Pison erythrocerum Kohl

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 : 172-174

Pison erythrocerum Kohl

Figures 365 -372.

Parapison ruficorne F. Smith, 1869:300 , ♀ (as ruficornis , incorrect original termination), junior secondary homonym of Pison ruficorne F. Smith, 1856 . Lectotype: ♀, Australia: no specific locality (BMNH), present designation, examined. – Froggatt, 1892:218 (in catalog of Australian Hymenoptera ).

Pison erythrocerum Kohl, 1885:186 (as erythrocerus, incorrect original termination). Substitute name for Pison ruficorne (F. Smith, 1869) . – Dalla Torre, 1897:711 (in catalog of world Hymenoptera ); Turner, 1916b:596 (in key to Australian Pison ), 600 (bibliographic references, male clypeus; Queensland: Kuranda, Mackay ); R. Bohart and Menke, 1976:335 (in checklist of world Sphecidae ); Cardale, 1985:259 (in catalog of Australian Sphecidae ).

LECTOTYPE DESIGNATION. – Smith (1869) did not mention the number of the specimens examined in the original description of Pison ruficorne . I have designated as the lectotype the only specimen present in The Natural History Museum, London labeled “ ruficornis ” and, in a different handwriting, “ erythrocerum ”.

RECOGNITION.– Pison erythrocerum has only two submarginal cells, the second of which is elongate (length of posterior margin 1.8-1.9 × height). The clypeal free margin has a well-defined median lobe with an obtuse point ( Figs. 365, 366 ) in both sexes (concave on each side of the point), the tegula is partly unsculptured, the propodeum has a longitudinal carina separating the side from the dorsum and posterior surface and extending from the gastral socket area toward the spiracle, the length of tergum I is smaller than the apical width, the gaster is all black, and the legs and antenna (except apically) are ferruginous.

Pison erythrocerum is similar to P. compressum , P. erythrogastrum and P. simulans . Unlike P. compressum , the gaster of P. erythrocerum is all black (rather than ferruginous), only insignificantly constricted between terga I and II (rather than markedly so in the female and many males), the punctures of sternum II are fine (rather than conspicuous), and in the female the free margin of the clypeal lamella has an obtuse, lateral corner (corner absent in P. compressum ).

Unlike P. erythrogastrum , the ocellocular distance in the female is equal to 1.0-1.2 × of the hindocellar diameter (0.4-0.8 × in P. erythrogastrum ), and the posteroventral forefemoral surface is impunctate ( Fig. 367 ) rather than sparsely punctate; in the male, the setae of the apical sterna are erect, as long as 0.3-0.4 × midocellar diameter (rather than appressed), the apical margin of sternum VIII is convex mesally, concave submesally, and with apicolateral corner at each side (rather than rounded). Also, the gaster is all black, whereas ferruginous in many P. erythrocerum (all or partly so).

Unlike P. simulans , the dorsum of its pronotal collar is not elongate (rather than elongate), the flagellum is ferruginous except apically (rather than black dorsally and brown ventrally), the femora are all ferruginous (rather than all or largely black), and male sternum VIII is only inconspicuously emarginate apically (markedly so in simulans ).

DESCRIPTION.– Frons with small, well defined punctures that are about one diameter apart; interspaces shiny or dull, unsculptured or aciculate; middle supraantennal carina absent in most specimens. Labrum emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about as long as midocellar diameter. Propleuron sparsely punctate anteriorly. Scutum not foveate along flange, with short longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures fine, less than one diameter apart. Scutellum with foveate sulcus along anterior margin. Tegula enlarged. Mesopleural punctures slightly larger than those on scutum, less than one diameter apart. Postspiracular carina absent. Metapleural sulcus not 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 (ridges becoming less conspicuous laterally); side finely ridged anteriorly, punctate posteriorly, with interspaces merging into minute ridges; posterior surface punctate and finely, transversely ridged (ridges becoming larger toward bottom), with several conspicuous ridges radiating from transverse carina just above gastropropodeal articulation. Forewing with two submarginal cells; length of posterior margin of second submarginal cell 1.8-1.9 × height. Posteroventral surface of forefemur impunctate in female, with impunctate area mesally in male. Hindcoxal dorsum with outer margin not carinate. Punctures of tergum I well defined, about one diameter apart.

Setae silvery, appressed on entire body, completely concealing integument on clypeus and lower frons. Apical depressions of terga without silvery or golden apical fasciae.

Head, thorax, propodeum, and gaster black, clypeus ferruginous next to lobe free margin in female and several males; mandible yellowish basally, ferruginous mesally, dark apically; antenna ferruginous except several apical flagellomeres dark dorsally. Femora, tibiae, and tarsi ferruginous.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.84-0.86 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.0-1.2 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli 1.1-1.3 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 1.06 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella with obtuse median point and obtuse, lateral corner ( Fig. 365 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.2-1.3 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.1-1.2 × apical width. Mandible: trimmal carina with minute incision at about half length. Posteroventral forefemoral surface impunctate ( Fig. 367 ). Punctures of sternum II more than one diameter mesally ( Fig. 368 ). Length 7.1-9.0 mm; head width 1.8-1.9 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.92-0.98 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.4 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli 1.4-1.7 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 1.04 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella concave on each side of midpoint ( Fig. 366 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.2-1.4 × apical width, of flagellomere X 0.8-1.0 × apical width. Sternum VIII shallowly, broadly emarginate ( Fig. 369 ). Genitalia: Figs. 370, 371 . Length 5.3-5.8 mm; head width 1.5-1.7 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 372).– Eastern New South Wales, eastern Queensland.

RECORDS.– AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 6 km NE Bilpin (1 ♀, 1 ♂, AMS), Clarence (1 ♂, AMS), upper Colo River Valley (1 ♀, AMS), Iluka National Park (1 ♀, AMS), Lorien Wildlife Refuge 3 km N and ca 1 km NNW Lansdowne near Taree (1 ♀, AMS), Lugarno (1 ♂, AMS), Mount Tomah (2 ♀, AMS), Woolahra (1 ♂, AMS) . Queensland: Agnes Water 40 km E Miriam Vale (1 ♀, 2 ♂, AMS), Brisbane (1 ♀, BMNH), Brisbane Forest Park at 27°25ʹS 152°50ʹE (4 ♀, MNKB), Crediton State Forest at 21°11.8ʹS 148°29.9ʹE (1 ♀, CAS), Eungella National Park at 21°10.5ʹS 148°30.3ʹE (17 ♀, 2 ♂, CAS; 2 ♀, QMB), Kuranda (Turner, 1916a) , 5 km NE Leyburn (1 ♀, CAS), Mackay (2 ♀, BMNH), Mount Pleasant (1 ♂, QMB). No specific locality: 1 ♀, lectotype of Parapison ruficorne F. Smith (BMNH) .

Figures

FIGURES 365-368. Pison erythrocerum Kohl. (365) Female clypeus and mandibles; (366) Male clypeus and mandibles; (367) Female forefemur from behind; (368) Female sternum II in ventral view.

FIGURES 369-371. Pison erythrocerum Kohl, male. (369) Sternum VIII (ventral surface); (370) Genitalia in dorsal view; (371) Genitalia in lateral view. FIGURE 372. Collecting localities of Pison erythrocerum Kohl.