Pison exultans 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 : 185-189

Pison exultans Turner

Figures 404 -413.

Pison exultans Turner, 1916b:615 , ♂. Lectotype: ♂, Australia: Victoria: no specific locality (BMNH), present designation, examined. – Turner, 1916b:599 (in key to Australian Pison ); R. Bohart and Menke, 1976:335 (in checklist of world Sphecidae ); Cardale, 1985:259 (in catalog of Australian Sphecidae ).

LECTOTYPE DESIGNATION.– Turner (1916b), in the original description of Pison exultans , did not indicate the number of specimens examined. I have selected as the lectotype of this species the only specimen in The Natural History Museum, London , a male originating from Victoria, with no specific locality, and bearing a label “ Pison exultans Turn. Type”.

RECOGNITION.– Pison exultans has three submarginal cells, the second recurrent vein interstitial with the second intersubmarginal vein or nearly so, and the setae appressed on tergum I. It is characterized by a fine median supraantennal impressed line (rather than a carina) and elongate tergum I (length greater than apical width). The female has a ferruginous antennal base combined with ferruginous tergum I, with a pair of black spots in many specimens. The male has tergum I all or partly ferruginous (at least basal quarter ferruginous) and triangular sternum VIII, with roundly truncate apical margin (as in P. exornatum , in which tergum I is wider than long). Tergum I is also elongate in some P. basale , in which the frons has a median carina and the tegula is angulate posteriorly (rounded in P. exultans ).

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, minutely punctate, punctures less than one diameter apart, with about half as long to as long as midocellar diameter. Metapleural sulcus, in most specimens, costulate between dorsal and ventral metapleural pits, not costulate in some. Propodeum in most specimens with irregular longitudinal carina that separates side from dorsum and posterior surface and extends from gastral socket area toward spiracle (carina crossed by short, transverse ridges); in some specimens carina replaced by row of short, transverse ridges; in other specimens both carina and ridges evanescent; dorsum with middle carina in shallow sulcus, sulcus with small, short, oblique ridges; remaining dorsum with oblique carinae that are conspicuous basally but become gradually evanescent posterolaterally, finely punctate between ridges; side finely punctate, also ridged at least anteriorly (ridges varying from fine to conspicuous); posterior surface punctate, with interspaces merging in most specimens into fine, irregular, transverse ridges. Hindcoxal dorsum with outer margin not carinate. Tergum I sloping gently toward base ( Fig. 408 ), markedly less so than in most other Pison , its punctures minute, less than one diameter apart. Sterna punctate throughout, punctures small but well defined.

Setae silvery (with golden tinge on frons, pronotum, scutum, scutellum, and postscutellum, also on clypeus in many specimens), appressed on thorax, forecoxal venter, femoral venters, and tergum I, completely concealing integument on clypeus in male but not in female; setae of lower gena slightly curved, subappressed to suberect, slightly longer than half midocellar diameter to about as long as midocellar diameter. Tergum I and IV and following with golden or silvery apical setal fasciae, but terga II and III varying: in most specimens, tergum II has all setae black, contrasting with those of terga I and III; in many specimens from northern Queensland apical depression of tergum III has golden setae inconspicuous, visible only from certain angles, or totally absent, as on tergum II (thus contrasting with terga I and IV); finally, in some specimens, apical depressions of terga II and III have golden setal fasciae, like other terga (males of all three forms have identical characteristic sternum VIII and genitalia, showing that only one species is involved). Head, thorax, and propodeum black (pronotal lobe ferruginous in some specimens); mandible largely ferruginous, black basally, dark brown apically; scape, pedicel, and two to seven basal flagellomeres ferruginous in most specimens, but all black in some males. Femora largely black, reddish black apically (forefemur all ferruginous in some specimens), tibiae, and tarsi ferruginous. Tergum I ferruginous with a pair of dark spots mesally in most specimens ( Fig. 406 ), but without dark spots in some individuals, and largely black in some males, with only basal quarter ferruginous ( Fig. 407 ); tergum II all black, remaining terga black, in most specimens with brown apical depressions

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.64-0.68 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.8 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.3-1.4 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 1.02-1.04 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella obtusely angulate ( Fig. 404 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.7-2.0 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 0.9-1.0 × apical width. Mandible: trimmal carina with small incision shortly beyond midlength. Tergum VI rounded apically ( Fig. 409 ). Length 9.6-12.1 mm; head width 2.3-2.5 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.70-0.76 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.7-1.0 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.0-1.1 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 1.04-1.10 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella acutely angulate ( Fig. 405 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.6-1.8 × apical width, of flagellomere X 0.9 × apical width. Sternum VIII convex along midline, apical margin roundly truncate ( Fig. 410 ). Genitalia: apical half of gonocoxite modified into long, narrow filament ( Figs. 411, 412 ), similar to that of P. elongatum . Length 7.5-8.7 mm; head width 1.9-2.3 mm. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 413).–

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria.

RECORDS.– AUSTRALIA: Australian Capital

Territory: Black Mountain at 35°15ʹS 149°06ʹE

(1 ♀, 1 ♂, AMNH) and 35°16ʹS 149°06ʹE (2 ♂,

CAS; 1 ♀, 4 ♂, UCD), Wombat Creek 6 km NE

Piccadilly Circus at 35°19ʹS 148°51ʹE (1 ♂, ANIC) .

New South Wales: Bilpin in Blue Mountains (1 ♀,

AMS), 6 km NE Bilpin (1 ♂, AMS), Coolbaggie

Forest Reserve 10 km E Eumungerie at 31°58.5ʹS

148°40.5ʹE (1 ♀, 19 ♂, CAS), 1 km W Eumungerie at 31°56.7ʹS 148°36.9ʹE (2 ♂, CAS), Gilgandra

Flora Reserve at 31°39.7ʹS 148°46.3ʹE (5 ♂, CAS) ,

Lake George Cullerin (1 ♀, UCD), Mount Tomah in FIGURE 413. Collecting localities of Pison exultans Blue Mountains (1 ♂, AMS), 40.5 km SW Narrabri Turner.

at 30°37.7ʹS 149°34.1ʹE (13 ♂, CAS), Orange: Botanic Gardens at 33°15.3ʹS 149°05.7ʹE (5 ♂, CAS), Warrenburg National Park (1 ♀, UCD), Warrumbungle National Park at 31°16.9ʹS 148°59.1ʹE (1 ♂, CAS) and 31°16ʹS 148°57ʹE (3 ♀, MNKB), near Warrumbungle National Park at 31°16.9ʹS 149°04.8ʹE (1 ♀, 1 ♂, CAS), Wollemi National Park (northern edge) at 32°23.4ʹS 150°24.8ʹE (1 ♀, 4 ♂, CAS). Queensland: Agnes Water 40 km E Miriam Vale (1 ♂, AMS), 4 km NE Batavia Downs at 12°39ʹS 142°42ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC), 7 km S Batavia Downs at 12°43ʹS 142°42ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC), 3 km W Batavia Downs at 12°40ʹS 142°39ʹE (1 ♀, 1 ♂, ANIC), Beaudesert (1 ♂, QMB), Brisbane: Blunder Creek (1 ♂, QMB), Brisbane: Karawatha Forest at 27°38.6ʹS 153°04.2ʹE (2 ♂, CAS), Brisbane: Mount Coot-tha (5 ♂, CAS), Carnarvon National Park at 25°04.0ʹS 148°14.7ʹE (2 ♂, CAS), Coen at 13°57ʹS 143°12ʹE (7 ♀, 1 ♂, ANIC), Crediton State Forest at

21°11.9ʹS 148°29.9ʹE (1 ♀, CAS) , Edungalba (1 ♀, ANIC) , Eungella National Park at 21°10.5ʹS 148°30.3ʹE (6 ♀, 2 ♂, CAS) , Gunshot Creek at 11°45ʹS 142°28ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , Heathlands at 11°45ʹS 142°35ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , 12 km SSE Heathlands at 11°51ʹS 142°38ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , Homevale National Park at 21°26.9ʹS 148°32.4ʹE (7 ♂, CAS) , Kuranda (1 ♀, CAS) , 5 km NE Leyburn (1 ♂, CAS) , near Mareeba (1 ♀, CAS) , 48 km E Mount Surprise at 18°09.0ʹS 144°43.6ʹE (1 ♀, 1 ♂, CAS) , 3 km ENE Mount Tozer at 12°44ʹS 143°14ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , Mount Walsh National Park near Biggenden (1 ♂, ANIC) , Mungumby Lodge near Helenvale (1 ♂, SAM) , 2 km N Rokeby at 13°39ʹS 142°40ʹE (9 ♀, 7 ♂, ANIC) , 13 km SE Weipa at 12°40ʹS 143°00ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) . South Australia: Wilpena in Flinders Ranges National Park at 31°31.7ʹS 138°36.2ʹE (18 ♀, 14 ♂, CAS) , 3 km ENE Wilpena at 31°31.0ʹE 138°36.6ʹE (2 ♀, 2 ♂, CAS) . Victoria: no specific locality (1 ♂, BMNH, lectotype of Pison exultans ) . Locality unknown: Cove Cave (1 ♂, AMS) .

Figures

FIGURES 404-409. Pison exultans Turner. (404) Female clypeus and mandibles; (405) Male clypeus and mandibles; (406) Female tergum I in dorsal view; (407) Tergum I of melanic male in dorsal view; (408) Gastral segment I of female in lateral view; (409) Female tergum VI in dorsal view.

FIGURES 410-412. Pison exultans Turner, male. (410) Sternum VIII (ventral surface); (411) Genitalia in dorsal view; (412) Genitalia in lateral view.