Pison tomentosum 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 : 461-462

Pison tomentosum Pulawski , species nova

Figures 1123-1125.

NAME DERIVATION.– Tomentosum, Latin neuter adjective derived from tomentum, pubescence composed of densely matted hairs; with reference to the dense pilosity of this species (particularly on the propodeal dorsum).

RECOGNITION.– The female of P. tomentosum (the male is unknown) is characterized by the lower gena unsculptured and shiny on each side of the oral fossa, and the presence of psammophores on the lower gena (adjacent to the unsculptured area), mandible, forecoxa, and forefemur. The dense, appressed vestiture, completely concealing the sculpture on the mesopleuron and propodeal dorsum in fresh specimens, is unique among the Australian Pison .

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, finely punctate, punctures less than one diameter apart, middle supraantennal carina rudimentary or absent. Occipital carina joining hypostomal carina. Labrum not emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about as long as midocellar diameter. Propleuron impunctate anterolaterally. Scutum not foveate along flange, without longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures fine, less than one diameter apart. Tegula slightly enlarged. Mesopleural punctures fine, nearly compressed against each other. Postspiracular carina present, about half as long to as long as midocellar diameter. Mesopleuron adjacent to metapleuron and propodeal side adjacent to metapleuron below dorsal pit with conspicuously foveolate sulcus. Propodeum without longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface and extending from gastral socket area toward spiracle; dorsum punctate (punctures less than one diameter apart), without ridges; side punctate, punctures less than one diameter apart, interspaces merging into minute ridges; posterior surface punctate (punctures less than one diameter apart), with several minute, transverse ridges ventrally. Hindcoxal dorsum with outer margin obtusely carinate except sharply carinate basally. Punctures of tergum I minute and less than one diameter apart on horizontal part. Sterna densely punctate throughout except up to several diameters apart on apical depressions.

Setae silvery, appressed on thorax, propodeum, and tergum I, oriented mainly or exclusively ventrally on upper frons; completely concealing integument on clypeus, mesopleuron, and propodeal dorsum (Fig. 1124). Apical depressions of terga with silvery, setal fasciae.

Body all black.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.74-0.78 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.2-1.3 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.1-1.3 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.90-0.96 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella slightly arcuate, almost straight, forming obtuse corner on each side (Fig. 1123); distance between corners greater than between one corner and adjacent orbit. Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.1 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.2 × apical width. Lower gena, mandibular posterior margin, propleural and forecoxal outer margins, and forefemoral venter with psammophores (longest setae of genal, mandibular, and forefemoral psammophores about 1.1 ×, 1.0 ×, and 0.8-0.9 ×, respectively, of greatest forefemoral width); lower gena impunctate and asetose between hypostomal carina and psammophore. Mandible: trimmal carina with small incision shortly after midlength. Tergum VI broadly angulate. Length 8.2-9.2 mm; head width 2.8 mm.

♂.– Unknown.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 1125).–

Northern Territory, Queensland, southern part of South Australia.

RECORDS.– HOLOTYPE: ♀, AUSTRALIA: South

Australia: Coopers Creek: ferry crossing, 30 Nov

1974, J.A. Herridge ( SAM).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory :

14 mi. S Kulgera, 15 Oct 1971, C.G. Roche (1 ♀,

CAS). Queensland: Emerald , 31 Dec 1986, H. and

A. Howden (1 ♀, ANIC). South Australia: Chowilla Game Reserve 24 air km N Renmark at

34°00.0ʹS 140°49.4ʹE, 6 Dec 2010, V. Ahrens and FIGURE 1125. Collecting localities of Pison tomentosum Pulawski , sp. nov.

W.J. Pulawski (2 ♀, CAS) .