Pison insulare F. Smith

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 : 537-540

Pison insulare F. Smith

Figures 1304-1313.

Pison insulare F. Smith, 1869:297 , ♀ (as insularis, incorrect original termination). Lectotype: ♀, New Hebrides, now Vanuatu: no specific locality (BMNH), present designation, examined. – Kohl, 1885:187 (in checklist of world Pison ); Dalla Torre, 1897:711 (in catalog of world Hymenoptera ); Turner, 1908:510 (comparison with Pison priscum ), 1916b:626 (diagnostic characters); Cheesman, 1937:203 (additional description; Vanuatu); nec F. Williams, 1945:442 (= Pison novocaledonicum ); Krombein, 1949a:361 (diagnostic characters; New Hebrides, now Vanuatu, and Hawaii); Weber, 1949:332 (Hawaiian Islands: Oahu); Yasumatsu, 1953:134 (in list of Pison of Pacific islands); Yoshimoto, 1960:334 (Hawaiian Islands); Bohart and Menke, 1976:336 (in checklist of world Sphecidae ); Menke, 1979a:303 (Tahiti); Villemant, 2011:133 ( Vanuatu: island of Espiritu Santo: Luganville and Panaoru).

As Pison sp. : Weber, 1948:222 (Hawaii: Oahu), corrected to Pison insulare by Krombein, 1949a:361.

LECTOTYPE DESIGNATION.– Smith described Pison insulare without indicating the number of specimens examined. I have designated as the lectotype of this species the only specimen from New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) in the Natural History Museum , London, carrying his determination label.

RECOGNITION.– Like most of the Pacific Islands Pison , P. insulare has a microareolate, dull frons, with well-defined, sparse punctures (Fig. 1304), and the hindocellus close to the eye orbit (ocellocular distance 0.2-0.5 × hindocellar diameter). The setae of the lower gena are erect, sinuous, about as long as 1.5 × midocellar diameter. Unlike other such species ( P. glabrum , P. nigellum , P. novocaledonicum , P. reichingeri , and P. trukense ), P. insulare has erect scutal setae whose length is 0.7-1.0 × midocellar diameter in the female and 0.4-0.8 × in the male, the mandible in many specimens with a fine abductor ridge, and tergum I in most specimens with erect setae on declivous basal area (Fig. 1308). Subsidiary recognition features are: mesopleural punctures near center averaging 2-3 to several diameters apart in the vast majority of secimens (about one diameter apart in a male from Erromango Island, Vanuatu), apex of marginal cell markedly closer to wing apex than that of submarginal cell III, propodeum without longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface, most of propodeal dorsum minutely punctate (punctures averaging several diameters apart), apical depressions of terga microscopically punctate and at least those of terga I and II covered with silvery, setal fasciae. Unlike P. marginatum and P. ponape , sternum II of P. insulare is impunctate mesally, rather than densely punctate.

DESCRIPTION.– Frons microareolate, dull, with well-defined punctures that average several eters apart (lateral punctures 2-3 diameters apart in several specimens), interspaces unsculptured, shiny (Fig. 1307); posterior surface punctate, ridged ventrally. Posteroventral forefemoral surface with well-defined punctures that average a few diameters apart. Hindcoxal dorsum with outer margin sharply carinate in posterior third or so. Punctures of tergum I minute, several diameters apart. Sternum II impunctate mesally, sternum III with a few, microscopic punctures mesally.

Setae erect or suberect on frons, radiating from frons center in male, silvery in ventral half, dark below midocellus; on scutum dark, erect or suberect, as long as 0.7-1.0 × midocellar diameter in female (but about 0.5 midocellar diameter in a a female from Lakotorom, Vanuatu) and 0.4-0.8 in male; on lower gena erect, sinuous, about as long as 1.5 × midocellar diameter; erect or inclined posterad on scutum, about as long as midocellar diameter; not concealing integument on clypeus in female, partly concealing in male; on tergum I erect and elongate on anterior declivity (Fig. 1308) in most specimens (setal length 0.3-1.0 midocellar diameter), but appressed in many females from Vanuatu. Apical depressions of terga I and II to I-IV with silvery, setal fasciae (of terga I and II only in females from Hawaii).

Body all black, mandible ferruginous preapically.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.48-0.52 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.3 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 0.5-0.6 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.98-1.10 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella obtusely angulate (Fig. 1304). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 3.1 × apical width,

of flagellomere IX 1.7 × apical width. Mandible: trimmal carina with small incision at about midlength. Length 8.8-11.0 mm; head width 2.5-3.0 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.62-0.68 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.2-0.5 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 0.6-0.7 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 1.04-1.06 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella acutely angulate to obtusely angulate (Fig. 1305). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.7 × apical width, of flagellomere X 1.4 × apical width. Sternum VIII emarginate apically (Fig. 1309); in lateral oblique view: Fig. 1310. Genitalia: Figs. 1311, 1312. Length 6.9-10.7 mm; head width 2.0- 2.6 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 1313).–

Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Hawaiian

Islands, Vanuatu.

RECORDS.– COOK ISLANDS: Aitutaki Atoll:

Amuri (1 ♂, BISH). Rarotonga Island : Avana (1 ♂,

BISH), Avana Valley (1 ♂, BISH), Avarua (1 ♀,

AMNH; 8 ♀, 2 ♂, BISH), Avatiu Valley (2 ♀, 2 ♂,

BISH), Titikaveka (3 ♂, AMNH; 5 ♀, 8 ♂, BISH) ,

no specific locality (1 ♀, BMNH) .

FRENCH POLYNESIA: Austral Islands: Rurutu

Island: Moerai (2 ♀, BISH), Tubuai Island : Mahu

(4 ♀, 3 ♂, AMNH; 1 ♀, 15 ♂, BISH; 1 ♀, 1 ♂,

BMNH). Marquesas Islands: Hiva Oa Island: FIGURE 1313. Collecting localities of Pison insulare Hanaiapa Valley (3 ♀, BISH) , Nuku Hiva Island : F. Smith .

2 km NW Taiohae (1 ♀, BISH) , Taiohae to Uauka Valley (1 ♀, BISH) , Taipivai to Toovii (1 ♂, BISH) , Toovii to Taiohae (1 ♂, BISH) . Moorea : Afareaitu (1 ♂, BMNH) . Society Islands : Bora Bora Island: Vaitape (3 ♂, BISH) , Huahine Island : Fare (1 ♀, BISH) , Haavai (1 ♀, BISH) , Raiatea Island : Uturoa (1 ♀, BISH) . Tahiti : Mahina (1 ♂, BMNH) , Papenoo [River] (1 ♀, BMNH) .

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS: Hawaii: Akaka Falls State Park (1 ♀, BISH) , Hilo (8 ♀, UCD) , E Honokane Iki in Kohala District (1 ♀, UCD) , Keauhau (1 ♀, BISH) , mouth of Pololu Valley (1 ♀, BISH) . Kauai: northern side of Haupu (1 ♀, BISH) . Lanai: Maunalei (1 ♀, BISH) . Maui: Puaaluu Gulch (2 ♀, BISH) . Oahu: Aiea Heights (21 ♀, BISH) , Aiea State Park above Pearl Harbor (8 ♀, CAS) , Anahulu trail (Krombein, 1949a), Ewa Coral Plain (1 ♂, BISH) , Hahaione Valley (1 ♀, BISH) , north Halawa Valley (2 ♀, BISH) , Helemano (1 ♀, BISH) , Honolulu (19 ♂, UCD) , Honolulu: Foster Botanical Garden (1 ♀, BISH) , Honolulu: Makiki Street (1 ♀, BISH) , Honolulu: Moana (1 ♀, BISH) , Honolulu: Nuuanu Valley (16 ♀, 8 ♂, CAS) , Honolulu: Palolo (1 ♀, BISH) , Kawaiiki trail (Krombein, 1949a, Weber, 1949), Koolau Mountains: Poamoho Stream area (3 ♀, 1 ♂, CAS) , Lualualei Naval Magazine: Halona Valley at 21°25ʹN 158°06ʹW (33 ♀, CAS) , Manoa Falls trail (1 ♀, BISH) , Mauna Lua Valley (2 ♀, BISH) , Moanalua Valley (1 ♀, BISH) , Mount Tantalus (3 ♀, 2 ♂, BISH; 2 ♀, CAS), Poamoho Trail (5 ♀, BISH) , Puu Hapapa (1 ♀, BISH) , Sacred Falls trail (1 ♀, BISH) , Waianea Mountaians (2 ♀, 1 ♂, CAS) , Waimanalo (1 ♀, 1 ♂, BISH) , Waimea Falls Park (2 ♀, 1 ♂, BISH) , no specific locality (1 ♀, BISH) .

VANUATU: Ambrym Island: Ranon to Mount Toyo (1 ♀, BISH) , no specific locality (5 ♀, BISH) . Aneityum Island: Anelgaohat (1 ♂, BISH) . Aoba (= Ambate ) Island: Lolowai (2 ♀, BISH) . Banks Islands: Gaua (Cheesman, 1937) . Efate Island: Port Vila (4 ♀, 1 ♂, BISH) , Port Vila [as Vatr: Pro de Vila] (1 ♀, BMNH) , 10 km SE Port Vila (2 ♀, BISH) , 40 km NE Port Vila (2 ♀, BISH) . Epi Island: Lowekewou (3 ♀, BISH) , Vaemali (4 ♀, 1 ♂, BISH) , Vlave (2 ♀, BISH) . Erromango Island: Dillon Bay (1 ♀, 1 ♂, BISH) , 11 km W Ipota (1 ♂, BISH) . Espiritu Santo Island: Luganville (1 ♀, BISH) , Luganville and Panaoru ( Villemant , 2011), limestone plateau N Maat (3 ♀, BISH) , Narango (1 ♀, BISH) , Tasmalum (2 ♀, BISH) , and no specific locality (2 ♀, CAS) . Maewo Island: Malolo (1 ♂, BISH) . Malekula Island: Lamap (1 ♀, BISH) , Lokatoro (21 ♀, BISH) , no specific locality (1 ♂, BMNH) , Pentecost Island: no specific locality (1 ♀, BISH) . Tanna Island: Lenakel (1 ♀, AMNH; 20 ♀, 2 ♂, BISH), no specific locality (1 ♀, BISH) .