Anoplius xerophilus Evans 1947

L. Sonor. Fauna, Tex., N. Mex., to cent. Calif. and Utah; Mexico (Baja California).

Anoplius (Arachnophroctonus) xerophilus Evans
Anoplius xerophilus Evans, 1947, Ent. News, 58: 10-14 [Type: 8, New
Mexico: Steins, 14 July 1917 (J. C. Bradley) (CU, no. 2398)]. Anoplius (Arachnophroctonus) xerophilus Evans, 1951, Trans. Amer. Ent.
Soc, 76: 253-255. Arachnophroctonus gaigei Dreisbach, 1954, Amer. Midi. Nat., 52: 438-439
[Type: 8, Texas: Phantom Lake, Davis Mts., 9 June 1916 (F. M.
Gaige) (Univ. Michigan)]. Synonym by Evans, 1956, Ent. News,
67: 7.
This is a striking species by virtue of its very broad head. It has a limited distribution in arid regions of northern Mexico and southwestern United States.
Female. — Length 10-13 mm. Black; wings moderately infuscated, with a darker marginal band; pubescence very dark, reflecting bluish. Front with considerable short, dark hair; thoracic dorsum slightly hairy; propodeum with rather abundant dark hair of moderate length. Clypeus truncate apically. Head unusually broad, measuring 1.2-1.27 X as broad as high; inner orbits diverging above, MID 1.2-1.3 X LID, .61-.64 X TFD; UID about 1.1 X LID; third antennal segment only slightly more than half UID. Ocelli in a broad, flat triangle, the front angle much greater than a right angle. Pronotum rather long, feebly angulate behind. Propodeum with an abrupt, oblique, slightly concave declivity behind, the sides of the declivity faintly protuberant. Front basitarsus with three comb-spines, the spines only slightly longer than the width of the tarsus at their base. Fore wing with SMC3 four-sided although much narrowed above. Tl somewhat swollen, its anterior surface nearly perpendicular to the dorsal surface, this tergite with a faint median impression.
Male. — Length 7.5-12 mm. Black; wings lightly to moderately infuscated, with a darker outer marginal band; pubescence mostly dark, with bluish reflections, often silvery on the base of the mandibles, clypeus, and lower front, sometimes also on parts of the pronotum and propodeum. Propodeum with abundant, fairly long hair, but abdominal venter smooth, completely without
A Anoplius (Arachnophroctonus) xerophilus Evans (also occurs in southwestern U.S.)
O Anoplius (Ar) morginalis (Banks) (also widely distr. in U.S.)
• Anoplius (Ar) chiapanus Evans
erect hairs. Head very broad, 1.2-1.3 X as broad as high; MID .63-.68 X TFD; UID about 1.2 X LID. Ocelli in a broad, flat triangle, OOL considerably exceeding POL; vertex slightly raised at the ocellar triangle. Pronotum as in female; propodeum sloping but weakly for most of its length, then almost vertically declivous behind. Last segment of front tarsus strongly lobed on inner margin, the inner claw of this tarsus much modified. SGP broad and smooth, the mid-line weakly carinate, the apex obtusely angulate. Genitalia with the parameres straight, the digiti clothed densely with setae which are bent near their apices (see fig. 81 in Evans, 1951).
Distribution. — Baja California, Durango, and Nuevo Leon to southern California, Utah, and western Texas. See Evans, 1951, for U. S. records; the Texas record is from Dreisbach, 1954. (Map 48.)
Mexican specimens examined. — 1 2,5 $ $ . Baja California: 1 $ , 10 mi. S Punta Prieta, 21 June (AEM & ESR) [CAS]. Chihuahua: 1 2, 18 mi. W Jimenez, 10 Aug. 1951 (HEE) [MCZ]. Durango: 2 $ $ , 8 mi. S Canutillo, 9 Aug. 1951 (HEE) [MCZ]. Coahuila: 1 5, 23 mi. N Saltillo, 11 Aug. 1959 (AM & LS) [UCD]. Nuevo Leon: 1 $ , Vallecillo, 2 June 1951 (HEE) [MCZ].