Pison punctatum 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 : 368-371

Pison punctatum Pulawski , species nova

Figures 892 -899.

NAME DERIVATION.– Punctatum is a Latin neuter adjective meaning punctate; with reference to the punctate tegula of this species.

RECOGNITION.– The female of P. punctatum shares with several other species the presence of a psammophore on the lower gena, mandibular posterior margin, and forefemoral venter, and the lower gena unsculptured and asetose between the oral fossa and the psammophore. It differs from the other such species in having the brownish red gaster (at least terga I-III), rather than all black.

The male of P. punctatum is characterized by the apically rounded sternum VIII, without posterolateral angles ( Fig. 896). Unlike other species with such sternum VIII, it is characterized by the red gaster (at least terga I and II) rather than all black.

In addition, in most females and most males the tegula is completely punctate, rather than largely impunctate.

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, finely punctate, punctures less than one diameter apart. Occipital carina joining hypostomal carina. Gena narrow in dorsal view. Labrum not emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about as long as 1.5 × midocellar diameter. Propleuron sparsely punctate except posteriorly, most punctures many diameters apart. Scutum not foveate along flange, without short longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures small but well defined, varying from more to less than one diameter apart ( Figs. 894, 895 ). Tegula enlarged but not extending beyond posterior margin of scutum, punctate throughout except for impunctate narrow marginal rim ( Fig. 894 ) in most specimens, or impunctate at center, or impunctate at center and near external margin ( Fig. 895 ), or with impunctate area extending from center to external margin; many or most punctures well defined, about as large as those on scutum. Mesopleural punctures compressed against each other or nearly so. Postspiracular carina present, about half as long as midocellar diameter. Metapleural sulcus costulate or 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 toward spiracle (carina evanescent in most specimens); dorsum punctate (punctures compressed against each other); side and posterior surface ridged, punctate between ridges. Posteroventral forefemoral surface finely, closely punctate. Hindcoxal dorsum with outer margin not carinate. Punctures of tergum I fine, about one diameter apart (minute, less than one diameter apart on apical depression). Sternum II punctate throughout, punctures microscopic (many diameters apart) to moderately large (2-3 diameters apart mesally).

Setae silvery, appressed on frons, scutum, and tergum I; oriented all ventrally on frons in specimens from Western Australia, oriented dorsally above middle carina and laterally next to midocellus in most specimens from South Australia; completely concealing integument on clypeus; suberect on lower gena in male, about 1.0-1.5 × as long as midocellar diameter (see below for female). Apical depressions of terga with silvery, setal fasciae.

Head black; flagellum brown ventrally and black dorsally to ferruginous, darkened dorsally, and apical flagellomere black; mandible mostly yellowish brown, black basally, brown to black apically. Thorax and propodeum black in most specimens, but the following are reddish in single female from Nanutarra-Wittenoom Road, Western Australia: pronotum, mesopleuron, mesothoracic venter, postscutellum laterally, and propodeum, and in a male from Hamersley Station, Western Australia: mesopleuron, mesothoracic venter, postscutellum laterally, propodeal side, and propodeal posterior surface mesally. Legs all ferruginous or (specimens from West McDonnell National Park, Northern Territory, and Peebinga Conservation Park, South Australia) forefemur and in some specimens midfemur black, and only tibiae and tarsi ferruginous in single male from Mount Davies, and one from Musgrave Range, both South Australia. Gaster all ferruginous or (in specimens from West MacDonnell National Park) only terga I-III ferruginous, and only terga I and II ferruginous in male from Mount Davies and that from Musgrave Range.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.62-0.72 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.7-0.9 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.2-1.3 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.96-0.98 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella arcuate ( Fig. 892 ) to nearly truncate. Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.9-2.1 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.0-1.2 × apical width. Lower gena, mandibular posterior margin, propleural outer margin, and forefemoral venter with psammophores (longest setae of genal, mandibular, and forefemoral psammophores about 0.8-1.2 ×, 0.8 ×, and 0.6-0.8 ×, respectively, of greatest forefemoral width); lower gena shiny, impunctate and asetose between oral fossa and

ANIC); Mount Davies and vicinity in Tompkinson Ranges , 18-21 Oct 1972, H.E. Evans (1 ♂, ANIC) ; 10 km NNE Mount Woodruffe in Musgrave Ranges at 26°14ʹ55ʺS 131°47ʹ36ʺE, 13-17 Oct 1994, Pitjantjatjara Lands Survey (1 ♂, SAM) ; Peebinga Conservation Park 42 km N Pinnaroo at 34°59.3ʹS 140°46.9ʹE, 11 Dec 2010, V. Ahrens and W.J. Pulawski (1 ♂, CAS) ; 14 km WNW Renmark at 34°07ʹS 140°37ʹE, 13 Dec 1995 – 25 Jan 1996, K.R. Pullen (3 ♀, ANIC) ; 31 km NW Renmark at 33°59ʹS140°30ʹE, 1-30 Mar 1995, K.R. Pullen ( ANIC) . Western Australia: Brockman Creek 11 km E Marble Bar at 21°09.0ʹS 119°51.7ʹE, 2-14 May 2003, M.E. Irwin and F.D. Parker (2 ♀, ANIC) ; 176 km E Fitzroy Crossing at Highway 1, 25 Nov 1983, E.I. Schlinger and M.E. Irwin (1 ♀, CAS) ; Hamersley Station at 22°18ʹ6ʺS 117°41ʹ35ʺE, 18-23 Nov 2004, CVA [= Conservation Volunteers Australia] (1 ♂, AMS) and at 22°29ʹ10ʺS 117°41ʹ28ʺE, 16-20 Feb 2005, M. Bulbert and S. Ginn (1 ♂, AMS) and 3-8 Jan 2006, A. Donnelly and CVA [= Conservation Volunteers Australia] (1 ♀, AMS) ; Juna Downs Station , CVA volunteers: at 22°51ʹ36ʺS 118°42ʹ19ʺE, 28 Oct – 2 Nov 2005 (1 ♂, AMS) and 18-23 Nov 2004 (2 ♂, AMS; 2 ♂, CAS), and at 22°51ʹ30ʺS 118°40ʹ14ʺE, 19-24 Nov 2004 (1 ♂, AMS) and 3-8 Jan 2006 (1 ♂, AMS) ; Nanutarra-Wittenoom road at 22°21ʹ21ʺS 117°54ʹ16ʺE, 30 Sept – 5 Oct 2004, CVA [= Conservation Volunteers Australia] (1 ♀, AMS) and 22°26ʹ36ʺS 117°48ʹ13ʺE, 16-20 Feb 2005, M. Bulbert and S. Ginn (1 ♂, AMS) ; 47 km S Pardoo Road House at 20°22.7ʹS 120°01.3ʹE, 1-14 May 2003, M.E. Irwin and F.D. Parker (1 ♂, ANIC; 1 ♂, CAS; 1 ♂, CAS) ; 60 km N Tom Price at 22°18.8ʹS 117°40.5ʹE, M.E Irwin and F.D. Parker , 20 Apr 2003 (2 ♂, ANIC; 1 ♀, CAS) and 20 Apr – 4 May 2003 (1 ♀, CAS) .

Figures

FIGURES 892-895. Pison punctatum Pulawski, sp. nov. (892) Female clypeus and mandibles; (893) Male clypeus and mandible; (894) Female fully puntate tegula and adjacent scutum (scutal setae lost); (895) Female partly impuntate tegula and adjacent scutum.