Pison occidentale 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 : 306-308

Pison occidentale Pulawski , species nova

Figures 724-729.

NAME DERIVATION.– Occidentalis (neuter: ccidentale) is a Latin adjective meaning western; with respect to this species occurrence in Western Australia.

RECOGNITION.– Pison occidentale is an all black species, with three submarginal cells, the second recurrent vein interstitial with the second intersubmarginal vein, and the setae appressed on tergum I. The female is characterized by the presence of a psammophore on the lower gena, mandible, posterolateral margin of propleuron, and forefemoral venter, and by the practically impunctate, unsculptured area on each side of the oral fossa. It differs from females of other species with these characteristics in having the following combination: propodeum at most with vestigial, short, longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface and extending from gastral socket area toward spiracle, mostly without such carina; propodeal dorsum, side, and posterior surface punctate, all or largely unridged; and propleuron impunctate and shiny anteriorly. A broadly arcuate clypeal lamella, with the corners closer to the adjacent orbit than to each other, is a subsidiary recognition feature.

In the male, the most distinctive character is the combination of the propleuron impunctate and shiny anteriorly and a uniformly, densely punctate propodeum (all surfaces), with the interspaces merging into inconspicuous ridges, and at most with vestigial, short, longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface and extending from gastral socket area toward spiracle, mostly without such carina. The following suite of characters helps in recognition: the clypeal lamella is acutely angulate with the lateral margin straight; the ocellocular distance is 1.2-1.5 × the hindocellar diameter; the flagellomeres are cylindrical, without tyloids; the dorsal length of flagellomere I is 1.8-1.9 × the apical width; the hypostomal carina is not expanded; the mesopleural punctures are less than one diameter apart; the sterna have well-defined punctures, several diameunsculptured. Postspiracular carina present, about half as long to about as long as midocellar diameter. Metapleural sulcus costulate between dorsal and ventral metapleural pits. Propodeum at most with vestigial, short, longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface and extending from gastral socket area toward spiracle, mostly without such carina; dorsum punctate, with interspaces, in some specimens, merging near base into fine, irregular ridges; side and posterior surface punctate, interspaces merging into fine ridges. Posteroventral forefemoral surface with small but well-defined punctures that are one diameter apart or more. Punctures of tergum I fine but well defined, averaging about one diameter apart in front of apical depression mesally. Sternum II with punctures that are several diameters apart mesally, minute in female, well defined in male; sternum III with punctures that are several diameters apart.

Setae silvery, appressed on frons, scutum and tergum I, forecoxal venter, femoral venters, forming patch of dorsolaterally oriented setae on each side of upper frons (between dorsal end of middle carina and midocellus); completely concealing integument on clypeus (except lamella); genal setae: see below. Apical depressions of terga (including tergum II) with silvery, setal fasciae. Head, thorax, propodeum, gaster, and legs black; mandible dark reddish except basally and apically.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.56-0.58 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.7 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.0 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.90-0.92 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella broadly arcuate, its corners closer to adjacent orbit than to each other ( Fig. 724 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.2 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.1 × apical width. Lower gena, mandibular posterior margin, propleural posterolateral margin, and forefemoral venter with psammophores (longest setae of genal, mandibular, and forefemoral psammophores about 1.0 ×, 1.5 ×, and 1.0 ×, respectively, of greatest forefemoral width); lower gena with a few sparse punctures, practically asetose, between oral fossa and psammophore. Mandible: trimmal carina with small incision shortly beyond midlength. Punctures near center of scutellum more than one diameter apart. Length 7.0- 7.5 mm; head width 2.4-2.5 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.80-0.82 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.2-1.5 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.2-1.4 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.92-0.96 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella acutely angulate ( Fig. 725 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.8-1.9 × apical width, of flagellomere X 1.1 × apical width. Lower gena with curved, subappressed setae (longest setae slightly longer than midocellar diameter). Sternum VIII with posterior margin shallowly, broadly emarginate ( Fig. 726 ); apicolateral corner rounded. Genitalia: Figs. 727, 728 . Length

5.9-7.3 mm; head width 2.0- 2.3 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION ( Fig. 729 ).–

Known from three localities in Western Australia

RECORDS.– HOLOTYPE: ♀, AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Yanchep 32 mi. N Perth, 29 Jan –

8 Feb 1936, R.E. Turner (BMNH).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia :

34 km SE Kalbarri at 27°48.3ʹS 114°26.2ʹE, 5 Nov

2008, V. Ahrens and W.J. Pulawski (1 ♀, 7 ♂, CAS) ;

same data as holotype (1 ♀, BMNH); Neerabup 30

km N Perth, 11 Jan 1996, T.F. Houston (1 ♀, WAM). FIGURE 729 . Collecting localities of Pison occidentale Pulawski , sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 724-729. Pison occidentale Pulawski sp. nov. (724) Female clypeus and mandibles; (725) Male clypeus and mandibles; male: (726) Sternum VIII (ventral surface); (727) Genitalia in dorsal view; (728) Genitalia in lateral view.