Pison trichops Pulawski, 2018

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 : 466-468

Pison trichops Pulawski , species nova

Figures 1134-1136.

NAME DERIVATION.– From the Greek words τριξ (genitive: τριχος), a hair, and οψ, an eye, a noun in apposition to the generic name; with reference to the setose eye of this species.

RECOGNITION.– The densely setose eye of this species (Fig. 1134) is unique among the Australian Pison . The eye is also setose in P. deplanatum , but only above the eye emargination, and the setae are sparser. The finely punctate throughout tegula and the presence of only two submarginal cells are subsidiary recognition features.

RELATIONSHIP TO PISON AGILE SPECIES GROUP. – The densely setose eye and the presence of only two submarginal cells place this species in the P. agile species group of Menke (1988). The species, however, differs significantly from the other members of the P. agile group as described by Antropov (1994) by three characters: the antenna is not clavate, the propodeum has a longitudinal carina that extends from the gastral socket area toward the spiracle, and the midtibial spur is not thickened. Also, the subomaulus is poorly developed or absent and, unlike most members of the P. agile group, the metapleuron flange is not expanded. It is therefore possible that P. trichops is not really related to the species of the P. agile group and the setose eye may be an independently acquired feature.

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, minutely punctate, punctures contiguous, middle supraantennal carina absent. Midocellus smaller than hindocellus. Distance between antennal socket and orbit slightly smaller than socket width. Eye covered with short, erect, dense setae (Fig. 1134). Labrum emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit absent. Scutum foveate along flange (at least slightly so), with or without short longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures minute, contiguous. Scutellum with foveate sulcus along foremargin. Tegula enlarged, finely punctate throughout, fully concealing humeral plate. Mesopleural punctures fine to minute, less than one diameter apart; poorly developed subomaulus present in specimen from Western Australia and a vestigial one in one specimen from Gregory National Park. Postspiracular carina absent. Metapleural sulcus impressed between dorsal and ventral metapleural pits. Propodeum with longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface and extending from gastral socket area toward spiracle; dorsum transversely ridged, punctate between ridges; side slightly concave, ridged and punctate to nearly all punctate; posterior surface ridged, punctate between ridges. Forewing with two submarginal cells, posterior margin of second one equal to 1.0-1.2 × its height. Hindcoxal dorsum with outer margin obtusely carinate. Outer surface of hindtibia with a few evanescent spines. Punctures of tergum I minute, contiguous to about one diameter apart. Sterna finely punctate throughout.

Setae silvery, strictly appressed on frons, gena, thorax, and tergum I; frontal setae oriented dorsally in dorsal half; not concealing integument on clypeus. Apical depressions of terga with silvery, setal fasciae.

Head, thorax, propodeum, and gaster black; clypeus next to free margin of lamella and pronotal lobe yellowish brown in specimen from Western Australia; mandible black basally, yellowish reddish mesally, brown apically; antenna black in specimens from Queensland and South Australia, flagellum yellowish brown ventrally in those from Northern Territory, in female from Western Australia the following is ferruginous: scape and pedicel ventrally, and flagellum largely (basal flagellomeres slightly darkened dorsally, apical flagellomeres largely so). Femora black, tibiae and tarsi black except in female from Western Australia which has the following: trochanters yellowish brown, femora black, foretibia yellowish brown except narrowly black on outer surface, midtibia yellowish brown except brown dorsally and posteriorly, hindtibia brown except yellowish brown basally, foretarsus yellowish, mid-and hindtarsi brown except basitarsus yellowish basally. Mid- and hindtibial spurs whitish.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 1.13-1.20 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.6-0.9 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.7-1.8 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.94-0.98 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella obtusely tridentate in most specimens (Fig. 1135), but truncate in female from Western Australia. Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.0 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 0.9 × apical width. Mandible: trimmal carina with small incision at about two thirds of length. Length 3.9-4.3 mm; head width 1.0- 1.2 mm.

♂.– Unknown.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 1136).– Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia.

RECORDS.– HOLOTYPE: ♀, AUSTRALIA:

Queensland: circa 35 km SW Moura at 24°48ʹS

149°46ʹE, 22 Oct 1992, P. Macnicol (ANIC).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory :

Gregory National Park at 15°36ʹ43ʺS 130°24ʹ08ʺE,

M.E. Irwin, F.D. Parker, and C. Lambkin, 6-12 June

2001 (1 ♀, ANIC; 2 ♀, CAS) and 15-18 June 2001

(1 ♀, ANIC). Queensland: Crediton State Forest at

21°11.8ʹS 148°29.9ʹE, 1 Nov 2006, V. Ahrens and

W.J. Pulawski (1 ♀, CAS); Murrays Spring 8 km

NW Musselbrook at 18°35ʹS 138°03ʹE, 9-20 May

1995 (1 ♀, ANIC). South Australia: Wilpena in

Flinders Ranges National Park at 31°31.7ʹS

138°36.2ʹE, 22 Dec 2010, V. Ahrens and W.J.

Pulawski (1 ♀, CAS). Western Australia: Yandi- FIGURE 1136. Collecting localities of Pison trichops coogina Creek 30 km E Marble Creek at 21°11.0ʹS Pulawski, sp. nov .

120°01.7ʹE, 2-14 May 2003, M.E. Irwin and F.D. Parker (1 ♀, CAS) .