Pison eurygnathos 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 : 178-180

Pison eurygnathos Pulawski , species nova

Figures 380 -387.

Pison undescribed species: Pulawski, 2017:3.

NAME DERIVATION.– Eurygnathos is derived from two Greek words: ευρύς, broad, and γνάθΟς, a mandible; with reference to the unusually broad mandible of this species; a noun in apposition to the generic name.

RECOGNITION.– Pison eurygnathos has erect setae on tergum I ( Fig. 386 ). Unlike all other such species, its tergum I is elongate ( Fig. 385 , length about 1.2 × apical width), separated by a constriction from tergum II, and much narrower ( Fig. 384 ) than the latter (maximum width of tergum I equal to about 0.6-0.7 of that of tergum II). The female has a mandible unique in the genus: with the inner portion broadly expanded preapically and with two conspicuous, rounded preapical teeth ( Fig. 381 ), without acetabular groove and with a shallow, broadened condylar groove, with a conspicuous, sharp acetabular carina. The male is unknown.

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, finely punctate, punctures nearly contiguous. Occipital carina joining hypostomal carina. Labrum not emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit slightly transversely elongate, about as long as midocellar diameter. Scutum not foveate along flange, without longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures fine, no more than one diameter apart (many of them contiguous). Tegula enlarged, minutely punctate throughout ( Fig. 382 ). Mesopleurdinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface and extending from gastral socket area toward spiracle; dorsum punctate ( Fig. 383 ), also with minute oblique ridges at least basolaterally; side punctate, punctures less than one diameter apart; posterior surface punctate, also finely, transversely ridged in ventral half. Tergum I slightly elongate: length about 1.1-1.2 × apical width ( Fig. 385 ), separated by constriction from tergum II ( Fig. 386 ); punctures about 1-2 diameters apart on horizontal part. Sternum II punctate throughout, punctures several diameters apart mesally.

Setae pale golden, erect on upper frons, scutum, and tergum I ( Fig. 386 ); on lower gena erect, sinuous, up to two midocellar diameters long; not concealing integument on clypeus. Apical depressions of terga with setal fasciae, but fascia inconspicuous on tergum II ( Fig. 384 ).

Head, thorax, propodeum, and gaster black, antenna ferruginous (two or three apical flagellomeres black), terga I and II with ferruginous preapical spot. Femora black except apically, tibiae, and tarsi ferruginous.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.62-0.64 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.3-1.4 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 0.9 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.92 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeus angulate mesally, lamella absent ( Fig. 380 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.3 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.2-1.3 × apical width. Mandibular inner margin broadly expanded preapically ( Fig. 381 ), with two conspicuous, preapical teeth (basal one obtusely rounded, apical one subrectangular); acetabular grove absent, condylar groove shallow, broad; acetabular carina sharp, conspicuous. Length 11.1-12.5 mm; head width 3.1-3.2 mm.

♂.– Unknown.

RELATIONSHIP TO AULACOPHILINUS .– Pison eurygnathos resembles Aulacophilinus in two characters: the clypeal lamella is absent and the mandibular inner portion is broadly expanded preapically ( Fig. 381 ). It differs from Aulacophilinus by a number of characters: the mandible is impunctate and asetose on the inner surface and has two conspicuous, preapical teeth, the condylar groove is shallow, broadened, and the acetabular carina is sharp, conspicuous. Also, the setae of tergum, I are erect, whereas appressed in Aulacophilinus .

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 387).–

Souheastern New South Wales, northeastern

Queensland.

RECORDS.– HOLOTYPE: ♀, AUSTRALIA: New

South Wales: Taree: Coocumbac Island Nature

Reserve, 1-8 Dec 1994, G. and T. Williams (ANIC).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales :

same data as holotype except 10-21 Nov 1994 (1 ♀,

CAS). Queensland: Lamington National Park at

28.216°S 153.152°E, rainforest, 31 Jan 2007,

B. Morris and Sinclair (1 ♀, QMB); same locality,

Jan 2007, Becky Morris (1 ♀, CAS). FIGURE 387. Collecting localities of Pison eurygnathos Pulawski, sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 380-383. Pison eurygnathos Pulawski, sp. nov., female. (380) Clypeus and mandibles; (381) Mandible (arrow shows acetabular carina); (382) Tegula and adjacent scutum; (383) Propodeum in dorsal view.

FIGURES 384-386. Pison eurygnathos Pulawski, sp. nov., female. (384) Gaster in dorsal view; (385) Tergum I in dorsal view; (386) Tergum I in lateral view.