Pison tenuipunctatum 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 : 450-451

Pison tenuipunctatum Pulawski , species nova

Figures 1095-1098.

NAME DERIVATION.– Tenuipunctatum is derived from two Latin words: tenuis, meaning fine, delicate, and punctatum , punctate; with reference to the fine punctation of the basal portion of tergum I and of the sterna.

RECOGNITION.– Pison tenuipunctatum has an all black body, three submarginal cells, and erect setae on tergum I, although these setae are relatively sparse, absent from the basal declivity, and only a few of them are slightly longer than the midocellar diameter. In the other species with erect setae on tergum I (except some P. vestitum ) these setae are abundant and distinctly longer than the midocellar diameter. The minutely punctate basal declivity of tergum I is a subsidiary recognition feature (the punctures are markedly finer than those on the scutum). The male is unknown.

DESCRIPTION.– Frons slightly swollen above antennal sockets, dull, finely punctate, punctures less than one diameter apart. Occipital carina joining hypostomal carina. Gena narrow in dorsal view (Fig. 1096). Labrum shallowly emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about as long as 1.5 × midocellar diameter. Scutum not foveate along flange, without longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures fine, less than one diameter apart. Tegula enlarged. Mesopleural punctures slightly larger than those on scutum, less than one diameter apart; interspaces microsculptured, dull. Postspiracular carina rudimentary, about half as long as midocellar diameter. Metapleural sulcus finely 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 finely, obliquely ridged, punctate between ridges; side finely ridged, punctate between ridges; posterior surface conspicuously ridged, punctate between ridges. Hindcoxal dorsum with outer margin obtusely carinate. Horizontal part of tergum I finely punctate, punctures about one diameter apart anterior to apical depression, about two diameters apart next to anterior slope. Sterna finely punctate throughout, those of sternum II more than one diameter apart mesally (Fig. 1097).

Setae silvery, erect on upper frons, postocellar area, scutum, and tergum I (here relatively sparse, only a few slightly longer than midocellar diameter, and absent from basal declivity); completely concealing integument on clypeus (except lamella); setae of lower gena erect, sinuous, shorter than basal mandibular width. Apical depressions of terga with silvery, setal fasciae.

Body all black.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.64-0.66 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.1 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.1-1.3 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.86-0.90 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella arcuate (Fig. 1095), lamella separated from more basal part by fine, transverse carina. Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.7-2.8 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.3-1.4 × apical width. Mandible: trimmal carina with small incision at about midlength. Length 10.4-11.2 mm; head width 3.0- 3.1 mm.

♂.– Unknown.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 1098).– Known from three localities in northern Queensland (two of them adjacent).

RECORDS.– HOLOTYPE: ♀, AUSTRALIA: Queensland: 3 km W Batavia Downs at 12°40ʹS 142°39ʹE, 23 Nov – 11 Dec 1992, P. Zborowski and W. Dressler ( ANIC).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: 4 km NE Batavia Downs at 12°39ʹS 142°42ʹE, 23 Nov – 11 Dec 1992, P. Zborowski and W. Dressler (1 ♀, ANIC); Coen at 13°57ʹS 143°12ʹE, 17 Dec 1993 – 13 Jan 1994 (1 ♀, CAS) .