Pison basale F. Smith

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 : 102-105

Pison basale F. Smith

Figures 178 -185.

Pison basale F. Smith, 1869:292 , ♀ (as basalis, incorrect original termination). Lectotype: ♀, Australia: no specific locality (BMNH), present designation, examined. – Kohl, 1885:186 (in checklist of world Pison ); Froggatt, 1892:217 (in catalog of Australian Hymenoptera ); Dalla Torre, 1897:710 (in catalog of world Hymenoptera ); Turner, 1916b:598 (in key to Australian Pison , as basalis), 615 (recognition characters); R. Bohart and Menke, 1976:337 (in checklist of world Sphecidae ); Cardale, 1985:258 (in catalog of Australian Sphecidae ).

LECTOTYPE DESIGNATION.– Smith (1869) did not indicate the number of specimens examined in the original description of P. basale . I have designated as the lectotype of this species the only female present in The Natural History Museum, London.

RECOGNITION.– Pison basale has three submarginal cells, the second recurrent vein interstitial with the second intersubmarginal vein or nearly so, the setae appressed on the scutum and tergum I, the female gena punctate and setose adjacent to the hypostomal area, and tergum I (except basally) and tergum II (at least partly) ferruginous. It differs from similar species in having the tegula obtusely pointed apically ( Fig. 181 ) rather than rounded, and the occipital carina slightly expand- ed ventrally (carina height about 0.5 × midocellar diameter). Pison auratum is similar, but in that species the female clypeus is shallowly concave adjacent to the lamella (rather than slightly convex), and male sternum VIII is deeply emarginate apically (rather than slightly so or truncate); also, tergum II is black in most specimens. Also similar is P. formosum , in which only tergum III is black, the remaining terga being ferruginous (in P. basale , at least terga III and IV are black), the clypeal lamella of the female is wider (compare Figs. 178 and 452 ), and the ocellocular distance in the male is equal to 1.8-2.1 × hindocellar diameter (1.1-1.2 × hindocellar diameter in P. basale ). Unlike P. lutescens , the middle supraantennal carina of P. basale is well defined (rather than evanescent), and the free margin of the female clypeus is distinctly concave adjacent to orbit (rather than barely concave).

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, finely, shallowly punctate, punctures averaging about one diameter apart. Occipital carina slightly expanded ventrally, its height about 0.5 × midocellar diameter. Labrum emarginate mesally. Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about twice as long as midocellar diameter. Punctures of propleuron either all less than one diameter apart or more than one diameter apart in anterior half. Scutum not foveate along flange, without longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal and mesopleural punctures well defined, less than one diameter apart, interspaces unsculptured. Tegula enlarged, obtusely pointed apically ( Fig. 181 ). 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 (carina evanescent in most specimens); dorsum densely punctate (punctures nearly contiguous), interspaces merging into minute, irregularly oblique ridges (ridges becoming more conspicuous toward dorsum basomedian point); side punctate, interspaces linear, merging into minute ridges; posterior surface ridged and punctate. Posteroventral forefemoral surface closely punctate. Hindcoxal dorsum with outer margin carinate apically. Length of tergum I slightly more than apical width in some males; punctures on horizontal part about one diameter apart. Sterna finely punctate throughout, punctures of sternum II more than one diameter apart mesally.

Setae either silvery or golden on head ( Fig. 180 ), thorax, and propodeum, but intermediate in some specimens (e.g., silvery on clypeus and golden on frons), suberect on upper frons, appressed on scutum (a few, sparse setae are erect) and tergum I, sinuous on lower gena; on frons oriented ventrally in ventral half, oriented dorsolaterally in dorsal half mesally; partly concealing integument on clypeus in female, completely so (except lamella) in male; setal length, expressed as a fraction of midocellar diameter, up to 1.0 × on frons in female, 0.5 × in male, up to about 1.3 × on lower gena in female, 1.0 × in male. Apical depressions of terga with setal fasciae, fasciae either silvery or golden, but dark brown on terga III-VI in one male examined.

Head, thorax, and propodeum black, female clypeus ferruginous next to lobe free margin; mandible narrowly black basally and apically, yellowish reddish mesally; scape, pedicel, and flagellomeres I-II to I-VII ferruginous (apical flagellomeres black). Femora all ferruginous or midfemur partly and hindfemur mainly black, tibiae, and tarsi ferruginous. Tergum I ferruginous (black basally), tergum II ferruginous (all or partly), at least terga III and IV black (remaining terga either all black or largely ferruginous).

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.64-0.70 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.8-1.1 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli 0.8-1.1 ×

hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to

0.92-0.94 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella roundly angulate,

clypeal lobe narrow ( Fig. 178 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.2-2.6 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.4-1.8 × apical width.

Mandible: trimmal carina with small incision at about midlength. Length 8.7-9.8 mm; head width 2.3-3.7 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to

0.78-0.80 × lower interocular distance; ocelloc-

FIGURE 184. Pison basale F. Smith , male. (184) Genitalia ular distance equal to 1.0-1.4 × hindocellar in lateral view.

diameter, distance between hindocelli 1.0-1.5 ×

hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.96-1.02 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella acutely angulate ( Fig. 179 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.5 × apical width, of flagellomere X 1.4 × apical width. Sternum VIII shallowly, broadly emarginate apically to truncate ( Fig. 182 ). Genitalia: Figs. 183 , 184. Length 6.1-8.3 mm; head width 1.9-2.4 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 185).–

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia.

RECORDS.– AUSTRALIA: New South Wales:

1 km W Eumungerie at 31°56.7ʹS 148°36.9ʹE (1 ♀,

2 ♂, CAS), Kinchega National Park at 32°23.7ʹS

142°22.7ʹE (2 ♀, CAS). Northern Territory:

Arnhem Highway crossing Mary River at 12°53ʹS

131°38ʹE (1 ♂, NTM), Bridge Creek 32 km N Adelaide River (1 ♂, USNM), Gregory National Park at

16°01ʹ45ʺS 130°47ʹ36ʺE (1 ♂, ANIC). Queensland :

Agnes Water 40 km E Miriam Vale (1 ♂, AMS) ,

Biggenden (2 ♂, ANIC), Brisbane (1 ♀, 1 ♂, QMB) ,

Brisbane : Blunder Creek (1 ♂, QMB), Bundaberg

(2 ♀, ANIC), Bundaberg: Baldwin Swamp (1 ♀, FIGURE 185 . Collecting localities of Pison basale ANIC ), Burleigh (1 ♂, QMB), Burnett River at F. Smith .

Bundaberg (1 ♀, ANIC) , Carnarvon National Park: Carnarvon Gorge (2 ♀, QMB) , 9 km S Dingo Beach at 20°05.5ʹS 148°30.2ʹE (1 ♂, CAS) , Dipperu National Park at 21°53.9ʹS 148°56.5ʹE (2 ♂, CAS) , Hayes Creek at 13°35.0ʹS 131°27.6ʹE (1 ♀, CAS) , Homevale National Park at 21°26.9ʹS 148°32.4ʹE (7 ♀, 17 ♂, CAS) , Ipswich (1 ♀, QMB) , Kuranda (2 ♀, BMNH) , Maryborough at 25°32ʹS 152°44ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , 10 km S Moreton in Cape York Peninsula (1 ♂, ANIC) , 48 km E Mount Surprise at 18°09.0ʹS 144°43.6ʹE (1 ♀, CAS) , Musgrave (1 ♂, AMS) , North Stradbroke Island (1 ♀, QMB) , Pendland at 20°31.0ʹS 145°24.2ʹE (1 ♀, CAS) , 61 km S Rolleston at 24°59.7ʹS 148°27.8ʹE (15 ♂, CAS) , The Bend 3 km NW Coen at 13°56ʹS 143°12ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , Townsville (1 ♀, SAM) . South Australia: Bullinina Dam 45 km NE Marree (1 ♂, SAM) , Coopers Creek ferry crossing (2 ♀, SAM) . Western Australia: Mining Camp in Mitchell Plateau at 14°49ʹS 125°50ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) . No specific locality (1 ♀, BMNH, lectotype of Pison basale ) .

Figures

FIGURE 178–183. Pison basale F. Smith. (178) Female clypeus and mandibles; (179) Male clypeus and mandibles; (180) Female head in dorsal view; (181) Tegula and adjacent scutum (arrow shows obtusely pointed posterior end of tegula); male: (182) Sternum VIII (ventral surface); (183) Genitalia in dorsal view.

FIGURES 452-455. Pison formosum Pulawski, sp. nov. (452) Female clypeus and mandible (453) Male clypeus and mandibles; (454) Female body in lateral view; (455) Female gaster in dorsal view.