Pison auratum Shuckard

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 : 85-89

Pison auratum Shuckard

Figures 132 -141.

Pison auratum Shuckard, 1838:78 , ♀ (as auratus , incorrect original termination). Lectotype: ♀, “ South Africa, Cape Province ”: no specific locality, actually Australia ( BMNH), present designation, examined. – F. Smith, 1956:314 (in catalog of Hymenoptera in British Museum), 1869:290 (in checklist of Pison ); Kohl, 1885:186 (in checklist of world Pison ); Froggatt, 1892:216 (in catalog of Australian Hymenoptera ); Dalla Torre, 1897:710 (in catalog of world Hymenoptera ); Turner, 1916b:599 (in key to Australian Pison ), 614 (comparison with Pison aureosericeum ); R. Bohart and Menke, 1976:335 (in checklist of world Sphecidae ); Naumann, 1983:149 ( Australia; nesting habits); Cardale, 1985:257 (in catalog of Australian Sphecidae ); Naumann, 1993:184 ( Australia: Queensland: Heathlands area in Cape York); D. Baker, 1998:173 (origin and depository of type material); Naumann, 1998:185 ( Australia: northwest Queensland: Musselbrook area, approximately 18°40ʹS 138°23ʹE).

Pison aureosericeum Rohwer, 1915:246 , ♀, ♂. Holotype: ♀, Australia: Queensland: Duaringa in Dawson District ( USNM), examined. New synonym. – Turner, 1916b:599 (in key to Australian Pison ), 614 (comparison with Pison pulchrinum ); R. Bohart and Menke, 1976:335 (in checklist of world Sphecidae ); Cardale, 1985:257 (in catalog of Australian Sphecidae ); Pagliano, 2003:508 ( Australia: first record from Northern Territory).

Pison exornatum Turner, 1916b:614 , ♀. Lectotype: ♀, Australia: Queensland: Mackay (BMNH), present designation, examined. New synonym. – Turner, 1916b:599 (in key to Australian Pison ); R. Bohart and Menke, 1976:335 (in checklist of world Sphecidae ); Cardale, 1985:259 (in catalog of Australian Sphecidae ).

LECTOTYPE DESIGNATION.– Shuckard did not indicate the number of specimens examined. I have selected as lectotype the only specimen in The Natural History, London, labeled “Type from Shuck.? Coll.” and “ P. auratus Shuck. ”

Similarly, Turner did not indicate the number of the specimens examined in the original description of Pison exornatum . Of the two specimens from Mackay (the type locality) present in The Natural History Museum, London, I have designated as the lectotype the one bearing a handwritten label “ Pison exornatum Turn. , Type” in Turner’s handwriting, and the other one as the paralectotype.

RECOGNITION.– Pison auratum can be recognized by the golden setae of the frons and clypeus (pale golden in some specimens. silvery in some males), in combination, in the female, with a clypeus flat or slightly concave just above the lamella. In the male, tergum VII is broad, almost rectangular apically ( Fig. 135 ), sterna III-VI have short, erect setae ( Fig. 136 ), and sternum VIII is broadly (but not deeply), conspicuously emarginate apically ( Fig. 138 ). Additionally, the male hindbasitarsus is slightly expanded ventrally at about basal third ( Fig. 137 ). In the other species with golden setae on the frons and clypeus, the female clypeus is slightly convex above the lamella, and male tergum VII is a different shape, sterna III-VI are covered with appressed setae, and sternum VIII is either rounded or inconspicuously emarginate. The color of tergum I, ferruginous in most specimens (but all black in some), helps in recognition. The long flagellomere I (dorsal length 3.0 × apical width in the female, 2.7-3.0 in the male) is another subsidiary recognition feature.

JUSTIFICATION OF NEW SYNONYMY.– Turner (1916b) treated Pison auratum and aureosericeum as separate species and distinguished them by two characters: in the former, the ocellocular distance would be markedly less than the hindocellar diameter and sternum II all yellow, whereas in the latter the ocellocular distance would be equal to the hindocellar diameter and sternum II black (ferruginous apically). These characters, however, are variable and fully integrate when a series of specimens is examined; the ocellocular distance, in particular, ranges from 0.6 to 0.9 of the hindocellar diameter. Consequently, I regard these two names as synonyms.

Also, Turner differentiated Pison auratum and exornatum , assigning to the former “a broad, chitinous ferruginous band, clothed with golden pubescence” at the apex of tergum II, whereas no such pubescence was present in exornatum . In fact, there is a continuous spectrum in this character, from conspicuous to none: in some intermediate specimens, for example, the golden pubescence is visible only from certain angles from behind. As the type specimens of the two species are identical in other characters, I treat these two names as synonyms.

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, minutely punctate, punctures less than one diameter apart. Occipital carina joining hypostomal carina. Labrum not emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about twice as long as midocellar diameter. Propleuron sparsely punctate anteriorly in some specimens. Scutum not foveate along flange, in some specimens with a few rudimentary, short longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures well defined, averaging less than one diameter apart (many punctures slightly more than one diameter apart); interspaces microsculptured. Mesopleural punctures well defined, less than one diameter apart (more than one width anteroventrally in female from Mary Creek, Queensland). Tegula somewhat enlarged. Postspiracular carina absent. Metapleural sulcus costulate between dorsal and ventral metapleural pits. Propodeum in most specimens with irregular longitudinal carina separating side from posterior part of dorsum and from posterior face and extending from gastral socket area toward spiracle (carina ill defined in some specimens, and absent in some from Northern Territory); dorsum finely punctate (most punctures about one diameter apart), integument largely concealed by appressed vestiture; side punctate, punctures about one diameter apart (interspaces merging into irregular ridges anteriorly); posterior surface ridged, finely punctate between ridges. Punctures of tergum I more than one diameter apart anteriorly, becoming compressed against each other toward apical depression. Sternum II punctate throughout, punctures relatively large. Most punctures of posteroventral forefemoral surface less than one diameter apart, but several punctures more than one diameter apart (punctures averaging several diameters apart in some specimens).

Setae intensely golden in most specimens on head, thorax, and propodeum, but only with golden tinge in some (see Variation below); completely concealing integument on frons and clypeus; several setae erect or suberect on gena (sinuous or not), pronotal collar, in most specimens also on scutum, appressed on tergum I; setal length up to one midocellar diameter, that of sinuous genal setae up two midocellar diameter. Mesopleural setae totally concealing integument in specimens from northern part of Northern Territory (Kakadu National Park to Keep River National Park), and those from Western Australia. Apical depression of tergum I with conspicuous setal fascia partly or totally concealing integument, fasciae of terga II and III varying from conspicuous to absent.

Head, thorax, and propodeum black, mandible yellowish reddish except dark brown apically; clypeus ferruginous mesoventrally in many females; scape, pedicel and flagellomere I to I-V yellowish reddish. Wings nearly hyaline to slightly infumate, darker along apical margin; humeral plate ferruginous. Femora, tibiae, and tarsi ferruginous except femora largely black in some specimens (but see Variation below). Tergum I ferruginous (black basally) in most specimens ( Fig. 134 ), but all black in a female from 11 km S Townsville (see Variation below) and five males from Canberra, A.C.T.; tergum II black in most specimens but ferruginous in some, either preapically, or in apical half, or all; tergum III all black to ferruginous, remaining terga black to ferruginous.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.63-0.72 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.6-1.3 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli 0.8-1.3 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.96-0.98 × distance between eye notches. Clypeus flat or shallowly concave medioventrally (adjacent to lamella); free margin of lamella arcuate or obtusely angulate ( Fig. 132 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 3.0 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.3-1.4 × apical width. Mandible with inconspicuous incision on trimmal carina at about two thirds of length. Tergum VI rounded apically. Length 9.2-13.7 mm; head width 2.7-3.4. mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.70-0.73 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.0-1.2 × hindocellar diameter, interocellar distance 0.9-1.2 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.90-0.96 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella acutely angulate ( Fig. 133 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.7-3.0 × apical width, of flagellomere X 1.3 × apical width. Hindbasitarsus slightly expanded ventrally at about basal third ( Fig. 137 ). Tergum VII broad, almost rectangular apically ( Fig. 135 ). Sterna III-VII (also sternum II apically) with dense, erect setae whose length is about equal to midocellar diameter ( Fig. 136 ); sternum VIII broadly but not very deeply emarginate apically ( Fig. 138 ), each lateral arm bent slightly ventrad. Genitalia: Figs. 139, 140 . Length 8.2-11.2 mm; head width 2.5-3.0 mm.

VARIATION.– I treat as auratum five males from Canberra, A.C.T. because of their subquadrate tergum VII and widely emarginate sternum VIII. These specimens, however, differ from the other males examined by the following: 1. their frontal setae are silvery, 2. the gaster is all black, and 3. in one of them the hindtibia is all black.

NESTING HABITS.– Naumann (1983) observed Pison auratum in northern Queensland using abandoned nests of Sceliphron laetum (F. Smith) , apparently favoring those cells that have been subdivided by an Odynerus sp. Females provision cells with two or three spiders and lay a single egg on the opistosoma of one of them; they sometimes steal spider prey from unattended open cells of other females. To seal the cell, the female regurgitates some fluid over the nest 1-2 mm away from the cell opening and tears off small quantities of mud that she uses to construct a slightly recessed plug. Females are apparently tolerant toward each other: although there were frequently two adults per nest, no fighting was observed between them. On one occasion two residents came face-to-face, then one of them turned and walked around on the nest with the other following.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 141).– Northern and eastern Australia.

RECORDS.– AUSTRALIA: Australian Capital Territory: Canberra (4 ♂, ANIC; 1 ♂, CAS) . New South Wales: Ballina (1 ♀, 1 ♂, AMS) , Bellbrook (2 ♀, 2 ♂, AMS) , Mount Yarrowyck (1 ♀, ANIC) , Warrumbungle National Park at 31°16.9ʹS 148°59.1ʹE (2 ♀, 2 ♂, CAS; 1 ♀, UCD) . Northern Territory: Batchelor (Pagliano, 2003), Buchanan Highway 2 km SE Jasper Creek crossing at 16°00ʹ52ʺS 130°48ʹ18ʺE (1 ♂, ANIC) , Bynoe Harbour (1 ♀, SAM; 1 ♀, BMNH), 5 km NNW Cahills Crossing in Kakadu National Park at 12°23ʹS 132°57ʹE (1 ♀, 1 ♂, ANIC) , 7 km NNW Cahills Crossing in Kakadu National Park at 12°23ʹS 132°56ʹE (1 ♂, ANIC) , Cockatoo Woman Cave in Kakadu National Park at 12°24ʹS 132°57ʹE (2 ♀, 2 ♂, ANIC) , Cape Arnhem : no specific locality (1 ♀, AMS) , Darwin (2 ♀, SAM; 1 ♂, NTM; 15 ♀, 4 ♂, QMB), Deaf Adder Valley in Kakadu National Park (1 ♂, ANIC) , Fogg Bay at 12°43ʹS 130°21ʹE (1 ♀, QMB) , Gregory National Park (Pagliano, 2003), Holmes Jungle near Darwin (1 ♂, NTM) , Jim Jim Falls (1 ♂, ANIC; 1 ♂, AMS), Kakadu National Park (2 ♀, CAS) , Keep River National Park at 15°45ʹ44ʺS 129°05ʹ55ʺE (1 ♂, USU) , Koongarra 15 km E Mount Cahill in Kakadu National Park at 12°52ʹS 132°50ʹE (1 ♂, ANIC) , 76.9 km NNE Lajamanu at 17°40ʹ30ʺS 130°54ʹ14ʺE (1 ♀, ANIC) , Mount Cahill in Kakadu National Park at 12°47ʹS 132°51ʹE (1 ♂, ANIC) , 19 km NE Mount Cahill at 12°50ʹS 132°52ʹE (4 ♀, ANIC) and at 12°45ʹS 132°51ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , Ngarradj Warde Djobekeng in Kakadu National Park (1 ♂, ANIC) , Nitmiluk (formerly Katherine Gorge) National Park (1 ♀, QMB) , Nourlangie Rock in Kakadu National Park at 12°51ʹS 132°48ʹE (13 ♀, 6 ♂, ANIC) , Obiri Rock in Kakadu National Park at 12°25ʹS 132°57ʹE (3 ♀, 2 ♂, ANIC) , 6 km SSW Oenpelli in Kakadu National Park at 12°22ʹS 133°01ʹE (1 ♀, 1 ♂, ANIC) , Rankin Point at 12°41ʹS 130°35ʹE (1 ♂, NTM) , Sorcery Rocks in Kakadu National Park at 12°23ʹS 132°58ʹE (5 ♀, 6 ♂, ANIC) , Virginia 31 km SE Darwin Central Business District at 12°33ʹS 131°02ʹE (1 ♂, NTM) , Woolwonga Nature Reserve in Kakadu National Park (1 ♀, ANIC) . Queensland: Agnes Water 40 km E Miriam Vale (1 ♀, AMS) , Almaden (1 ♂, AMS) , Annan River at The Little Forks (1 ♀, ANIC) , Arcadia on Magnetic Island at 19°09ʹS 146°52ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , 15 mi. N Ayr (1 ♀, CAS) , Batavia Downs at 12°40ʹS 142°30ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , 4 km NE Batavia Downs at 12°39ʹS 142°42ʹE (4 ♀, 14 ♂, ANIC) , 7 km S Batavia Downs at 12°43ʹS 142°42ʹE (2 ♀, 5 ♂, ANIC) , 3 km W Batavia Downs at 12°40ʹS 142°39ʹE (2 ♀, 3 ♂, ANIC) , Biggenden (1 ♀, ANIC) , Biloela (1 ♀, QMB) , Boonah at 27°59ʹ49ʺS 152°40ʹ54ʺE (1 ♂, SAM; 1 ♀, WAM), Bribie Island (1 ♀, QMB) , Brisbane (1 ♀, CAS; 2 ♂, QMB), Brisbane: Blunder Creek (1 ♂, QMB) , Brisbane: Indooroopilly (1 ♀, BMNH) , Brisbane: Karawatha Forest at 27°38.6ʹS 153°04.2ʹE (2 ♂, CAS) , Brookfield near Brisbane (1 ♀, BMNH) , Chinchilla (1 ♀, QMB) , Claudie River near Mount Lamond (1 ♂, AMS) , Clifton Beach (1 ♀, ANIC) , Coast Range ca 17 km S Biggedden (1 ♂, ANIC) , Cockatoo Creek at 11°39ˈS 142°27ˈ(1 ♀, ANIC) , Condamine (1 ♀, AMS) , Cooktown (1 ♀, SAM) , Crediton State Forest at 21°11.9ʹS 148°29.9ʹE (1 ♀, CAS) , Dalby (1 ♀, QMB) , 39 km NE Dalby at 26°59.6ʹS 151°33.4ʹE (1 ♀, CAS) , 9 km NW Degilbo (1 ♂, ANIC) , 9 km S Dingo Beach at 20°05.5ʹS 148°30.2ʹE (1 ♀, 11 ♂, CAS) , Duaringa in Dawson District (1 ♀, USNM, holotype of P. aureosericeum ), Edungalba (1 ♀, ANIC) , 30 km W Fairview via Laura (1 ♀, ANIC) , Fletcher Creek 43 km NW Charters Towers at 19°48.9ʹS 146°03.3ʹE (7 ♀, 21 ♂, CAS) , Heathlands at 11°45ʹS 142°35ʹE (6 ♀, 8 ♂, ANIC) , 12 km SSE Heathlands at 11°51ʹS 142°38ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , Highvale (1 ♀, QMB) , 14 km NW Hope Valley Mission at 15°16ʹS 144°59ʹE (1 ♂, ANIC) , Inkerman (1 ♀, BMNH) , Kings Plains Lake 47 km SW Cooktown (1 ♀, AMS) , Lake Broadwater at 27°21ʹS 151°06ʹE (2 ♀, 2 ♂, QMB) , Lamington National Park (2 ♀, RMNH) , Lawn Hill (now Boodjamulla) National Park at 18°35ʹ15ʺS 138°04ʹ28ʺE (1 ♀, QMB) , Mackay (1 ♀, BMNH, lectotype of Pison exornatum ), Mary Creek 14 mi N Mount Molloy (2 ♀, CAS) , Millstream Falls National Park (1 ♂, CAS) , Mitchell (1 ♂, QMB) , Moa Island in Torres Strait (1 ♂, SAM) , Mount Carbine at 16°31ʹ42ʺS 145°07ʹ41ʺE (1 ♀, 2 ♂, AMNH) , 4 km WNW Mount Cotton at 27°36ʹS 153°10ʹE (1 ♀, QMB) , Mount Surprise at 18°08ʹ52ʺS 144°19ʹ05ʺE (1 ♂, AMNH) , Mount Walsh National Park near Biggenden (3 ♀, 1 ♂, ANIC) , Musselbrook area at approximately 18°40ʹS 138°23ʹE (Naumann, 1998), Old Laura Homestead (1 ♀, AMS) , Peach Creek crossing 25 km NNE Coen (1 ♀, ANIC) , Pendland at 20°31.0ʹS 145°24.2ʹE (4 ♀, 2 ♂, CAS) , Pinnacle Creek 27 km N Archer Crossing (1 ♀, ANIC) , Port Douglas (3 ♀, 1 ♂, AMS) , 2 km from Punsand Bay at 10°43ʹS 142°28ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , Ravenshoe (1 ♀, 2 ♂, AMS) , 2 km N Rokeby at 13°39ʹS 142°40ʹE (7 ♂, ANIC) , Southedge 11 km NW Mareeba (1 ♀, ANIC) , Split Rock 14 km SE Laura at 15°39ʹS 144°31ʹE (9 ♀, 7 ♂, ANIC) , Tamborine Village (4 ♀, QMB) , Townsville (1 ♂, USNM) , 11 km S Townsville at 19°21.8ʹS 146°53.2ʹE (2 ♀, CAS) , near Townsville (3 ♀, CAS) , Wallum Reserve near Bundaberg (1 ♀, ANIC) , 13 km SE Weipa at 12°40ʹS 143°00ʹE (3 ♀, ANIC) , 4 km E Yuleba (1 ♀, QMB) . Victoria: Eltham (1 ♂, AMS) , no specific locality ( Turner , 1916b, as exornatum ) . Western Australia: Augustus Island (1 ♀, ANIC) , Barker Gorge in Napier Range (1 ♀, WAM) , Derby (2 ♀, CAS) , 7.8-9.7 km SE Derby (♂, WAM) , King Edward River (1 ♀, SAM) , 14 km SE Kulumburu Mission at 14°25ʹS 126°40ʹE (2 ♀, ANIC) , cave W Kununurra at 15°46ʹS 128°39ʹE (1 ♀, NTM) , Mitchell Plateau at 14°52ʹS 125°50ʹE (1 ♂, ANIC) , 1 km NE Mount Bell at 17°10ʹS 125°17ʹE (1 ♂, WAM) . Origin unknown: 1 ♀, lectotype of Pison auratum (BMNH) .

Figures

FIGURES 132–137. Pison auratum Shuckard. (132) Female clypeus and mandibles; (133) Male clypeus and mandibles; (134) Female gaster in dorsal view; (135) Male tergum VII in dorsal view; (136) Gastral apex of male in lateral view; (137) Male hindbasitarsus in lateral 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.