Pison nitens 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 : 291-293

Pison nitens Pulawski , species nova

Figures 681 -691.

NAME DERIVATION.– Nitens, Latin present active participle of the verb nitere, to shine; with reference to its shiny propodeal dorsum.

RECOGNITION. – Pison nitens is an all black species, with three submarginal cells, the second recurrent vein interstitial with the second intersubmarginal vein, and the setae appressed on tergum I. Like P. infumatum and P. laeve , it has the propodeal dorsum sparsely punctate (punctures several diameters apart), both admedially and laterally, and the interspaces unridged and unsculptured ( Fig. 685 ). It differs from these two species in having the hindfemur thickened dorsoapically ( Fig. 687 ), more so in male than in female. Unlike P. laeve , the scutal flange of P. nitens is the usual shape (rather than conspicuously expanded). Unlike P. infumatum , the frons of P. nitens has a well-defined protuberance above the antennal socket ( Figs. 682, 683 ), the pronotal collar is swollen ( Fig. 684 ), the punctures of the scutum, mesopleuron, and tergum I are well defined, the clypeal lip of the female has a small median projection and the mandibular inner margin has two preapical teeth separated by an incision ( Fig. 681 ). In P. infumatum , the frons has an ill-defined protuberance above the antennal socket, the pronotal collar is not swollen, the punctures of the scutum, mesopleuron, and tergum I are minute, ill defined, and in the female the clypeal lip is evenly, prominently arcuate and the mandible is unidentate apically.

DESCRIPTION.– Head subspherical in dorsal view ( Fig. 682 ). Frons swollen above antennal socket ( Fig. 683 ), dull, with fine but well-defined punctures that are about one diameter apart. Labrum not emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit not elongate, slightly wider than midocellar diameter. Pronotal collar swollen in most specimens ( Fig. 685 ), not swollen in males from Lansdowne area, New South Wales. Propleuron sparsely punctate anteromesally. Scutum not foveate along flange, without longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures well defined, averaging more than one diameter apart on disk; interspaces slightly microsculptured. Tegula not enlarged. Mesopleural punctures well defined, averaging about one diameter apart near center; interspaces unsculptured. Postspiracular carina present, about half as long as midocellar diameter. Metapleural sulcus costulate between dorsal and ventral metapleural pits. Propodeum without longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface and extending from gastral socket area toward spiracle; dorsum with evanescent middle carina in about half or third of length, in most specimens with short, evanescent, transverse carinae emerging from midline; most of surface minutely punctate (punctures several diameters apart), interspaces unsculptured, shiny, unridged ( Fig. 685 ); side punctate (punctures more than one diameter apart, interspaces unsculptured), impunctate anteriorly except finely ridged anterodorsally; posterior surface punctate (punctures several to many diameters apart, interspaces unsculptured, shiny), in most specimens transversely ridged ventrally. Posteroventral forefemoral surface with minute but well defined punctures, averaging 2-3 diameters apart. Hindcoxal dorsum with outer margin sharply carinate in apical half. Hindfemur thickened dorsoapically ( Fig. 687 ), more so in male than in female. Punctures of tergum I well defined, averaging 2-3 diameters apart at center of horizontal part. Sternum II punctate throughout, punctures fine but well defined, averaging 2-3 diameters apart on disk.

Setae silvery, appressed on frons, lower gena, scutum, and tergum I; inconspicuous, oriented dorsad on upper frons (between dorsal end of middle carina and midocellus); not concealing integument on clypeus. Apical depressions of terga with inconspicuous setal fasciae.

Body all black.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.62-0.70 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.6-0.8 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 0.9-1.1 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.98-1.06 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella widely rounded ( Fig. 681 ), in most specimens with small median point that extends as obtuse carina dorsally on lamella’s surface. Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.0-2.3 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.3 × apical width. Mandible: inner margin with two preapical teeth separated by incision ( Fig. 681 ). Tergum VI with median carina in apical third ( Fig. 686 ). Length 6.8 mm; head width 1.8-2.1 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.70 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.9 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.3 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 1.04 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella acutely angulate. Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.0 × apical width, of flagellomere X 1.0 × apical width. Mandible with abductor carina in one male from Lansdowne area. Sternum VIII deeply emarginate apically ( Fig. 688 ). Genitalia: Figs. 689, 690 . Length 6.5-8.7 mm; head width 1.5-1.9 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 691).– New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia.

Figures

FIGURES 681-686. Pison nitens Pulawski, sp. nov., female. (681) Clypeus and mandibles; (682) Head in dorsal view; (683) Head in lateral view; (684) Pronotal collar in dorsal view; (685) Propodeal dorsum; (686) Tergum VI in oblique lateral view.

FIGURES 687-690. Pison nitens Pulawski, sp. nov. (687) Female hindfemur; male: (688) Sternum VIII (ventral surface); (689) Genitalia in dorsal view; (690) Genitalia in lateral view.