Pison separatum F. Smith

Pulawski, Wojciech J., 2018, A Revision of the Wasp Genus Pison Jurine, 1808 of Australia and New Zealand, New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae), Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 65, pp. 1-584 : 406-408

Pison separatum F. Smith

Figures 981 -988.

Pison separatum F. Smith, 1869:294 , ♂ (as separatus , incorrect original termination). Lectotype: ♂, Australia: Western Australia: Champion Bay, now Geraldton (BMNH), present designation, examined. – Kohl, 1885:188 (in checklist of world Pison ); Froggatt, 1892:217 (in catalog of Australian Hymenoptera ); Dalla Torre, 1897:713 (in catalog of world Hymenoptera ); Turner, 1916b:598 (in key to Australian Pison ), 610 (comparison with Pison marginatum , as P. separatus ); R. Bohart and Menke, 1976:336 (in checklist of world Sphecidae ); Cardale, 1985:262 (in catalog of Australian Sphecidae ).

LECTOTYPE DESIGNATION.– Smith did not indicate the number of specimens examined in the original description of Pison separatum . I have designated as lectotype the only specimen, a male of this species, labeled “W. Australia ”, in The Natural History Museum , London.

RECOGNITION.– The female and many males of Pison separatum can be instantly recognized by the unusually broad occipital carina, mesodorsally equal to 0.5-0.9 × midocellar diameter. Subsidiary recognition features are: body all black; ocellocular distance equal to about 0.3 × hindocellar diameter in female, 0.6-0.8 × in male; hypostomal carina expanded, about as wide adjacent to the mandibular base as 0.5 × midocellar diameter; setae of the lower gena sinuous, slightly longer than the midocellar diameter, scutal punctures on disk less than one diameter apart, forewing with three submarginal cells, second recurrent vein interstitial with second intersubmarginal vein or nearly so, and setae appressed on tergum I.

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, punctate, punctures nearly contiguous. Occipital carina expanded except in some males, as wide dorsally as 0.5-0.9 × midocellar diameter ( Fig. 983 ), joining hypostomal carina. Hypostomal carina expanded, adjacent to mandibular base about as wide as 0.5 × midocellar diameter. Labrum not emarginate. Gena narrow in dorsal view ( Fig. 983 ). Anteromedi- an pronotal pit transversely elongate, about as long as 1.0-1.5 × midocellar diameter. Scutum not foveate along flange, without longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures less than one diameter apart, interspaces unsculptured. Mesopleural punctures larger than those on scutum, less than one diameter apart, interspaces unsculptured. Tegula enlarged, near midlength punctate on more than half width. Postspiracular carina present, about 1.0-1.5 × as long as midocellar diameter. Metapleural sulcus costulate between dorsal and ventral metapleural pits. Propodeum with irregular longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface and extending from gastral socket area toward spiracle (carina evanescent in some specimens); dorsum obliquely ridged, punctate between ridges, middle carina lacking in some specimens; side ridged, punctate between ridges; posterior surface ridged, punctate between ridges, with longitudinal, sublateral impression in ventral half. Hindcoxal dorsum with outer margin carinate only apically. Posteroventral forefemoral surface with punctures that vary from about one diameter apart to about two diameters apart in basal half. Punctures of tergum I averaging about one diameter apart on horizontal section. Sternum II finely punctate throughout (punctures 2-3 diameters apart mesally), punctures of sterna IV and V several diameters apart mesally.

Setae silvery, appressed on scutum and tergum I, on lower gena erect and sinuous, about as long as midocellar diameter; largely concealing integument on clypeus. Apical depressions of terga with silvery, setal fasciae.

Body all black, female wings conspicuously infumate ( Fig. 984 ).

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.58-0.60 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.3 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 0.7-0.8 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 1.04-1.06 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella obtusely arcuate ( Fig. 981 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.7-2.9 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.4-1.6 × apical width. Mandible: trimmal carina with small incision shortly beyond midlength. Length 8.8-9.7 mm; head width 2.4-2.7 mm

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.76-0.84 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.6-0.9 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 0.8-1.1 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.98-1.06 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella acutely angulate ( Fig. 982 . Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.5-2.8 × apical width, of flagellomere X 1.2-1.3 × apical width. Sternum VIII: apical margin shallowly, broadly emarginate ( Fig. 985 ). Genitalia: Figs. 986, 987 . Length 7.0- 9.9 mm; head width 1.9-2.4 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 988).– Western part of Western Australia.

RECORDS.– AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Cape Range National Park: Mandu Mandu Creek (11 ♂, CAS) , Geraldton (1 ♂, BMNH, as Champion Bay, lectotype of Pison separatum ), Great Northern Highway at 23°02.6ʹS 118°50.2ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , Karijini National Park at 22°25.6ʹS 118°23.7ʹE (1 ♀, 1 ♂, ANIC) , at 22°26.3ʹS 118°22.9ʹE (1 ♂, CAS) , at 22°28.7ʹS 118°32.3ʹE (1 ♂, CAS) , at 22°29.5ʹS 118°30.1ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , Kennedy Range National Park at 24°38.7ʹS 115°10.7ʹE (2 ♀, CAS) , 47 km S Mount Augustus National Park at 24°19.2ʹS 116°48.9ʹE (1 ♀, CAS) , Pardoo Road House at 20°22.7ʹS 120°01.3ʹE (1 ♀, CAS) .

Figures

FIGURES 981-984. Pison separatum F. Smith. (981) Female clypeus and mandibles; (982) Male clypeus and mandibles; (983) Female head in dorsal view (arrow shows broad occipital carina); (984) Left wings of female.

FIGURES 985-987. Pison separatum F. Smith, male. (985) Sternum VIII (ventral surface); (986) Genitalia in dorsal view; (987) Genitalia in lateral view. FIGURE 988. Collecting localities of Pison separatum F.Smith.