Pison petraeum 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 : 342-345

Pison petraeum Pulawski , species nova

Figures 820 -826.

NAME DERIVATION.– Petraeum is a Latin neuter adjective meaning that grows or lives in rocky places; with reference to Split Rock, Queensland, Australia, where the type series was collected .

RECOGNITION.– Pison petraeum is an all black species, with three submarginal cells, the second recurrent vein joining the second submarginal cell near its apex or interstitial with the second intersubmarginal vein, the setae appressed on tergum I, and the male clypeal lamella acutely angulate. The female is unknown and the male shares with P. excisum and P. perplexum an unusually deeply emarginate sternum VIII ( Fig. 823 ), markedly more so than in P. auratum , P. batavum , P. emarginatum , and P. vestitum . It differs from P. excisum in having the ocellocular distance 1.4-1.6 × midocellar diameter (rather than 1.0 ×) and larger than the distance between the hindocelli ( Fig. 821 ), rather than smaller, the setae of the lower gena straight or curved apically (rather than sinuous), the propodeum with a longitudinal carina separating the side from the dorsum and posterior surface (carina absent in P. excisum ), and the margins of the emargination on sternum VIII diverging toward the apex ( Fig. 823 ) rather than converging. Unlike P. perplexum , the dorsal length of flagellomere I is 2.2-2.3 × apical width (rather than 3.3 ×), flagellomeres have no tyloids (tyloids present on flagellomeres II-V) and are cylindrical (flagellomeres III and IV concave basoventrally, convex apicoventrally, at least slightly so), the apical margin of sternum VII is markedly concave (rather than straight), and sternum VIII is not bent ventrally (conspicuously bent so in P. perplexum ).

DESCRIPTION.– Frons somewhat swollen at level of scape tips, dull, finely punctate, punctures about one diameter apart. Occipital carina joining hypostomal carina. Gena moderately large in dorsal view ( Fig. 821 ). Labrum not emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about as long as 1.5 × midocellar diameter. Scutum foveate or not foveate along flange, with short longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures fine, averaging less than one diameter apart. Tegula slightly enlarged. Mesopleural punctures conspicuous, most of them compressed against each other. Postspiracular carina rudimentary. Metapleural sulcus costulate between dorsal and ventral metapleural pits. Propodeum in most specimens with irregular longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface and extending from gastral socket area toward spiracle, without such carina in some; dorsum obliquely ridged, punctate between ridges; side punctate, interspaces merging into fine, irregular ridges; posterior surface conspicuously ridged, punctate between ridges. Outer surface of hindtibia with evanescent spines. Punctures of tergum I well defined, more than one diameter apart at center of horizontal portion. Sterna conspicuously punctate throughout.

Setae silvery, appressed on postocellar area, appressed on scutum and tergum I, on lower gena subappressed, straight or curved apically, up to about one midocellar diameter long, oriented ventrally on lower frons, oriented radially around midocellus; completely concealing integument on clypeus (except lamella). Apical depressions of terga with silvery, setal fasciae; sterna II-VII with short erect setae ( Fig. 822 ), longest setae on sternum VI up to 0.7 × midocellar diameter.

Body all black.

♀.– Unknown.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.86-0.88 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.4-1.6 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.2-1.3 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.96-0.98 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella acutely angulate ( Fig. 820 ).

Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.2-2.3 × apical width, of flagellomere X 1.0 × apical width.

Sternum VIII conspicuously emarginate apically, with inner margins of emargination diverging toward apex ( Fig. 823 ). Genitalia: Figs.

824, 825. Length 8.8-9.5 mm; head width

2.4-2.6 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 826).–

Known from one locality in northern Queensland.

RECORDS.– HOLOTYPE: ♂, AUSTRALIA:

Queensland: Split Rock at 15°39ʹS 144°31ʹE,

18 Dec 1993 – 17 Jan 1994, P. Zborowski and E.D. FIGURE 826. Collecting locality of Pison petraeum Edwards (ANIC) . Pulawski, sp. nov.

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: same data as holotype (3 ♂, CAS) ; same locality, 30 Oct – 24 Nov 1992, P. Zborowki and A. Calder (1 ♂, ANIC) ; same locality, 18 Nov – 18 Dec 1993, P. Zborowski (2 ♂, ANIC) .

Figures

FIGURES 820-825. Pison petraeum Pulawski, sp. nov., male. (820) Clypeus and mandibles; (821) Head in dorsal view; (822) Gaster in lateral view; (823) Sternum VIII (ventral surface); (824) Genitalia in dorsal view; (825) Genitalia in lateral view.