Sphaeropthalma
Sphaeropthalma is a genus of velvet ants described by C.A. Blake in 1871 within the family Mutillidae.
Description
Sphaeropthalma are among the smaller velvet ants. Many species have red hair, while a few are more pink or white, or black.
The genus is largely made up of species that are active only at night. Some, however, are active during the day. The ones which have pink hair are nocturnal.
Habitat
Most dry areas, or open areas.
Behavior
Scurries along the ground, in search of solitary wasp nests, which it will parasitize.
Host species
These wasps prefer to lay their eggs in nests of bembicine wasps, e.g. sand wasps and horse guard wasps.
Species
These species belong to the genus Sphaeropthalma:Sphaeropthalma acontius Fox, 1899Sphaeropthalma albopilosa Blake, 1872Sphaeropthalma amphion Fox, 1899Sphaeropthalma anaspasia Cockerell and Rohwer, 1908Sphaeropthalma angulifera Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma arenicola Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma arota Cresson, 1875Sphaeropthalma auripilis Blake, 1871Sphaeropthalma baboquivari Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma becki Ferguson, 1967Sphaeropthalma bellerophon Fox, 1899Sphaeropthalma bisetosa Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma blakeii Fox, 1893Sphaeropthalma borealis Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma boweri Schuster, 1944Sphaeropthalma brachyptera Schuster, 1945Sphaeropthalma capricornis Rohwer, 1909Sphaeropthalma ceres Fox, 1899Sphaeropthalma ceyxoides Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma clara Cresson, 1865Sphaeropthalma coaequalis Cameron, 1896Sphaeropthalma coloradensis Dalla Torre, 1897Sphaeropthalma contrahenda Dalla Torre, 1897Sphaeropthalma danaus Blake, 1871Sphaeropthalma dentifera Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma difficilis Baker, 1905Sphaeropthalma diomeda Fox, 1899Sphaeropthalma dirce Fox, 1899Sphaeropthalma ecarinata Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma edwardsii Cresson, 1875Sphaeropthalma erato Blake, 1879Sphaeropthalma erigone Fox, 1899Sphaeropthalma facilis Cameron, 1896Sphaeropthalma ferruginea Blake, 1879Sphaeropthalma ferruginopsis Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma fuscipes Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma halcyone Fox, 1899Sphaeropthalma helicaon Fox, 1899Sphaeropthalma hyalina Blake, 1871Sphaeropthalma hypermnestra Fox, 1899Sphaeropthalma ignacio Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma imperialiformis Viereck, 1906Sphaeropthalma imperialis Blake, 1871Sphaeropthalma insignis Baker, 1905Sphaeropthalma jacala Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma juxta Blake, 1872Sphaeropthalma laodamia Fox, 1899Sphaeropthalma luiseno Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma macswaini Ferguson, 1967Sphaeropthalma marpesia Blake, 1879Sphaeropthalma megagnathos Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma mendica Blake, 1871Sphaeropthalma mesillensis Cockerell, 1897Sphaeropthalma militaris Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma minutella Mickel, 1938Sphaeropthalma nanula Dalla Torre, 1897Sphaeropthalma neomexicana Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma noctivaga Melander, 1903Sphaeropthalma nokomis Blake, 1871Sphaeropthalma ordae Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma orestes Fox, 1899Sphaeropthalma pallida Blake, 1871Sphaeropthalma pallidipes Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma papaga Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma parapenalis Ferguson, 1967Sphaeropthalma parkeri Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma pateli Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma pensylvanica Lepeletier, 1845Sphaeropthalma pervaga Melander, 1903Sphaeropthalma pinalea Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma pinales Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma pluto Fox, 1899Sphaeropthalma reducta Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma rubriventris Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma sabino Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma sanctaefeae Cockerell, 1897Sphaeropthalma scudderi Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma seminanula Rohwer, 1909Sphaeropthalma similis Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma sonora Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma spinifera Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma subcarinata Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma sublobata Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma tetracuspis Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma triangularis Blake, 1871Sphaeropthalma tuberculifera Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma uro Blake, 1879Sphaeropthalma uvaldella Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma virguncula Blake, 1886Sphaeropthalma yumaella Schuster, 1958Sphaeropthalma zenobia Blake, 1879Sphaeropthalma zephyritis Fox, 1899