Pison simulans Turner

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 : 421-424

Pison simulans Turner

Figures 1021-1030.

Pison simulans Turner, 1915:559 , ♂. Lectotype, ♂, Australia: Tasmania: Eaglehawk Neck (BMNH), present designation, examined. – Turner, 1915:557 (in key to Pison of Tasmania), 1916b:596 (in key to Pison of Australia), 600 (recognition characters); R. Bohart and Menke, 1976:336 (in checklist of world Sphecidae ); Cardale, 1985:262 (in catalog of Australian Sphecidae ); K. Walker, Naumann, Austin, Taylor, and Cardale, 1992:49 (in catalog of insects of Tasmania).

LECTOTYPE DESIGNATION.– Turner (1915) did not indicated the number of the specimens examined in the original description of Pison simulans . I have selected as the lectotype of this species the only specimen in the BMNH. It is labeled “Eaglehawk Neck, S.E. Tasmania: Feb. 12 – Mch. 3, 1913, R.E. Turner ” (printed) and “ Pison (Parapison) simulans Turn. , Type” (handwritten).

RECOGNITION. – Pison simulans has only two submarginal cells, the second one elongate (length of posterior margin 1.9-2.3 × its height), the clypeal free margin with a well-defined medi- an lobe and in the vast majority of specimens with an obtuse median point in both sexes, concave on each side of the point (Figs. 1021, 1022), the ocellocular distance equal to or greater than the species, the femora are all or largely ferruginous. Also, the pronotal collar of P. simulans is longer dorsally (Figs. 1023, 1024) than in P. erythrocerum and most P. erythrogastrum , the gaster is all black (ferruginous in many P. erythrogastrum , at least partly so), and the forefemur is somewhat swollen (not swollen in P. erythrogastrum ).

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, finely punctate, punctures less than one diameter apart, middle supraantennal carina replaced by fine sulcus. Labrum narrowly emarginate. Dorsum of pronotal collar elongate (Figs. 1023, 1024). Anteromedian pronotal pit varying from rounded, about half length of midocellar diameter in width, to transversely elongate, about as long as midocellar diameter. Scutum not foveate along flange, with short longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures minute, less than one diameter apart. Scutellum with foveate sulcus along anteri- or margin. Tegula enlarged. Mesopleural punctures fine, about one diameter apart or up to about two diameters apart in some specimens. 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 with oblique ridges emerging from middle carina (ridges well defined next to midline, gradually effacing toward side), punctate between ridges; side slightly concave, ridged (ridges effaced posteriorly), punctate between ridges; posterior surface punctate on each side of median sulcus. Forewing with two submarginal cells; posterior margin of second submarginal cell 1.9-2.3 × its height. Forefemur somewhat swollen. Gaster with well-defined constriction between terga I and II. Punctures of tergum I small but well defined, about one diameter apart. Sternum II with well-defined punctures that average 2-3 diameters apart mesally (Fig. 1025), impunctate apicomesally in some specimens.

Setae silvery, appressed on gena, thorax, forecoxal venter, femoral venters, and tergum I, largely concealing integument on clypeus in female, completely so in male; short, oriented dorsally between dorsal end of midfrontal sulcus and midocellus, oriented ventrad adjacent to midocellus. Apical depressions of terga with inconspicuous setal fasciae.

Head, thorax, propodeum, and gaster black, mandible black basally, yellowish mesally, dark apically; flagellum black dorsally, brown ventrally (apical flagellomeres all black in some specimens). Femora black, ferruginous apically, tibiae and tarsi ferruginous.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.86 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.0-1.3 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.3 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 1.12 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella with obtuse median point (Fig. 1021), but point absent in one female from Sandy Bay, Hobart, Tasmania. Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.2-1.4 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 0.8-0.9 × apical width. Mandible: trimmal carina with small incision shortly beyond midlength. Posteroventral forefemoral surface minutely punctate, punctures up to several diameters apart. Length 8.2-9.0 mm; head width 1.9-2.1 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.96 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.7 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.6 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 1.06 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella round- ed mesally, concave on each side of midpoint (Fig. 1022). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.4 × apical width, of flagellomere X 0.8 × apical width. Apical sterna with sparse but conspicuous erect setae (Fig. 1026), sternum VIII shallowly, broadly emarginate (Fig. 1027). Genitalia: Figs. 1028, 1029. Length 6.2-7.0 mm; head width 1.6-1.9 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 1030).–

Australian Capital Territory, eastern New

South Wales , eastern Queensland, southern

South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria.

RECORDS.– AUSTRALIA: Australian Capital

Territory: Black Mountain at 35°16ʹS 149°06ʹE

(2 ♀, 3 ♂, ANIC; 1 ♂, BMNH; 9 ♀, 1 ♂, CAS; 1 ♀,

1 ♂, UCD), Farrer, southern suburb of Canberra at

35°22ʹS 149°05ʹE (1 ♀, 2 ♂, ANIC). New South

Wales: 3 km NE Bilpin (1 ♀, AMS) , 6 km NE Bilpin

(1 ♀, AMS), Bondi State Forest (1 ♀, AMS), Cecil

Hoskins Nature Reserve 2 km N Moss Vale (1 ♀,

ANIC), Clarence in Blue Mountains (2 ♀, AMS),

Dorrigo (1 ♀, SAM), Doyles River 50 km NW Taree at 31°31ʹS 152°14ʹE (8 ♀, 2 ♂, AMS), Lake George FIGURE 1030. Collecting localities of Pison simulans Turner .

Cullerin (4 ♀, 6 ♂, UCD), Lorien Wildlife Refuge

3 km N and ca 1 km NNW Lansdowne near Taree (1 ♀, AMS) , Mount Tomah in Blue Mountains (10 ♀, 3 ♂, AMS) , Nadgee Nature Reserve 10 km S Newton’s Beach (10 ♀, 3 ♂, ANIC) , Narrow Neck near Katoomba (1 ♀, AMS) , Paddys River (1 ♂, BMNH) , 4 km W Sunny Corner at 33°22.7ʹS 149°51.6ʹE (5 ♀, 1 ♂, CAS) , Urila 26 km S Queanbeyan (1 ♂, CAS) , Warrenburg National Park (1 ♂, UCD) . Queensland: Carnarvon National Park at 25°04.0ʹS 148°14.7ʹE (1 ♀, CAS) ; Mount Wilson Tableland at 16°16ʹS 145°02ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , Tully – Yabulu Highway (1 ♀, UCD) . South Australia: Kangaroo Island: Gosse area (1 ♂, BMNH) , 5 km S Mylor (1 ♀, BMNH) . Tasmania: Barrow Creek 8 km NE Nunamara at 41°21ʹS 147°22ʹE (3 ♀, 3 ♂, ANIC) , 15 km ENE Cranbrook at 41°57ʹS 148°14ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , Eaglehawk Neck (1 ♂, BMNH, lectotype of Pison simulans ), Edwards Road in Hartz Mountains (1 ♀, ANIC) , 1 km SSE Gladstone at 40°58ʹS 148°01ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , 1 km NE Herrick at 41°06ʹS 147°53ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , Hobart: Sandy Bay (2 ♀, ANIC; 2 ♂, CAS), Intake Bridge at 41°19ʹS 147°56ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , Launceston (1 ♀, SAM) , Launceston: Newstead (1 ♀, 1 ♂, ANIC) , Mount Arthur (1 ♀, 1 ♂, SAM) , Mount Field National Park at 42°40ʹS 146°41ʹE (2 ♂, QMB) , Mount William National Park (1 ♀, QMB) , Pelion Hut 3 km S Mount Oakleigh at 41°50ʹS 146°03ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , Picton River bridge (1 ♀, CAS) , Poatina Headrace Adit at 41°49ʹS 146°54ʹE (2 ♀, ANIC) , 8 mi. W Upper Blessington (1 ♀, QMB) , Wayatinah at 42°22ʹS 146°29ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) . Victoria: Mallacoota (1 ♀, AMNH) , Shepparton (1 ♂, QMB) .