Pison occultans 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 : 309-310

Pison occultans Pulawski , species nova

Figures 730 -733.

NAME DERIVATION.– Occultans, the present active participle of the Latin verb occultare, to cover; with reference to the tegula fully covering the humeral plate.

RECOGNITION.– Pison occultans is a small species (length of female 5.2 mm), with an all black gaster and the femora, tibiae, and tarsi all ferruginous. It can be recognized by the second recurrent vein received near the middle of the second submarginal cell, in combination with the tegula finely, entirely punctate and distinctly enlarged, fully covering the humeral plate ( Fig. 732 ). Subsidiary recognition features are: the emargination of the inner eye margin is of the usual size, the scutal punctures are minute, less than one diameter apart, the propodeal dorsum has well-defined ridges, the gaster is sessile (length of tergum I smaller than apical width). In the female, the free margin of the clypeal lamella is obtusely rounded ( Fig. 730 ). The male is unknown.

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, minutely punctate, punctures averaging less than one diameter apart. Occipital carina joining hypostomal carina. Gena narrow in dorsal view ( Fig. 731 ). Labrum emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about as long as 1.5 × midocellar diameter. Scutum foveate along flange, with short longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures fine but well defined, less than one diameter apart; interspaces microsculptured. Scutellum foveate along anterior margin. Tegula enlarged, finely punctate throughout, fully covering humeral plate ( Fig. 732 ). Mesopleural punctures fine, nearly confluent. Postspiracular carina present, about 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; dorsum irregularly, obliquely ridged (several ridges anastomosed); side ridged (ridges conspicuous dorsally, inconspicuous ventrally), punctate between ridges; posterior surface irregularly, transversely ridged, punctate between ridges. Forewing with three submarginal cells; second recurrent vein ending at about midlength of submarginal cell II. Hindcoxal dorsum with outer margin obtusely carinate anteriorly. Outer surface of hindtibia with evanescent spines. Punctures of tergum I anterior of apical depression fine but well defined, averaging about one diameter apart; interspaces unsculptured. Sterna finely punctate throughout, about 1-2 diameters apart on disk of sternum II.

Setae silvery, appressed on upper frons, postocellar area, scutum, femora, and tergum I, on frons all oriented ventrally; on lower gena suberect, straight, up to about 0.5 × midocellar diameter; not concealing integument on clypeus. Apical depressions of terga practically without setal fasciae.

Head, thorax, propodeum, and gaster black, but the following are ferruginous: antenna, mandible, tegula, wing veins, femora, tibiae, and tarsi.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.84 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.8 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 0.9 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.98 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella obtusely rounded ( Fig. 730 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.8 × apical width, of flagellomere IX

1.3 × apical width. Mandible: trimmal carina without incision. Length 5.2 mm; head width

1.4 mm.

♂.– Unknown.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 733).–

Known from one locality in northern part of

Northern Territory.

RECORDS.– HOLOTYPE: ♀, AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory : Gregory National Park at

16º12ˈ47ˈˈS 130°25ˈ 11ˈˈE, M.E. Irwin, F.D. Parker,

and C. Lambkin (ANIC).

PARATYPE: AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: FIGURE 733. Collecting locality of Pison occultans same data as holotype (1 ♀, CAS). Pulawski, sp. nov .

Figures

FIGURES 730-732. Pison occultans Pulawski, sp. nov., female. (730) Clypeus and mandibles; (731) Head in dorsal view; (732) Tegula and adjacent scutum.