Pison notochthonum 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 : 297-300

Pison notochthonum Pulawski , species nova

Figures 701 -707.

NAME DERIVATION.– Notochthonum is derived from two Greek words: νότΟς south, and αὐτόχθων, aboriginal, indigenous; with reference to this species occurrence in the southern part of Australia; a noun in apposition to the generic name.

RECOGNITION.– Pison notochthonum has an all black body, three submarginal cells, the second recurrent vein interstitial with the second intersubmarginal vein or nearly so, and the setae appressed on tergum I.

The female is characterized by the presence of a psammophore on the lower gena and the forefemoral venter, and the lower gena unsculptured and shiny on each side of the oral fossa. It can be differentiated from most other such species by the tegula with well-defined punctures that cover all of its surface (except for the narrow marginal rim). The tegula is also punctate in P. contiguum and P. dentatum , from which the female of P. notochthonum differs in having many punctures of the upper frons one diameter apart or nearly so (rather than less than one diameter apart), the clypeal lamella with a small median projection ( Fig. 701 ) rather than without projection, and the mesopleuron practically not crenulate along the anterior margin of the metapleuron (rather than markedly crenulate). Unlike P. dentatum , the inner mandibular margin of P. notochthonum is simple (rather than with two preapical teeth).The fully punctate tegula is also found in most P. punctatum in which, however, at least terga I-III and the tibiae are ferruginous (rather than black), and in P. stenometopon , in which the genal psammophore is as long as the midocellar diameter (markedly longer than midocellar diameter in P. notochthonum ) and the forefemur has no psammophore (femoral psammophore present in P. notochthonum ).

The male resembles P. stenometopon in having the tegula punctate throughout (except a narrow marginal rim), the mandible unidentate apically, and a black body. It differs from that species in having sterna VI and VII unsculptured, shiny (punctate in P. stenometopon ), sternum V with appressed setae and sterna VI and VII asetose (sterna V-VII with short erect setae in P. stenometopon ), and sternum VIII broadly emarginate apically (rather than rounded).

DESCRIPTION.– Frons with well-defined punctures averaging less than one diameter apart; in female, most punctures of upper frons one diameter apart or nearly so ( Fig. 702 ); interspaces aciculate, slightly shiny. Occipital carina joining hypostomal carina. Labrum not emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about as long as midocellar diameter. Scutum finely foveate along flange, without longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures well defined, averaging less than one diameter apart. Tegula slightly enlarged, punctate throughout (except for narrow marginal rim), punctures well defined. Mesopleural punctures well defined, less than one diameter apart. Postspiracular carina ill defined, practically absent in female, in male about as long as midocellar diameter. Metapleural sulcus costulate between dorsal and ventral metapleural pits. Propodeum with ill-defined longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface and extending from gastral socket area toward spiracle (carina evanescent in some specimens, in some males replaced by series of ill-defined, transverse ridges); dorsum with well-defined punctures, interspaces with minute ridges (except ridges well defined basally in most specimens); side with well-defined punctures, with ridges that are conspicuous dorsally and evanescent ventrally; posterior surface punctate, with fine, irregular, transverse ridges. Posteroventral forefemoral surface in female minutely punctate (punctures several diameters apart), in male punctures of medium size, about one diameter apart. Outer surface of hindtibia with evanescent spines. Punctures of tergum I, anterior to apical depression, partly less than one diameter apart, partly about one diameter apart. Sternal punctures several diameters apart, sternum II impunctate apicomesally.

Setae silvery, appressed on postocellar area, scutum, and tergum I; not concealing integument on clypeus; genal setae: see below. Apical depressions of terga with silvery, setal fasciae.

Body all black except mandible reddish mesally.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.76 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.8-1.0 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.3 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.92 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella roundly arcuate, with small median projection ( Fig. 701 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.8 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.2 × apical width. Lower gena, mandibular posterior margin, propleural and forecoxal outer margins, and forefemoral venter with psammophores (longest setae of genal, mandibular, and forefemoral psammophores about 1.0 ×, 1.0 ×, and 1.1 ×, respectively, of greatest forefemoral width); lower gena impunctate and asetose between hypostomal carina and psammophore. Mandible: trimmal carina with small incision at about two thirds of length. Tergum VI relatively broad ( Fig. 703 ). Length 6.4-6.7 mm; head width 2.0- 2.1 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.86 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.2 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.3 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 0.94-0.96 ×

distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella acutely angulate. Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.5-1.7 × apical width, of flagellomere X 0.9-1.1 × apical width. Sterna

VI and VII impunctate, shiny; apical margin of sternum VIII shallowly, broadly emarginate

( Fig. 704 ). Genitalia: Figs. 705, 706 . Length

4.3-6.2 mm; head width 1.6-2.1 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 707).–

New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria. FIGURE 707. Collecting localities of Pison notochthonum Pulawski , sp. nov.

RECORDS.– HOLOTYPE: ♀, AUSTRALIA: South Australia: 31 km N Renmark at 33°53ʹS 140°44ʹE, 12 Dec 1995 – 25 Jan 1996, K.R. Pullen ( ANIC)

PARATYPES: New South Wales: 100 km SE Broken Hill at 32°51ʹS 141°36ʹE, 3-13 Oct 1988, E.D. Edwards (1 ♂, ANIC) . South Australia: Danggali Conservation Park, J.A. Forrest , 21-24 Nov 1996 at 33°19ʹ05ʺS 140°54ʹ49ʺE (1 ♂, SAM) and 24-26 Nov 1996 at 33°19ʹ39ʺS 140°42ʹ50ʺE (1 ♀, SAM) ; 10 km NNW Penong at 31°50.3ʹS 132°57.9ʹE, 15 and 18 Jan 2011, V. Ahrens and W.J. Pulawski (2 ♀, CAS) ; 14 km WNW Renmark at 34°07ʹS 140°37ʹE, 13 Dec 1995 – 25 Jan 1996, K.R. Pullen (1 ♂, ANIC; 1 ♂, CAS) ; 31 km NW Renmark at 33°59ʹS 140°30ʹE, 7 Nov – 13 Dec 1995 1996, K.R. Pullen (1 ♂, ANIC) . Victoria: Wemen at 34°47ʹS 142°38ʹE, 23 Feb 2004, J. Carpenter and A. Davidson (1 ♂, AMNH) .

Figures

FIGURES 701-706. Pison notochthonum Pulawski, sp. nov. (701) Female clypeus and mandibles; (702) Female upper frons; (703) Female tergum VI; male: (704) Sternum VIII (ventral surface); (705) Genitalia in dorsal view; (706) Genitalia in lateral view.