Lomachaeta argenta Pitts & Manley 2004

Lomachaeta argenta Pitts & Manley, 2004

(Figs 1, 5)

Lomachaeta argenta Pitts & Manley, 2004: 5. Holotype, ♀, USA, Utah, Washington Co. (EMUS). Pitts & Manley (2004): Hosts.

Diagnosis. FEMALE. This species can be recognized by its setal distribution and body shape: the mesosoma and T2 have matching subparallel subappressed long silver to golden setae and the dorsal thoracic length is 0.85 × its width. The following characters may also aid in diagnosis: the head width is subequal to the mesosomal width; the baso-ventral mandibular margin lacks a hyaline lamella; the pronotal spiracle is only weakly swollen; the lateral mesonotal tooth is distinct; the propodeal spiracle is slightly more sharply swollen than the pronotal spiracle; the mesonotal dorsum has about 12 areolations between the pronotal spiracles; the T1 shape is sub-disciform; T2 has dense punctures and mostly smooth intervals; the fringes of T2–3 are composed of dense setae thicker than the erect setae surrounding them; and the S6 lateral carina is small and sharply triangular. Body length 3–3.5 mm.

MALE. Unknown.

Material examined. USA: Arizona: Yavapai County, 11 mi W Jerome, Rearing 7598, F. D. Parker (2♀, EMUS); Coconino County, 7 mi S. Sedona, Reared, F. D. Parker (2♀, EMUS); Mohave County, Oatman 3 mi S, Reared, F. D. Parker (1♀, EMUS); Nevada, Esmeralda County, 1.5 mi. S, 4 mi. W Lida Summit, 7400’, 28.III– 1.X.1982, D. Giuliani, ethylene glycol pit trap (1♀, CSCA); Nye County, Ash Meadows, NWR [Natural Wildlife Reserve], Non-dune salt soil site, S. Devils hole rd. BR, 11s0563221 4029908, 11.V.2009, N. Boehme (1♀, EMUS); Utah, Washington County, 3 mi W Hurricane, reared, F. D. Parker (1♀, paratype, EMUS, Figs 1, 5).

Distribution. Known from the Great Basin, Mojave Desert, and the Arizona Mountains forests in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, USA.

Remarks. This species, formerly recognized from one Great Basin locality in southern Utah, is newly recorded from Arizona and Nevada in two additional ecoregions. The newly identified specimens from Arizona were collected from trap nests that also included L. crocopinna, L. cirrhomeris, and L. hicksi. Since the females of L. hicksi and L. cirrhomeris are already known, L. crocopinna could be the unknown male of L. argenta. These specimens, however, are far removed from the type locality of L. crocopinna, so we prefer to wait for more evidence before formalizing this synonymy.