Pison curiosum 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 : 136-138

Pison curiosum Pulawski , species nova

Figures 268-274.

NAME DERIVATION.– Curiosum is a Latin neuter adjective meaning curious.

RECOGNITION.– The female of P. curiosum resembles tegulare in having an unusually long, narrowing posterad tegula that extends beyond the anterior margin of the axilla ( Fig. 270 ). The tegula also extends beyond the anterior margin of the axilla in P. translucens , but in P. curiosum the whole body is black, whereas at least the mid-and hindtibiae are ferruginous in P. translucens . Unlike P. tegulare , the tegula of P. curiosum is largely impunctate and asetose (but finely microsculptured), with the inner margin convex posteriorly, the mandible is black except brown apically, the legs and gaster are black, the clypeal lamella is obtusely angulate ( Fig. 268 ), the lower gena and the forefemur have no psammophores (genal setae shorter than midocellar diameter), the lower gena is punctate and setose on each side of the oral fossa, and the body length is 7.6-8.0 mm in female. In P. tegulare the tegula is nearly completely punctate and setose (only a narrow, marginal rim is impunctate and asetose), with inner margin concave posteriorly, the mandible is yellowish brown (except basally and apically), the tibiae are all or partly ferruginous, at least terga I and II are ferruginous, and in the female: the clypeal lamella is arcuate, the lower gena and the forefemur have a psammophore, and the lower gena is impunctate and asetose between the oral fossa and the psammophore; the body length is 5.1-5.3 mm in the female and 4.5-4.6 mm in the male. Subsidiary recognition features of P. curiosum are: the presence of a small, preapical tooth on the trimmal carina of the mandible, and the presence of a longitudinal carina between the propodeal dorsum and side (the carina does not extend until the propodeal spiracle).

The male has sternum VIII rounded apically, without a posterolateral corner ( Fig. 271 ). It differs from the other species with this feature in having the tegula extending to the anterior margin of the axilla, with the outer margin minimally concave, almost rectilinear ( Fig. 270 ). The following are the subsidiary recognition features: gaster and legs black; free margin of clypeal lamella acutely angulate, not concave on each side of midpoint, lateral corner absent or barely indicated; scutal punctures not compressed against each other; tergum VII and sternum VII without erect setae; and sternum VIII without median swelling. Unlike P. setiferum (in addition to the tegular character), the ocellocular distance of P. curiosum is equal to 1.7 × hindocellar diameter (rather than 1.0-1.2 ×), and the hindtibial spurs are black (rather than whitish).

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, finely punctate, punctures less than one diameter apart; interspaces markedly microareolate. Gena narrow in dorsal view. Labrum not emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit round or transversely elongate, about as long as 0.5-1.0 × midocellar diameter. Propleuron impunctate anteriorly. Scutum not foveate along flange, without short longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures fine, averaging at least about one diameter apart ( Fig. 270 ). Tegula conspicuously elongate, with outer margin slightly concave ( Fig. 270 ), extending beyond anterior margin of axilla in female, reaching anterior margin of axilla in male; most of its surface impunctate and asetose, but finely microsculptured. Mesopleural punctures compressed against each other. Postspiracular carina absent. Metapleural sulcus costulate between dorsal and ventral metapleural pits. Propodeum with longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum, but not extending to spiracle; dorsum obliquely ridged, punctate between ridges; side finely punctate (most punctures less than one diameter apart), interspaces merging into minute ridges;

posterior surface transversely ridged (ridges fine to conspicuous), punctate between ridges. Posteroventral forefemoral surface finely, closely punctate. Punctures of tergum I, on horizontal part and before apical depression, averaging about one diameter apart. Sternum II finely punctate throughout, punctures about 2-3 diameters apart mesally in females from Northern Territory and Western Australia, but about one diameter apart in those from New South Wales, 2-3 to 3-4 diameters apart in male.

Setae silvery, appressed on frons, thorax, and tergum I, diverging laterally above dorsal end of middle carina; setae of lower gena curved, subappressed in female, erect in male, about 0.7 × midocellar diameter in female, about 1.0 × in male; nearly completely concealing integument on clypeus. Apical depressions of terga with silvery, setal fasciae.

Body all black, mandible brown apically.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.72-0.74 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.9-1.0 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.1-1.3 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.96 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella obtusely angulate ( Fig. 268 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.2-2.4 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.4 × apical width. Mandible: trimmal carina with preapical tooth ( Fig. 268 ). Length 7.6-8.0 mm; head width 2.4 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.76 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.7 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.4 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.92 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella acutely angulate ( Fig. 269 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.9 × apical width, of flagellomere X 1.3 × apical width. Apical margin of sternum VIII rounded, not emarginate ( Fig. 271 ). Genitalia: Figs. 272, 273 . Length 6.0 mm; head width 2.1 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION ( Fig. 274 ).–

New South Wales, Northern Territory, South

Australia, Western Australia.

RECORDS.– HOLOTYPE: ♀, AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Mount Augustus National Park at

24°18.0ʹS 116°47.6ʹE, 25 Apr – 7 May 2003, M.E.

Irwin and F.D. Parker (ANIC).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales :

Paroo Darling National Park at 30°51.9ʹS

143°05.5ʹE, 14 Dec 2011, V. Ahrens and W.J.

Pulawski (3 ♀, CAS). Northern Territory: West

MacDonnell National Park ca 3 km W road to Simpson Gap at 23°41.8ʹS 133°41.7ʹE, Ch.M. Palmer,

27 Oct – 27 Nov 2006 (1 ♀, NTM), 27 Nov – 27 Dec

2006 (1 ♀, CAS), 27 Dec 2006 – 27 Jan 2007 (1 ♂, FIGURE 274 . Collecting localities of Pison curiosum Pulawski , sp. nov.

CAS), 27 Jan – 27 Feb 2008 (1 ♀, NTM) . South

Australia: Mount Davies in Tompkinson Ranges , 18-21 Oct 1972, H.E. Evans (1 ♂, ANIC) ; 19 km N Renmark at 34°00ˈ 140°47ˈE, 8 Nov – 14 Dec 1995, K.R. Pullen (1 ♀, 1 ♂, ANIC) . Western Australia: same data as holotype (1 ♀, CAS) ; Hamersley Station at 22°18ʹ06ʺS 117°41ʹ35ʺE, 28 Oct – 2 Nov 2005, CVA [= Conservation Volunteers Australia] (2 ♀, 1 ♂, AMS) ; Pardoo Road House at 20°28.3ʹS 120°10.0ʹE, 5 Jan – 14 May 2003, F.D. Parker and M.E. Irwin (1 ♀, ANIC; 1 ♀, CAS) ; Serpentine Falls in Darling Ranges , 20 Jan 1971, G.A. Holloway (1 ♀, AMS) ; Tom Price at 22°18.8ʹS 117°40.5ʹE, 20 Apr – 4 May 2003, F.D. Parker and M.E. Irwin (4 ♀, CAS) .

Figures

FIGURES 197–299. Pison bimbi Pulawski, sp. nov., female. (197) Clypeus and mandibles; (198) Head in dorsal view; (199) Pronotum in dorsal view. FIGURE 200. Collecting localities of Pison bimbi Pulawski, sp. nov.