Pison barbatum Evans

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 : 99-102

Pison barbatum Evans

Figures 169 -177.

Pison barbatum Evans, 1981:424 , ♀. Holotype: ♀, Australia: Queensland: Port Douglas (QMB), examined. – Cardale , 1985:258 (in catalog of Australian Sphecidae ).

RECOGNITION.– Pison barbatum is an all black species (except for the mandibles) with three submarginal cells, the setae appressed on the scutum and tergum I, and scutal and mesopleural punctures less than one diameter apart.

The female has a psammophore each on the gena, mandibular posterior margin, propleural and forecoxal outer margins, and foretrochanteral and forefemoral venters. It differs from other such species in having an unusually broad clypeal lamella, the distance between its corners being 1.7-1.9 × as great as the distance between a corner and the adjacent orbit (in the other species with psammophores, this distance is 1.1-1.5 × the distance between a corner and the adjacent orbit, or less). Subsidiary recognition features are: the distance between the antennal sockets slightly larger than the distance between a socket and the adjacent orbit, and the dorsal length of flagellomere I equal to 2.3-2.6 × apical width.

The male can be recognized by the following combination of characters: sternum VIII with an unsculptured swelling basally, emarginate apically ( Fig. 174 ); ocellocular distance equal to 1.1-1.4 × hindocellar diameter; propleuron closely punctate; propodeal dorsum irregularly obliquely ridged and with punctures between ridges, and short transverse ridges emerging from the longitudinal carina that separates the dorsum from the side (carina ill defined in some specimens). Additionally, the dorsal length of flagellomere I is 1.7-1.8 × apical width and the sterna are punctate throughout. Pison batavum is closely similar, but differs in having the punctures of sternum III 1-2 diameters apart mesally, sternum VIII markedly emarginate apically, with the apicolateral corner obtuse ( Fig. 188 ), and the propodeal dorsum with a narrow glabrous area along the midline (the area widens toward the anterior margin, near which it is about 2 × midocellar diameter wide); in P. barbatum , the punctures of sternum III are 2-3 diameters apart mesally, the emargination of sternum VIII is shallow and its apicolateral corner is acute ( Fig. 174 ), and the propodeal dorsum has no glabrous are.

SEX ASSOCIATION. – The previously unknown male is associated with the female because both sexes are morphologically similar and because they were the only Pison collected on Blacks Beach near Mackay.

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, finely punctate, punctures compressed against each other. Occipital carina joining hypostomal carina. Labrum not emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about twice as long as midocellar diameter. Scutum not foveate along flange, without longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures well defined, less than one diameter apart ( Fig. 172 ); a few punctures near center may be about one diameter apart. Mesopleural punctures compressed. Postspiracular carina absent. Metapleural sulcus not 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 towards spiracle (carina ill defined in some specimens); dorsum irregularly, obliquely ridged, punctate between ridges; side ridged, punctate between ridges (ridges becoming evanescent ventrad); posterior surface ridged. Punctures of tergum I about one diameter apart, nearly contiguous on apical depression. Sterna punctate throughout.

Setae silvery, appressed on upper frons, thorax, and tergum I, completely concealing integument on clypeus.

Head, thorax, propodeum, legs, and gaster black, mandible reddish preapically.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.50-0.52 × lower interocular distance; distance between antennal sockets about 2.5 × socket width; ocellocular distance and distance between hindocelli equal to 0.3-0.9 × and 1.1 × hindocellar diameter, respectively; eye height equal to 0.86-0.88 × distance between eye notches. Clypeal lamella as long mesally as laterally, distance between its corners 1.7-1.9 × distance between corner and adjacent orbit ( Fig. 169 ). Distance between antennal sockets slightly larger than distance between socket and adjacent orbit. Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.3-2.6 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.2-1.4 × apical width. Gena ( Fig. 171 ), mandibular posterior margin, propleural and forecoxal outer margin, and foretrochanteral and forefemoral venters ( Fig. 172 ) with psammophores (longest setae of genal psammophore about 1.0 × greatest forefemoral width, of mandibular psammophore about 1.2 × greatest forefemoral width, of forefemoral psammophore about 0.7 × greatest forefemoral width); lower gena impunctate and asetose between oral fossa and psammophore. Mandible: trimmal carina with incision at about midlength. Length 7.0- 7.8 mm; head width 5.4-5.5 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.76-0.78 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance and distance between hindocelli equal to 1.1-1.4 × and 1.2-1.5 × hindocellar diameter, respectively; eye height equal to 0.86-0.88 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella acutely angulate ( Fig. 170 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.7-1.8 × apical width, of flagellomere X 0.9-1.0 × apical width. Sternum VIII with unsculptured swelling basally, broadly emarginate apically ( Fig. 174 ). Genitalia: Figs. 175, 176 . Length 5.3-6.8 mm; head width 1.8-2.2 mm.

PREY.– Evans (1981) took a female of this species with her prey, a male spider of the genus Oxyopes ( Oxyopidae ).

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 177).–

Northern parts of Northern Territory, of

Queensland, and of Western Australia, also southern part of South Australia.

RECORDS.– AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory:

Gregory National Park : Victoria River bank near

Victoria River Roadhouse at 15°36.8ʹS 131°08.7ʹE

(1 ♂, CAS), 28 km SE Katherine at 14°34.0ʹS

132°28.5ʹE (2 ♀, CAS), 19 km ENE Mount Cahill at

12°47ˈS 132°51. Queensland: Blacks Beach ca

8 km N Mackay at 21°03.6ʹS 149°11.7E (1 ♀, 4 ♂,

FIGURE 177. Collecting localities of Pison barbatum CAS ), Hann River at 15°11ʹS 143°52ʹE (1 ♀,

Evans.

ANIC), Port Douglas (2 ♀, QMB, holotype and paratype of barbatum ). South Australia: Calperum Station 14 km WNW Renmark at 34°07ˈS 140°37ˈE (1 ♀, ANIC). Western Australia: Drysdale River at 15°02ˈS 126°55ˈE (2 ♀, ANIC) .

Figures

FIGURES 169–174. Pison barbatum Evans. (169) Female clypeus and mandibles; (170) Male clypeus and mandibles; (171) Genal psammophore of female; (172) Forefemoral psammophore of female; (173) Female tegula and adjacent scutum; male: (174) Sternum VIII (ventral surface).

FIGURES 186–190. Pison batavum Pulawski, sp. nov., male. (186) Clypeus; (187) Head in dorsal view; (188). Sternum VIII (ventral surface); (189) Genitalia in dorsal view); (190) Genitalia in lateral view. FIGURE 191. Collecting localities of Pison batavum Pulawski, sp. nov.

FIGURES 175–176. Pison barbatum Evans, male. (175) Genialia in dorsal view; (176) Genitalia in lateral view.