Pison leptogaster 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 : 254-258

Pison leptogaster Pulawski , species nova

Figures 587 -599.

NAME DERIVATION.– Leptogaster is derived from two Greek words: λεπτός, thin, lean, and γ αστερ (also Latin gaster), belly, venter; with reference to the slender gaster of this species; a noun in apposition to the generic name.

RECOGNITION.– The species can be recognized by the second recurrent vein received by submarginal cell II at two thirds to three quarters of the latter’s length ( Fig. 592 ), in combination with well defined scutal and mesopleural punctures ( Figs. 590 and 591 ); some scutal punctures are up to two or three diameters apart, the mesopleural punctures increasing in size toward the venter, up to about two diameters apart ventrally. Also, the clypeal lamella of the female is almost as long laterally as mesally ( Fig. 587 ) and tergum VI is elongate ( Fig. 594 ). The all black antennae and legs and the golden setal fasciae of the terga ( Fig. 595 ) are subsidiary recognition features.

DESCRIPTION.– Frons moderately swollen, dull, finely punctate, punctures about one diameter apart at center, middle supraantennal carina inconspicuous or absent. Occipital carina joining hypostomal carina. Gena narrow in dorsal view ( Fig. 589 ). Labrum not emarginate. Thorax and gaster slightly elongate ( Fig. 595 ). Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about as long as midocellar diameter. Scutum not foveate along flange, with short longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures well defined, most of them less than one diameter apart, but some punctures up to two or three diameters apart; interspaces finely microsculptured. Tegula slightly enlarged ( Fig. 590 ). Mesopleural punctures well defined, increasing in size toward venter, about one diameter apart at center, but up to about two diameters apart ventrally ( Fig. 589 ).

Postspiracular carina absent. Metapleural sulcus costulate between dorsal and ventral metapleural pits. Propodeum with irregular longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface and extending from gastral socket area toward spiracle; dorsum obliquely (almost transversely) ridged, punctate between ridges, with fine transverse ridges emerging from middle carina, but without median sulcus; side finely ridged, punctate between ridges; posterior surface conspicuously, transversely ridged. Forewing with three submarginal cells; second recurrent vein received by submarginal cell II at two thirds to three quarters of cell’s length ( Fig. 590 ). Posteroventral forefemoral surface with minuscule punctures that average several diameters apart. Outer surface of hindtibia with spines replaced by fine setae ( Fig. 593 ). Punctures of tergum I well defined, averaging about two diameters apart on horizontal part. Punctures of sternum II well defined and averaging several diameters apart mesally, fine on apical depression.

Setae golden or silvery on clypeus; appressed on frons, scutum, forecoxal venter, femoral venters, and tergum I; inconspicuous and oriented obliquely dorsally on upper frons, but obliquely ventrad beneath midocellus; setae of lower gena erect, straight or curved apically, about as long as midocellar diameter; not concealing integument on clypeus in female, partly concealing in male; gastral setae golden, forming well-defined fasciae on apical depressions of terga ( Fig. 595 ).

Body including antennae and legs black, mandible brown apically, also clypeal lamella of female brown; apical depressions of gastral terga yellowish, apical segment yellowish (darkened in some females).

♀ ( Fig. 595 ).– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.70-0.72 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.7 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 0.8-0.9 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.98 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella slightly rounded, almost as long laterally as mesally ( Fig. 587 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.4-2.5 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.2 × apical width. Mandible: trimmal carina with small incision at about two thirds of length. Tergum VI elongate ( Fig. 594 ). Length 9.5-10.8 mm; head width 2.1-2.3 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.78-0.80 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.8-1.0 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 0.9 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.96 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella acutely angulate ( Fig. 588 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.3 × apical width, of flagellomere X 1.0 × apical width. Sternum VIII conspicuously emarginate ( Fig. 596 ). Genitalia: Figs. 597, 598 . Length 7.2-8.5 mm; head width 2.0- 2.1 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 599).–

Known from a few adjacent localities in northern Queensland and from the island of New

Guinea.

RECORDS.– HOLOTYPE: ♀, AUSTRALIA:

Queensland: 12 km SSE Heathlands at 11°51ʹS

142°38ʹE, 21 Aug – 17 Sept 1992, P. Zborowski and

L. Miller (ANIC).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: 14 km

ENE Heathlands at 11°41ʹS 42°42ʹE, 12 Nov –

14 Dec 1993, P. Zborowski (1 ♀, ANIC); 15 km

ENE Heathlands at 11°41ʹS 142°42ʹE, 15-26 Jan

1992, I.D. Naumann and T. Weir (3 ♀, ANIC; 1 ♀,

CAS); 12 km SSE Heathlands at 11°51ʹS 142°38ʹE,

25 Apr – 7 June 1992, T. McLeod (1 ♀, ANIC), FIGURE 599. Collecting localities of Pison leptogaster Pulawski , sp. nov.

25 July – 21 Aug 1992, P. Zborowski and J.C.

Cardale (2 ♀, 1 ♂, ANIC; 1 ♂, CAS), 21 Aug – 17 Sept 1992, P. Zborowski and L. Miller (4 ♀, 1 ♂, ANIC; 3 ♀, CAS), 17 Sept – 22 Oct 1992, P. Zborowski (1 ♀, ANIC) , 22 Oct – 22 Nov 1992, P. Zborowski and A. Calder (5 ♀, ANIC; 1 ♀, CAS) ; Iron Range , 27 Apr – 4 May 1973, S.R. Monteith (1 ♀, ANIC) ; 11 km ENE Mount Tozer at 12°43ʹS 14318ʹE, 11-16 July 1986, J.C. Cardale (1 ♂, ANIC) .

INDONESIA: Western Papua (= Indonesian New Guinea): Merauke at 8°30ʹS 140º22ʹE, 3 Apr 1988, R. Hensen (1 ♀, RMNH) .

Figures

FIGURES 587-592. Pison leptogaster Pulawski, sp. nov. (587) Female clypeus and mandibles; (588) Male clypeus; (589) Female head in dorsal view; (590) Female tegula and adjacent scutum; (591) Female mesopleuron; (592) Distal portion of female forewing (arrow shows second recurrent vein).

FIGURE 593-598. Pison leptogaster Pulawski, sp. nov. (593) Left hindtibia of female in dorsal view; (594) Female tergum VI in dorsal view; (595) Female body in dorsal view; male: (596) Sternum VIII (ventral view); (597) Genitalia in dorsal view; (598) Genitalia in lateral view.