Pison oceanicum 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 : 310-312

Pison oceanicum Pulawski , species nova

Figures 734 -739.

NAME DERIVATION.– Oceanicum, Latin for Oceanian, refers to the fact that this species lives on a small island in the Indian Ocean.

RECOGNITION.– Pison oceanicum (known only from Christmas Island and only from the female sex) is characterized by the presence of erect setae on the side of the basal declivity of tergum I, the mesopleural punctures averaging more than one diameter apart in the center, and the propodeal dorsum and posterior surface ridged. These characters are shared with P. spinolae , from which P. oceanicum differs in having the scutal punctures of one size, the ocellocular distance equal to 0.3 × hindocellar diameter, the propodeum with a longitudinal carina separating the side from the dorsum and the posterior surface, and the body length of 7.0 mm. In spinolae the scutal punctures are of two sizes (small and minute), the ocellocular distance of the female is equal to 0.6-0.7 × hindocellar diameter ( Fig. 736 ), the propodeum has no longitudinal carina separating the side from the dorsum and the posterior surface, and the body length of the female is 8.8-16.0 mm.

DESCRIPTION.– Frons swollen in profile, dull, finely punctate, punctures more than one diameter apart ( Fig. 735 ). Distance between antennal socket and orbit slightly larger than socket diameter. Occipital carina joining hypostomal carina. Gena narrow in dorsal view ( Fig. 736 ). Labrum with faint spines. Punctures of tergum I fine, averaging several diameters apart mesally. Sterna punctate throughout, punctures of sternum II several diameters apart mesally.

Setae silvery, appressed on postocellar area and tergum I, except erect on side of anterior declivity; on lower gena slightly sinuous, some of them up to 2.0 × midocellar diameters long; not concealing integument on clypeus. Apical depressions of terga with silvery, setal fasciae.

Body all black.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.62 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.3 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 0.6 × hindocellar diameter ( Fig. 736 ); eye height equal to 0.88 ×

distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella roundly arcuate ( Fig. 734 ).

Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.6 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.5 × apical width.

Mandible: trimmal carina with minute incision at about two thirds length. Length 7.0 mm;

head width 2.4 mm.

♂.– Unknown.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 739).–

Christmas Island.

RECORDS.– HOLOTYPE: ♀, AUSTRALIA: Christ- FIGURE 739. Collecting locality of Pison oceanicum mas Island: no specific locality, 8 July 1961, G.F. Pulawski, sp. nov.

Mees (RMNH).

Figures

FIGURES 734-738. Pison oceanicum Pulawski, sp. nov., holotype female. (734) Clypeus and mandible; (735) Frons; (736) Head in dorsal view; (737) Tegula and adjacent scu- tum; (738) Propodeal dorsum.