Pison spilopteryx 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 : 426-429

Pison spilopteryx Pulawski , species nova

Figures 1033-1042.

NAME DERIVATION.– Spilopteryx is derived from two Greek words: σπίλΟς, a spot, fleck, speck, and πτέρυξ, a wing; a noun in apposition to the generic name.

RECOGNITION. – Pison spilopteryx has abundant erect setae on tergum I, mesopleural punctures less than one diameter apart, and only a few, scattered punctures on sterna III and IV. In addition, its mandible is simple (posterior margin not step-like, inner margin not tridentate in female and not bidentate in male), and the female gena is punctate and setose on each side of the oral fossa. Several species ( Pison fenestratum , P. festivum , P. pauper , and P. rarum ) are similar, but P. spilopteryx differs in having the pronotal collar (at least laterally) and the apical depression of tergum I with bright golden setae (as well as the setae on the apical depressions of the remaining terga), and at least the inner side of the hindtibia and the tarsi are ferruginous. Also, in most specimens the apex of the medial cell, the first submarginal cell (all or anteriorly), and the marginal cells are markedly infumate, well contrasting with the remaining wing membrane. The ocellocular distance of the female equal to 1.4 × hindocellar diameter is a subsidiary recognition feature. In the other species, the setae of the pronotal collar and of tergum I are silvery, the legs all black, and the forewings are not infumate.

DESCRIPTION.– Frons aciculate and slightly shiny between punctures, punctures fine in lower half, large between midocellus and orbit, less than one diameter apart (Fig. 1035), with a few exceptions. Labrum not emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit oval, slightly shorter than midocellar diameter. Scutum not foveate along flange, without longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin, but with compressed, elongate punctures there; scutal punctures conspicuous, mostly less than one diameter apart (several punctures behind center more than one diameter apart); interspaces unsculptured. Mesopleural punctures well defined, less than one diameter apart; interspaces ridges; side conspicuously punctate, punctures in some specimens more than one diameter apart anteriorly, interspaces not merging into ridges; posterior surface conspicuously ridged, punctate between ridges. Second recurrent vein ending on submarginal cell III. Posteroventral forefemoral surface with well-defined punctures that are two to several diameters apart. Punctures of tergum I well defined on anterior declivity and just behind, mostly more than one diameter apart, fine and less than one diameter apart on horizontal portion; apical depression mostly deep, well below adjacent anterior part of tergum. Sternum II with conspicuous punctures that are several diameters apart (except anteriorly and laterally), impunctate apicomesally; sterna III and IV with a few, sparse punctures.

Setae erect on thorax, forecoxal venter, femoral venters, and entire tergum I (in addition to subappressed to suberect setae on clypeus, frons, pronotum, and apical depression of tergum I); erect setae black on upper frons and tergum I; length of erect setae (expressed as fraction of midocellar diameter): 1.0-1.5 × on scutum, up to 1.0 × on hindfemoral venter, up to 2.0 × on tergum I; setae of lower gena sinuous, up to 2.5 × midocellar diameters near genal midheight; on frons suberect setae oriented ventrad along midfrontal carina, with dense group of setae ventrally of midocellus, oriented radially adjacent to midocellus; not concealing integument on clypeus. Pronotal collar (only laterally in specimen from Victoria) and apical depression of tergum I with bright golden, subappressed setae, tergum II either with black setae only in most specimens, but golden setae present posterolaterally in specimen from Victoria, and conspicuous on apical depression in specimen from Crediton State Forest; tergum III and following ones fully covered with bright golden setae (Fig. 1038).

Head, thorax, propodeum, and gaster black, apical depressions of terga brown. Apex of medial cell as well as first submarginal cell (all or anteriorly) and marginal cells markedly infumate in most specimens, contrasting with remaining wing membrane (Fig. 1037), but not infumate in specimen from Crediton State Forest. Femora black in most specimens, but all ferruginous in specimens from Pendland, and largely so in specimen from Crediton State Forest; tibiae and tarsi ferruginous in specimen from Victoria, that from Crediton State Forest, and those from Pendland; in remaining specimens tibiae largely black, partly ferruginous (inner surface of hindtibia all ferruginous); tarsi ferruginous, apical tarsomeres dark in most specimens.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.80-0.82 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.4 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.1-1.2 × hindocellar diameter (Fig. 1036); eye height equal to 0.90-0.92 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella roundly arcuate (Fig. 1033). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.8-2.9 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.7-1.8 × apical width. Mandible: trimmal carina with small incision at about midlength. Length 10.0- 12.2 mm; head width 2.9-3.3 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.82 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.9 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.4 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.94 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella angulate, nearly rectangular (Fig. 1034). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.6 × apical width, of flagellomere X 1.5 × apical width. Sternum VIII broadly emarginate, apicolateral arm acutely angulate (Fig. 1039). Genitalia: Figs. 1040-1041. Length 10.1 mm; head width 3.0 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 1042).–

New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, Victoria.

RECORDS.– HOLOTYPE: ♀, AUSTRALIA: New

South Wales: Coolbaggie Forest Reserve 10 km E

Eumungerie at 31°58.5ʹS 148°40.5ʹE, 29 Dec 2011,

V. Ahrens and W.J. Pulawski (AMS).

PARATYPES: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales :

Coolbaggie Forest Reserve 10 km E Eumungerie at

31°58.5ʹS 148°40.5ʹE, V. Ahrens and W.J. Pulawski,

27 Dec 2011 (1 ♀, CAS) , 28 Dec 2011 (2 ♀, CAS) ,

29 Dec 2011 (2 ♀, CAS); Warrumbungle National

Park at 31°16.9ʹS 148°59.1ʹE, 17 Dec 2009,

V. Ahrens and W.J. Pulawski (1 ♀, CAS); near

Warrumbungle National Park at 31°16.9ʹS FIGURE 1042. Collecting localities of Pison spilopteryx 149°04.8ʹE, 1 Jan 2012, V. Ahrens and W.J. Pulaw- Pulawski, sp. nov.

ski (1 ♀, CAS) . Queensland: Crediton State Forest at 21°11.8ʹS 148°29.7ʹE, 2 Nov 2006, V. Ahrens and W.J. Pulawski (1 ♀, CAS) ; Homevale National Park at 21°26.9ʹS 148°32.4ʹE, 28 Nov 2012, V. Ahrens and W.J. Pulawski (1 ♀, CAS) ; Pendland at 20°31.0ʹS 145°24.2ʹE, 18 and 19 Nov 2012, V. Ahrens and W.J. Pulawski (2 ♀, CAS) . South Australia: 3 km ENE Wilpena in Flinders Ranges National Park at 31°31.0ʹS 138°36.6ʹE, 22 Dec 2010, V. Ahrens and W.J. Pulawski, 22 Dec 2010 (4 ♀, 1 ♂, CAS) , 23 Dec 2010 (2 ♀, CAS) , and 27 Dec 2010 (1 ♀, CAS) . Victoria: no specific locality, date, or collector’s name (1 ♀, BMNH) .