Pison formosum 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 : 204-207

Pison formosum Pulawski , species nova

Figures 452 -460.

NAME DERIVATION.– Formosum, Latin neuter adjective meaning beautiful; with reference to this species pretty coloration.

RECOGNITION.– Pison formosum has three submarginal cells, the second recurrent vein contiguous with the second intersubmarginal vein or nearly so, setae appressed on tergum I, all gastral terga ferruginous except black tergum III, and all body setae bright golden (exceptionally the setae of the clypeus and the lower frons are silvery). Pison amabile , P. auratum , and P. basale are similar, but P. formosum differs from most specimens by the gastral coloration. Additionally, the mandible is simple apically, the female clypeus is minimally convex adjacent to the lamella, the ocellocular distance is equal to 0.9-1.3 × hindocellar diameter, the longest genal setae are markedly shorter than the maximum femoral width, and the gena is setose throughout; in the male, the ocellocular distance is equal to 1.8-2.1 × hindocellar diameter, the clypeal lamella is sharply point- ed and sternum VIII is shallowly emarginate In P. amabile , the longest genal setae are about equal to the maximum forefemoral width, the mandible is tridentate apically in the female and bidentate in male, the female gena is asetose adjacent to the oral fossa, the clypeal lamella is arcuate in the male, and male sternum VIII is rounded apically. In P. auratum , the female clypeus is shallowly concave adjacent to the lamella and male sternum VIII is deeply emarginate apically ( Fig. 138 ). In basale , the tegula is angulate apically (rather than rounded), at least tergum III is black (except apically), the clypeal lamella of the female is narrower (compare Figs. 178 and 452 ), and the ocellocular distance is 1.0-1.4 × hindocellar diameter in the male.

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, minutely punctate, punctures less than one diameter apart. Gena narrow in dorsal view. Labrum narrowly emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about twice as long as midocellar diameter. Scutum not foveate along flange, without longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures fine, less than one diameter apart. Tegula slightly enlarged. Mesopleural punctures minute, nearly compressed against each other (integument concealed by vestiture). Postspiracular carina evanescent. Metapleural sulcus costulate between dorsal and ventral metapleural pits. Propodeum with series of transverse carinae (replacing usual longitudinal carina) that separate side from dorsum and posterior surface and extend from gastral socket area toward spiracle; dorsum punctate (punctures less than one diameter apart, a few punctures adjacent to middle sulcus can be more than one diameter apart), interspaces merging into minute, irregular ridges; side and posterior surface ridged, punctate between ridges. Posteroventral forefemoral surface finely punctate, punctures more than one diameter apart. Punctures of tergum I less than one diameter apart. Sterna punctate throughout.

Setae golden on head, thorax, propodeum, and gaster (setae of clypeus and lower frons silvery in one male from 133 km SW Marble Bar, Western Australia), both appressed and suberect on upper frons, appressed setae oriented ventrally between dorsal end of midfrontal carina and midocellus, completely concealing integument on clypeus (except lamella) and mesopleuron, nearly completely so on propodeal dorsum; longest setae of gena (about midheight) suberect, about equal to midocellar diameter; scutum with a few suberect setae (in addition to appressed setae) markedly shorter than midocellar diameter; tergum I with appressed setae; apical depressions of terga with golden setal fasciae.

Head, thorax, and propodeum black; clypeal lamella of female yellowish reddish, mostly also area above it; mandible black basally, yellowish reddish mesally, dark apically; scape, pedicel, and basal two or three flagellomeres ferruginous (also flagellomeres IV and V dorsally in many males). Femora, tibiae, and tarsi ferruginous. Wings yellowish basally, somewhat darkened apically (beyond cells). Gaster ferruginous, segment III (except apical depression) black ( Fig. 455 ).

♀ ( Fig. 454 ).– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.68-0.70 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.9-1.3 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.1-1.4 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.84-0.86 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella arcuate, almost straight mesally ( Fig. 452 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.3-2.5 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.2-1.2 × apical width. Mandible: trimmal carina with minute incision at about midlength. Length 9.1-11.7 mm; head width 2.9-3.3 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.92-1.00 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.8-2.1× hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.4-1.8 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.86-0.88 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella acutely angulate ( Fig. 453 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.9-2.1 × apical width, of flagellomere X 0.9 × apical width. Sternum VIII punctate except unsculptured and asetose on basal convexity, nearly truncate apically, apicolateral arm rounded ( Fig. 456 ), in lateral view ( Fig. 457 ). Genitalia: Figs. 458, 459 . Length 8.5-11.4 mm; head width 2.4-3.2 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 460).– Queensland, Western Australia.

RECORDS.– HOLOTYPE: ♀, AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 63 km E Marble Bar at 21°13.0ʹS 120°20.2ʹE, 2-14 May 2003, M.E. Irwin and F.D. Parker ( ANIC).

5 ♂, CAS ); 80 km km S Pardoo Road House on Shay Gap road at 20°28.3ʹS 120°10.0ʹE, 1 Jan –14 May 2003 (7 ♂, CAS; 3 ♀, 7 ♂, USU); Yandicoogina Creek 30 km E Marble Bar at 21°11.0ʹS 120°01.7ʹE, 2-14 May 2003 (1 ♂, ANIC) .

Figures

FIGURES 452-455. Pison formosum Pulawski, sp. nov. (452) Female clypeus and mandible (453) Male clypeus and mandibles; (454) Female body in lateral view; (455) Female gaster in dorsal view.

FIGURES 138–140. Pison auratum Shuckard, male. (138) Sternum VIII (ventral surface); (139) Genitalia in dorsal view; (140) Genitalia in lateral view. FIGURE 141. Collecting localities of Pison auratum Shuckard.

FIGURE 178–183. Pison basale F. Smith. (178) Female clypeus and mandibles; (179) Male clypeus and mandibles; (180) Female head in dorsal view; (181) Tegula and adjacent scutum (arrow shows obtusely pointed posterior end of tegula); male: (182) Sternum VIII (ventral surface); (183) Genitalia in dorsal view.

FIGURES 456-459. Pison formosum Pulawski, sp. nov., male. (456) Sternum VIII (ventral surface); (457) Sternum VIII in oblique lateral view; (458) Genitalia in dorsal view; (459) Genitalia in lateral view. Figure 460. Collecting localities of Pison formosum Pulawski, sp. nov.