Pison ecarinatum 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 : 162-164

Pison ecarinatum Pulawski , species nova

Figures 340 -342.

NAME DERIVATION.– Ecarinatum, a Latin neuter adjective meaning without carina; with reference to the propodeum lacking the sublateral longitudinal carina.

RECOGNITION.– Pison ecarinatum (only the female is known) is one of the species with abundant erect setae on tergum I. It can be recognized by the following combination: the punctures of the frons are fine; the clypeal free margin has a median lobe (and is concave adjacent to the orbit); the gena is punctate and setose adjacent to the oral fossa; the scutal punctures and the mesopleural punctures (most or all) are less than one diameter apart; the propodeum has no longitudinal carina separating the side from the dorsum and posterior surface; the sterna are punctate throughout; the legs and gaster are all black; the apical depressions of terga II-V (except tergum II laterally) have golden setal fasciae. The ocellocular distance equals 1.4-1.9 × hindocellar diameter, while 0.9-1.0 in P. dispar .

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, finely punctate, punctures less than one diameter apart. Gena narrow in dorsal view ( Fig. 341 ). Labrum shallowly emarginate, almost straight. Anteromedian carina present, about as long as midocellar diameter. Metapleural sulcus not costulate between dorsal and ventral metapleural pits. Propodeum without longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface and extending from gastral socket area toward spiracle; dorsum obliquely ridged, punctate between ridges; side punctate, interspaces merging into small, irregular ridges; posterior surface coarsely, transversely ridged (ridges evanescent in specimen from Gooburrum Shire, Queensland), punctate between ridges. Posteroventral forefemoral surface finely punctate, punctures averaging about one diameter apart. Punctures of tergum I averaging about 1-2 diameters apart on horizontal part mesally. Sterna punctate throughout, punctures of sternum II several diameters apart mesally.

Setae silvery, erect on upper frons, thorax, forecoxal venter, femoral venters, and tergum I; those of lower gena sinuous, as long as 2.5 × midocellar diameters; largely concealing integument on clypeus. Apical depressions of terga (including tergum II) with golden setal fasciae (fascia of tergum I silvery laterally).

Body all black; mandible dark brown in apical half.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.76-0.82 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.4-1.9 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 0.8-1.2 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.86-0.96 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella obtusely angulate ( Fig. 340 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.5-2.9 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.4-1.7 × apical width. Mandible: trimmal carina with small incision at about midlength. Length 8.7-11.8 mm; head width 2.9-3.7 mm.

♂.– Unknown.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 342).– Northern Territory, Queensland.

RECORDS.– HOLOTYPE: ♀, AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Gooburrum Shire [now Burnett Shire] near Bundaberg , 27 Oct 1973, H. Frauca ( ANIC).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: 23 km WNW Alice Springs at 23°36ʹS 133°34ʹE, 30 Sept 1978, J.C. Cardale (1 ♀, ANIC) . Queensland: Brisbane: Blunder Creek , 11 Nov 1979, H.E. Evans, M.A. Evans, and A. Hook (1 ♀, QMB) ; 48 km E Mount Surprise at 18°09.0ʹS 144°43.6ʹE, 21 Nov 2012, V. Ahrens and W.J. Pulawski (2 ♀, CAS) .

Figures

FIGURES 340-341. Pison ecarinatum Pulawski, sp. nov., female. (340) Clypeus and mandibles; (341) Head in dorsal view. FIGURE 342. Collecting localities of Pison ecarinatum Pulawski, sp. nov.