Pison lutescens Turner

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 : 264-267

Pison lutescens Turner

Figures 622 -628.

Pison lutescens Turner, 1916b:604 , ♀. Lectotype: ♀, Western Australia: Mundaring Weir (BMNH), present designation, examined. – Turner, 1916b:597 (in key to Australian Pison ); Bohart and Menke, 1976:336 (in checklist of world Sphecidae ); Cardale, 1985:260 (in catalog of Australian Sphecidae ).

LECTOTYPE DESIGNATION.– In his original description of lutescens, Turner did not mention the number of specimens examined. I have designated as the lectotype the only specimen present in The Natural History Museum, London.

RECOGNITION.– Pison lutescens is a small species (length 3.8-4.4 mm), characterized by the following: femora, tibia, and female gaster ferruginous, in male at least segments I-III ferruginous (contrasting with the black thorax and propodeum); wing venation unspecialized (three submarginal cells present, second recurrent vein interstitial with second intersubmarginal vein); all body setae appressed, silvery on head; tegula largely impunctate; mesopleural punctures less than one diameter apart; propodeal dorsum ridged; and in the female the clypeal free margin is only shallowly concave between the lobe and the orbit. Unlike P. punctatum , sternum II is punctate throughout in P. lutescens (rather than impunctate apicomesally) and unlike P. decipiens the tegula is not elongate and in most specimens the middle supraantennal carina is practically absent (replaced by fine midline in some individuals); in the female, the free margin of the clypeal lamella is only slightly convex on each side of the midpoint and the propodeal side is shallowly concave, and male sternum VIII is rounded apically (in P. decipiens , the middle supraantennal carina is well defined, the tegula is elongate, in the female the free margin of the clypeal lamella is distinctly convex on each side of the midpoint and the propodeal side is flat, and male sternum VIII is emarginate apically). The short flagellomere I (dorsal length 1.4 × apical width in female, 1.2-1.3 × in male) is a subsidiary recognition feature.

DESCRIPTION.– Head almost globose in dorsal view ( Fig. 624 ). Frons swollen above antennal socket, dull, shallowly, minutely punctate, punctures less than one diameter apart; middle supraantennal carina in most specimens barely recognizable (replaced by fine midline in some individuals). Distance between antennal sockets markedly less than distance between socket and adjacent orbit. Occipital carina narrowly separated from hypostomal carina. Labrum shallowly emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about as long as midocellar diameter. Scutum not foveate along flange, without longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures minute, mostly about one diameter apart. Mesopleuron dull, punctures compressed against each other, largely concealed by vestiture. Postspiracular carina rudimentary, markedly shorter than midocellar diameter. Metapleural sulcus minutely 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; dorsum obliquely ridged; side finely ridged, punctate between ridges in posterior half or more, slightly concave in female; posterior surface ridged. Hindcoxal dorsum with outer margin not carinate. Punctures of tergum I fine but well defined. Sterna closely punctate throughout in female, in male sternum II closely punctate throughout, sterna IV-VI with punctures more than one diameter apart.

Setae silvery, appressed on entire body; terga with setal fasciae on apical depressions.

Head, thorax, and propodeum black, female clypeus ferruginous next to lobe free margin; mandible black basally, yellowish brown subbasally, ferruginous subapically, dark apically; antenna ferruginous (scape, pedicel, and apical flagellomeres dark dorsally in most specimens, apical flagellomere all dark in some specimens). Femora, tibiae, and tarsi ferruginous, gaster all ferruginous in female, at least segments I-III ferruginous in male (remainder dark brown).

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.92 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.8 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli 1.9-2.0 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.98 × distance between eye notches. Middle clypeal lobe only slightly prominent, free margin straight on each side of lamella ( Fig. 622 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.4 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.2 × apical width. Mandible: trimmal carina with incision at about two thirds of length. Length 4.3-4.4 mm; head width 1.3 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.88-0.89 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.9-1.1 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli 2.0-2.1 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 1.00-1.04 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella slightly concave on each side of midpoint ( Fig. 623 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere

I 1.2-1.3 × apical width, of flagellomere X

1.2 × apical width. Sternum VIII impunctate and asetose except subapically, not emarginate apically ( Fig. 625 ). Genitalia: Figs. 626, 627 .

Length 3.8 mm; head width 1.3 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 628).–

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

RECORDS.– AUSTRALIA: New South Wales:

Fowlers Gap Research Station at 31°05ʹS 141°42ʹE

(2 ♀, 2 ♂, AMNH; 1 ♂, ANIC), Kinchega National FIGURE 628. Collecting localities of Pison lutescens Park at 32°22.8ʹS 142°23.6ʹE (1 ♂, CAS). Northern Turner .

Territory: West MacDonnell National Park ca 3 km W road to Simpson Gap at 23°41.8ʹS 133°41.7ʹE (1 ♀, 1 ♂, CAS; 1 ♀, NTM). Queensland: Crediton State Forest at 21°11.9ʹS 148°29.9ʹE (1 ♂, CAS) , Eungella National Park (1 ♀, QMB) . South Australia: Brachina Gorge in Flinders Range National Park at 31°20ʹS 138°34ʹE (1 ♀, CAS) and 31°20ʹS 138°37ʹE (1 ♀, 6 ♂, ANIC; 2 ♂, CAS), Chowilla Game Reserve 24 air km N Renmark at 33°58.0ʹS 140°48.8ʹE (6 ♂, CAS) , 10 km NNW Penong at 31°50.3ʹS 132°57.9ʹE (1 ♀, CAS) , Quinyambie Station 23.2 km NE Coonanna Bore at 29°42ʹ07ʺS 140°56ʹ07ʺE (1 ♂, SAM) , 12 km ESE Taylorville at 34°08ʹS 140°06ʹE (1 ♂, ANIC) . Western Australia: Crossing Pool in Chichester Range (2 ♂, USNM) , Merredin (3 ♂, QMB) , 24 km S Mingenew (1 ♂, QMB) , Mundaring Weir (1 ♀, BMNH, lectotype of Pison lutescens ) .

Figures

FIGURES 622-627. Pison lutescens Turner. (622) Female clypeus; (623) Male clypeus; (624) Female head in dorsal view; male: (625) Sternum VIII (ventral surface); (626) Genitalia in dorsal view; (627) Genitalia in lateral view.