo San Lucas ( 1♀, TAMU) ; Boca de la Sierra ( 1♀, CASC) ; Playa Los Cerritos ( 1♀, CSCA) ; Punta Lobos ( 1♀, CASC) . See Pitts & McHugh (2002) for additional records .

Distribution. Mexico: Baja California and Baja California Sur.

Remarks. The sex association is based on overlapping distribution in Baja California Sur and parallels in coloration. For many nocturnal mutillids, the extent of blackened setae on the female mesonotum and T2 disc are correlated with blackened cuticle on the male tergites. As stated by Pitts & McHugh (2002), this species is nearly identical to Acr. campylognatha , and the males differ only by the darker coloration and slightly longer cuspis of Acr. mickeli . Females, likewise, are apparently structurally identical except for the darker coloration of Acr. mickeli .