A study of Sphaeropthalma Blake from the southwestern USA has revealed a highly autapomorphic undescribed species. This species is described here as S. tapio Pitts & Sadler, sp. nov., and is placed in a new species-group, the S. tapio species-group. This species seems to be found only at higher altitudes in southern Arizona. It is compared to other similar Sphaeropthalma species-groups and is likely most closely related to members of the S. imperialis species-group. An updated species-group classification of Sphaeropthalma is provided.

The stings of bees, wasps, and ants are something that catches the attention of anyone that experiences them. While many recent studies have focused on the pain inflicted by the stings of various stinging wasps, bees, or ants (Hymenoptera: Aculeata), little is known about how the length of the sting itself varies between species. Here, we investigate the sting length of a variety of aculeate wasps, and compare that to reported pain and toxicity values. We find that velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) have the longest sting compared to their body size out of any bee, wasp, or ant species. We also find that there is no link between relative sting length and pain; however, we did find an inverse relationship between relative sting length and toxicity with taxa having shorter relative stings being more toxic. While we found a significant relationship between host use and relative sting length, we suggest that the long sting length of the velvet ants is also related to their suite of defenses to avoid predation.

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The previously unknown male of Aplochares imitator (Smith), the type species of the genus, is associated with the female and described. Aplochares imitator provides another case of dual sex-limited mimicry. The coloration of the male of A. imitator is similar to that of both sexes of A. adrastes Banks, while the coloration of the female of A. imitator matches that of several species of other unrelated Hymenoptera. A key to both sexes of Aplochares is provided along with illustrations of the two species.

The diversity of nocturnal velvet ants at Joshua Tree National Park (JTNP) is investigated along with seasonal activity. The diversity of velvet ants found at JTNP is compared to the diversity of velvet ants found at the Algodones Sand Dunes, Philip L. Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and the Nevada Test Site. Diagnoses and a key are provided for the velvet ants of JTNP. Forty-one species in six genera, based on 10,202 specimens collected from a transect of 14 sampling sites transitioning from the Mojave to the Sonoran deserts, are found to inhabit areas in and around the park. Odontophotopsis dalyi, O. odontoloxia and Photomorphus schoenwerthi are described as new species. Odontophotopsis (Odontophotopsis) ambigua Mickel (1983) is a junior synonym of O. delodonta Viereck (1904), new synonym. The females of too few of the species are known, so only the males are treated. A key to all of the species and illustrations for those species not previously illustrated are provided for the males.

The family Mutillidae (Hymenoptera) is a species-rich group of aculeate wasps that occur worldwide. The higher-level classification of the family has historically been controversial due, in part, to the extreme sexual dimorphism exhibited by these insects and their morphological similarity to other wasp taxa that also have apterous females. Modern hypotheses on the internal higher classification of Mutillidae have been exclusively based on morphology and, further, they include Myrmosinae as a mutillid subfamily. In contrast, several molecular-based family-level studies of Aculeata recovered Myrmosinae as a nonmutillid taxon. To test the validity of these morphology-based classifications and the phylogenetic placement of the controversial taxon Myrmosinae, a phylogenomic study of Mutillidae was conducted using ultraconserved elements (UCEs). All currently recognized subfamilies and tribes of Mutillidae were represented in this study using 140 ingroup taxa.The maximum likelihood criterion (ML) and the maximum parsimony criterion (MP) were used to infer the phylogenetic relationships within the family and related taxa using an aligned data set of 238,764 characters; the topologies of these respective analyses were largely congruent. The modern higher classification of Mutillidae, based on morphology, is largely congruent with the phylogenomic results of this study at the subfamily level, whereas the tribal classification is poorly supported. The subfamily Myrmosinae was recovered as sister to Sapygidae in the ML analysis and sister to Sapygidae + Pompilidae in the MP analysis; it is consequently raised to the family level, Myrmosidae, stat.nov. The two constituent tribes of Myrmosidae are raised to the subfamily level, Kudakrumiinae, stat.nov., and Myrmosinae, stat.nov. All four recognized tribes of Mutillinae were found to be non-monophyletic; three additional mutilline clades were recovered in addition to Ctenotillini, Mutillini, Smicromyrmini, and Trogaspidiini sensu stricto. Three new tribes are erected for members of these clades: Pristomutillini Waldren, trib.nov., Psammothermini Waldren, trib.nov., and Zeugomutillini Waldren, trib.nov. All three recognized tribes of Sphaeropthalminae were found to be non-monophyletic; six additional sphaeropthalmine clades were recovered in addition to Dasymutillini, Pseudomethocini, and Sphaeropthalmini sensu stricto. The subtribe Ephutina of Mutillinae: Mutillini was found to be polyphyletic, with the Ephuta genus-group recovered within Sphaeropthalminae and the Odontomutilla genus-group recovered as sister to Myrmillinae + Mutillinae. Consequently, the subtribe Ephutina is transferred from Mutillinae: Mutillini and is raised to a tribe within Sphaeropthalminae, Ephutini, stat.nov. Further, the taxon Odontomutillinae, stat.nov., is raised

Neanoplius Banks, 1947 is a monotypic genus of Neotropical spider wasp. It has been ignored in taxonomic works since its description. We redescribe the genus and type species, provide illustrations, provide additional characters to help separate it from other closely related genera, and provide a discussion of probable evolutionary relationships of this interesting genus.

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