Acanthophotopsis evansii Schuster, 1958

Acanthophotopsis evansii Schuster, 1958 , ♂ ♀

( Figs 4, 10 View FIGURES 2–13 , 16 View FIGURES 14–19 , 22 View FIGURES 20–26 , 29, 35 View FIGURES 27–38 , 45–47 View FIGURES 39–47 , 65–68 View FIGURES 57–68 )

Acanthophotopsis evansii Schuster, 1958: 93 . Holotype male: Mexico, Durango, San Juan Del Rio , 7.VIII.1951, H. E. Evans

(CUIC), examined.

Diagnosis. FEMALE. This species can be recognized by its coloration: the head and mesosoma are orange-brown, the metasoma is blackish dorsally with sparse pale yellowish setae, except for a baso-mesal wide patch of blackish setae ( Figs 4 View FIGURES 2–13 , 16 View FIGURES 14–19 ). The T2 disc is slightly wider than long, has sparse erect setae in the posterior fifth ( Fig. 4 View FIGURES 2–13 ), and is coarsely areolate basally with dense deep punctures posteriorly. Body length 7.5 mm. MALE. This species can be recognized by the following combination of characters: mandible tridentate without inward-facing blunt tooth, apically vertical with the dorsal carina continuous to the inner apical tooth ( Figs 45–47 View FIGURES 39–47 ); clypeus unarmed basally, forming vertical plate ( Fig. 45 View FIGURES 39–47 ); vertex rounded with lateral margins convergent directly behind eyes ( Fig. 29 View FIGURES 27–38 ); T2, and sometimes T3–6, blackish-brown, darker than mesosoma ( Fig. 22 View FIGURES 20–26 ); and free paramere length gradually tapering to acute apex ( Fig. 65 View FIGURES 57–68 ). Body length 8–11 mm.

Description. Female (hitherto unknown). Coloration. Head and mesosoma cuticle orange-brown; antennae, legs and metasoma darker, blackish dorsally and dark reddish-brown ventrally; T2 black, except posterior and lateral margins reddish-brown. Body setae pale yellowish, except vertex and mesosomal dorsum with pale orange setae and T2 disc with wide basomesal patch of black setae. Head. Head width 0.8 × mesonotal width; vertex width 0.75 × mesonotal width. Frons convex; vertex rounded; frons and vertex areolate-punctate. Eye moderate, subovate, in lateral view, height 1.35 × width; in anterior view, inner eye margins sub-parallel, malar space 0.45 × eye height, vertex height 1.0 × eye height, interocular distance 1.8 × eye height. Clypeus with narrow smooth basomesal longitudinal ridge. Gena sculpture areolate; genal and postgenal carinae obliterated. Mandible oblique, bidentate apically; dorsal basal carina gradually terminating near inner apical tooth; ventral carina terminating in weak blunt angle. F1 length 1.6 × pedicel length; F2 1.4 × pedicel length. Mesosoma. Mesosomal length 0.95 × width; mesosomal length 0.9 × 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 surrounding endophragmal pit largely smooth; 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 70:88:100:100:86:68. Dorsal, posterior, and lateral propodeal surfaces evenly rounded into one another. Metasoma. T1 shape subsessile, widest apically, apical width 0.4 × T2 maximum width; T1 disc areolate-punctate; disc setae interspersed long simple and plumose; fringe setae plumose. S1 with densely punctate blunt longitudinal ridge. T2 length 0.95 × width; disc with dense deep punctures, intervals mostly smooth; disc setae interspersed erect and decumbent, except appressed setae absent from posterior fifth of T2 disc; fringe setae plumose; T2 felt line linear, 0.3 × T2 length; posterior felt line edge terminating at 0.65 × T2 length. S2 sculpture slightly finer 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. MEXICO, Nuevo Leon, Monterrey , 7.V.1964, Blanton, Woodruff, and Broce, blacklight trap ( 1♂, CSCA) . USA, New Mexico, Otero Co., Fort Bliss , Highway 506, VIII.1995, M. Vogel ( 1♀ UTIC). See Tanner et al. (2009) for additional records .

Distribution. Mexico: Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, and Nuevo Leon *; USA: New Mexico and Texas.

Remarks. In males, the coloration of Aca. evansii superficially resembles that of Aca. bequaertii , but Aca. evansii is somewhat duller in color and differs in multiple structural features, especially in the more narrowly rounded and sparsely punctured head. All known specimens of A. evansii come from the Chihuahuan desert or adjacent mountainous areas.After figuring out the sexual associations for the other five species in this genus, a single unassociated female remained. This is the only known Acanthophotopsis female we have seen in the Chihuahuan desert in New Mexico. Like the male, it has a darkened metasoma.