Pison formicarium 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 : 200-204

Pison formicarium Pulawski , species nova

Figures 442 -451.

NAME DERIVATION.– Formicarium is a Latin neuter adjective derived from formica, an ant. The species is named for the concurrence of specimens with the green ant, Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius) , on the Greenant Creek trail in the Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory, Australia.

RECOGNITION.– Pison formicarium is an all black species with three submarginal cells, the second recurrent vein interstitial with the second intersubmarginal vein or nearly so, and setae of tergum I appressed. Furthermore, the setae of the lower gena are straight or bent apically (not sinuous), about as long as the midocellar diameter.

The female shares with P. marginatum the punctures at the center of the upper frons (between the upper end of the middle carina and the midocellus) about one diameter apart, and the markedly microsculptured interspaces; a subsidiary recognition features is the ventral half of the metapleuron minutely punctate, the punctures being markedly smaller than those of the adjacent parts of the mesopleuron and of the propodeum (see Fig. 634 ). It differs from P. marginatum in having the setae on the upper frons about as long as 0.5 × midocellar diameter (rather than 1.0 × midocellar diameter) and the setae of the lower gena straight or curved apically, about as long as the midocellar diameter (rather than sinuous, at least some of them as long as 1.5 × the midocellar diameter or more). Somewhat similar is P. modestum , in which, however, the frontal punctures are ill defined and the dorsal length of flagellomere I is 2.4-2.6 × its apical width (3.0-3.1 × apical width in P. formicarium ). Pison punctifemur is similar in having sparse punctures on the upper frons, but differs in having conspicuously large punctures on the posteroventral surface of the forefemur ( Fig. 903 ).

The male has an acutely angulate clypeal lamella that is not concave on each side of the midpoint, the ocellocular distance 0.7-08 × midocellar diameter, the dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.7-2.9 × apical width, the mesopleural punctures averaging less than one diameter apart, sterna uniformly, densely punctate throughout (sternum III without transverse swelling), setae of sterna II-VII nearly appressed, and sternum VIII emarginate apically, with well defined apicolateral corners. Pison separatum is similar, but it differs in having the scutal punctures on the disk less than one diameter apart, the setae of the lower gena sinuous, slightly longer than the midocellar diameter, the hypostomal carina expanded, as wide next to mandibular base as 0.5 × midocellar diameter, and in many specimens an expanded occipital carina (which can be as high dorsally as 0.5-0.9 × mid-ocellar diameter); in P. formicarium , the scutal punctures on the disk are about 2-3 diameters apart (most specimens), the setae of the lower gena straight or curved apically, about one midocellar diameter long, the hypostomal carina is not expanded, no more than 0.3 × as high as midocellar diameter; and the occipital carina is not expanded, about as high dorsally as 0.3 × midocellar diameter.

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, punctate, punctures shallow, varying from slightly less to more than one diameter apart. Gena narrow in dorsal view ( Figs. 444, 446 ). Labrum not emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about 2.0-2.5 × as long as midocellar diameter. Scutum not foveate along flange, without short longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures well defined, averaging about two or three diameters apart near center in most specimens, but less than one diameter apart in females from Emerald, Queensland, and Whiskers, New South Wales. Tegula enlarged. Mesopleural punctures well defined, averaging less than one diameter apart. Postspiracular carina present, about 1.0-1.5 × as long as midocellar diameter. Metapleural sulcus costulate between dorsal and ventral metapleural pits. Propodeum with or without irregular longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface and extending from gastral socket area toward spiracle (carina rudimentary in some specimens); dorsum sculpture varying: fully ridged in some specimens, or punctate with evanescent ridges (ridges well defined basally), or punctate except ridged basally (in last two cases punctures at least 1-2 diameters apart near median sulcus, but less than one diameter apart laterally); side punctate, without ridges; posterior surface ridged. Hindcoxal dorsum with outer margin not carinate. Punctures of tergum I fine to minute, more than one diameter apart on horizontal part. Sterna uniformly, densely punctate throughout.

Setae silvery, erect on scutum (about as long as 0.5 × midocellar diameter) in specimens from Queensland, appressed in those from Northern Territory; appressed on tergum I; partly concealing integument on clypeus; setae of lower gena straight, curved apically (setal length about one midocellar diameter). Apical depressions of terga with silvery, setal fasciae.

Body all black except mandibular apex brown in most specimens.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.50-0.58 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.3-0.6 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 0.6-0.7 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 1.00-1.02 × distance between eye notches. Free margin

NW Hope Vale Mission at 15°16ʹS 144°59ʹE, 7-10 May 1981, I.D. Naumann (1 ♀, ANIC) ; Melville Island : creek 1 km SW Pickertaramoor at 11°47ʹS 130°53ʹE, 12 Oct 1996, G.R. Brown and G. Dally (1 ♀, NTM) ; Peach Creak crossing 25 km NNE Coen, 4-5 July 1976, G.B. and S.R. Monteith (1 ♂, ANIC) .

Figures

FIGURES 442-446. Pison formicarium Pulawski, sp. nov. (442) Female clypeus with more acute lamella and mandibles; (443) Female clypeus with more rounded lamel- la and mandibles; (444) Female vertex in dorsal view; (445) Male clypeus and mandibles; (446) Male vertex in dorsal view.

FIGURES 629-634. Pison marginatum F. Smith. (629) Clypeus and mandibles of female from Australia; (630) Clypeus and mandibles of female from New Guinea; (631) Male clypeus and mandibles; (632) Upper frons of female; (633) Male vertex; (634) Female metapleuron (arrow indicates upper metapleural pit).

FIGURES 900-903. Pison punctifemur Pulawski, sp. nov. (900) Female clypeus; (901) Male clypeus; (902) Female frons; (903) Female forefemur (posteroventral surface).