Pison novocaledonicum Krombein, 1949

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 : 546-548

Pison novocaledonicum Krombein

Figures 1330-1337.

As Pison insulare : F. Williams, 1945:442 ( New Caledonia), corrected to Pison novocaledonicum by Krombein, 1949a:362.

As Pison tahitense : Krombein, 1949b:385 (in key to Sphecidae of Micronesia), present correction.

Pison novocaledonicum Krombein, 1949a:362 , ♀, ♂ (as novocaledonica, incorrect original termination). Holotype: ♀, New Caledonia: St. Louis (USNM), paratypes examined. – Yasumatsu, 1953:134 (in list of Pison of Pacific islands); R. Bohart and Menke, 1976:336 (in checklist of world Sphecidae ); Callan, 1990:20 ( New Caledonia: no specific locality); Jennings, Krogmann, and Burwell, 2013:32 (in checklist of Hymenoptera of New Caledonia).

Pison susanae Cheesman, 1955:83 , ♀, ♂. Holotype: ♀, New Caledonia: Puébo : Mont Tinchialit (BMNH), examined. New synonym. – R. Bohart and Menke, 1976:336 (in checklist of world Sphecidae ); Callan, 1990:20 ( New Caledonia: no specific locality); Jennings, Krogmann, and Burwell, 2013:32 (in checklist of Hymenoptera of New Caledonia).

RECOGNITION.– Pison novocaledonicum , an endemic of New Caledonia, closely resembles P. reichingeri (see that species for recognition features), but differs in having the punctures of the propodeal dorsum more than one diameter apart, and the apical margin of male sternum VIII truncate or nearly so; also, the wings are markedly infumate. In P. reichingeri , either all punctures of the propodeal dorsum are less than one diameter apart or only those adjacent to the midline are more than one diameter apart, and the apical margin of male sternum VIII is shallowly, broadly emarginate; in most specimens the wings are slightly infumate.

JUSTIFICATION OF NEW SYNONYMY.– I compared the holotype of Pison susanae with a pair of paratypes of Pison novocaledonicum . These specimens are clearly conspecific, and the two names are therefore synonyms.

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, microscopically areolate, with well-defined punctures averaging 2-3 diameters apart in females (Fig. 1332), finer and averaging 1-2 diameters apart in males. Gena in female narrow in dorsal view. Labrum not emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit minimally transversely elongate, about as long as midocellar diameter. Scutum not foveate along flange, without short longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures well defined, most of them more than one diameter apart. Tegula minimally enlarged. Mesopleural punctures well defined, averaging about two diameters apart near center in female, about one diameter apart in male; interspaces unsculptured. Postspiracular carina present, about as long as midocellar diameter. Metapleural sulcus costulate between dorsal and ventral metapleural pits. Propodeum with longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface and extending from gastral socket area toward spiracle (carina evanescent in some specimens); dorsum with shallow median sulcus crossed by small transverse or oblique ridges, in most specimens with median carina limit- ed to basal quarter or half of dorsum; dorsum surface punctate, punctures more than one diameter apart (Fig. 1333); side punctate, punctures 1-2 diameters apart except less than one diameter apart posteroventrally; posterior surface punctate, transversely ridged in ventral half. Posteroventral forefemoral surface with fine punctures that average a few diameters apart. Hindcoxal dorsum with outer margin carinate in apical half. Punctures of tergum I averaging about 2-3 diameters apart on disk of horizontal part. Punctures of sternum II microscopic, many diameters apart mesally, somewhat larger and markedly denser near lateral margin.

Setae silvery, suberect to erect on frons, up to one midocellar diameter long; erect on scutum, about as long as 0.5 × midocellar diameter; appressed on tergum I; on lower gena erect, sinuous, up to two midocellar diameters long; not concealing integument on clypeus in female, nearly completely concealing in male. Apical depressions of terga I-III with silvery, setal fasciae.

Body all black. Wings conspicuously infumate.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.54-0.56 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.3 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 0.7-0.8 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 1.02-1.06 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella arcuate to subrectangular (Fig. 1330). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.8-2.9 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.7-1.8 × apical width. Mandible: trimmal carina with small incision shortly beyond midlength. Tergum VI with median carina preapically. Length 9.5-11.8 mm; head width 2.6-3.1 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.64-0.66 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.3-0.4 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 0.5-0.6 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 1.08 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella obtusely angulate (Fig. 1331). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.5-2.6 × apical width, of flagellomere X 1.5-1.7 × apical width. Sternum VIII truncate apically to minimally emarginate (Fig. 1334). Genitalia: Figs. 1335, 1336. Length 8.7-10.1 mm; head width 2.4-2.5 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 1337).– New Caledonia.

RECORDS.– NEW CALEDONIA (Krombein, 1949a or as indicated): Grande Terre: Anse Vata (1 ♀, 1 ♂, BISH) , Bonjou District , Bouirou village 20 km N Bourail (3 ♀, BMNH) , Bourail , 22 km E Bourail (1 ♂, UCD) , Col d’Amieu (2 ♀, BISH; 1 ♀, BMNH), Col de Pirogue (2 ♀, BISH) , Col des Roussettes (2 ♀, 1 ♂, BISH) , Couli near La Foa (1 ♂, BISH) , Forêt de la Thy (4 ♀, 1 ♂, BISH; 1 ♀, BMNH), Hienghene (2 ♀, BISH) , La Crouen (1 ♀, BISH) , 17 km SW La Crouen (1 ♂, BISH) , Mokoue to Dothio (2 ♀, BISH) , Mont Do: Boulouparis (2 ♀, CAS; 7 ♀, 3 ♂, IANC), Mont Koghis (7 ♀, 5 ♂, BISH; 2 ♀, 5 ♂, BMNH; 2 ♀, 1 ♂, UCD), Mont Mou west side (1 ♂, UCD) , Mont Tinchalit (Cheesman, 1955), Nakety , Nepoui Valley , Nassir- an (1 ♂, BISH) , Nouméa (4 ♀, 2 ♂, BISH; 5 ♀, 3 ♂, BMNH), hills behind Nouméa (1 ♂, CAS, paratype of Pison novocaledonicum ), Oua Tom, 2 km E Ouégoa (1 ♀, UCD) , mountains above Ouaco (1 ♂, BISH) , Parc Provincial de la Rivière Bleue at 22°05ʹ52ʺS 166°38ʹ17ʺE (1 ♀, MNKB) , Plateau de Dogny (2 ♀, 1 ♂, BISH) , 6 km N Plum (1 ♀, UCD) , Prony Bay, Puébo (1 ♀, BMNH, holotype of Pison susanae ), Poya : Beaupré (1 ♂, CAS; 1 ♀, IANC), Rivière-Bleue (2 ♀, UCD) , Saint Louis, Saint Louis Valley (1 ♀, BISH) , Sarraméa (1 ♂, UCD) , Sarraméa: col d’Amieu (1 ♀, CAS; 5 ♀, IANC), Tao (1 ♂, BISH) , Thi River (1 ♀, CAS, paratype of Pison novocaledonicum ), Touho (1 ♂, UCD) , Yahoue (1 ♀, 1 ♂, BISH) . Île des Pins: near Kuto (1 ♀, 1 ♂, BMNH) , Vao (1 ♂, CAS) . Loyalty Islands: Cape des Pins on Lifou Island (Cheesman, 1955), Lifou Island (3 ♀, BISH) , Maré Island: Penelo (1 ♀, BMNH) , Ouvea Island: Fayaoue (2 ♀, 1 ♂, BISH) .