Pison hirticeps 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 : 219-221

Pison hirticeps Pulawski , species nova

Figures 492 -499.

NAME DERIVATION.– Hirticeps is derived from two Latin words: hirtus, meaning hairy, shaggy, and the suffix – ceps, referring to the head; with reference to the erect setae on the head.

RECOGNITION.– Pison hirticeps has a black gaster and tibiae, three submarginal cells, the second recurrent vein interstitial with the second intersubmarginal vein, and the setae appressed on tergum I. The male (the female is unknown) is characterized by a rounded apical margin of sternum VIII ( Fig. 496 ), in combination with sterna II-IV sparsely punctate mesally, impunctate apicomesally ( Fig. 495 ), and other recognition characters include: dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.8-2.0 × apical width; all flagellomeres cylindrical; ocellocular distance equal to 0.9-1.1 × hindocellar diameter; tegula largely impunctate and asetose; propodeum with longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface; apical sterna without tuft of apicolateral, erect setae. Unlike P. psammophilos , P. hirticeps has the scutal punctures not compressed against each other ( Fig. 494 ), with the interspaces not linear, and the hindtibial spurs light (rather than dark). It differs from P. pusillum in having flagellomere I as long dorsally as 1.8-2.0 × its apical width (rather than 1.3-1.5 × apical width), the setae of upper frons oriented dorsally (rather than ventrally), and the tegula not covering the humeral plate (rather than covering in many positions).

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, finely punctate, punctures nearly contiguous. Occipital carina joining hypostomal carina. Gena narrow in dorsal view. Labrum not emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about as long as 1.5 × midocellar diameter. Propleuron partly impunctate. Scutum foveate along flange, without short, longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures well defined, mostly less than one diameter apart ( Fig. 494 ), but several puncturers near center about one diameter apart (paratype) or more than one diameter apart (holotype). Scutellum foveate along anterior margin. Tegula slightly enlarged. Mesopleural punctures less than one diameter apart. Postspiracular carina present, about 1.5 × as long as midocellar diameter. 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 ridged; side slightly concave, ridged, punctate between ridges; posterior surface transversely ridged, punctate between ridges. Posteroventral forefemoral surface with well-defined puncures that are less than one diameter apart. Hindcoxal dorsum with outer margin obtusely carinate. Punctures of tergum I well defined anterior of apical depression, several of them more than one diameter apart. Sterna II-IV sparsely punctate mesally, impunctate apicomesally ( Fig. 495 ), sternum V largely impunctate mesally (except punctate near base), sternum VI impunctate.

Setae silvery, on frons oriented dorsally and shorter than midocellar diameter except for several sparse, erect setae that are about as long as one midocellar diameter; on postocellar area either all appressed or a few setae erect; on scutum mostly erect or suberect, about 0.2 × midocellar diameter, but a few sparse setae erect, up to about 0.8 × midocellar diameter; on lower gena erect, sinuous, up to about 2.0 × as long as midocellar diameter; appressed on tergum I; completely concealing integument on clypeus (except lamella). Apical depressions of terga with silvery, setal fasciae.

Body black except the following in paratype: flagellomeres III-XI brown, mandible dark redish mesally, and tarsi ferruginous.

♀.– Unknown.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.80-0.82 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.9-1.1 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.1-1.4 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 1.02-1.04 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella acutely angulate ( Fig. 492 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.8-2.0 × apical width, of flagellomere X 0.9-1.0 × apical width. Mandible with abductor ridge ( Fig. 493 ). Sternum VIII with apical margin rounded ( Fig. 496 ). Genitalia: Figs. 497, 498 . Length 5.8-6.6 mm; head width 1.9-2.2 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 499).– Northern Territory, Western Australia.

RECORDS.– HOLOTYPE: ♂, AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 45 km S Newman on Great Northern Highway at 23°42.4ʹS 119°44.3ʹE, 23 Apr – 6 May 2003, M.E. Irwin and F.D. Parker ( ANIC).

PARATYPE: AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: Victoria Highway 109 km WSW Timber Creek at 15°56ʹ11ʺS 129°35ʹ22ʺE, 15-19 June 2001, M.E. Irwin and F.D. Parker (1 ♂, CAS) .

Figures

FIGURES 492-495. Pison hirticeps Pulawski, sp. nov., male. (492) Clypeus and mandibles; (493) Outer surface of mandible (arrow shows abductor ridge); (494) Tegula and adjacent scutum; (495) Middle sterna.

FIGURES 496-498. Pison hirticeps Pulawski, sp. nov., male. (496) Sternum VIII (ventral surface); (497) Genitalia in dorsal view; (498) Genitalia in lateral view. FIGURE 499. Collecting localities of Pison hirticeps Pulawski, sp. nov.