Pison auriventre 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 : 93-98

Pison auriventre Turner

Figures 151 -165.

Pison auriventre Turner, 1908:512 , ♀. Lectotype: ♀, Australia: Victoria: no specific locality (BMNH), present designation, examined. – Turner, 1916b:598 (in key to Australian Pison ), 608 (golden pilosity on gaster; Australia: Queensland: Brisbane); R. Bohart and Menke, 1976:335 (in checklist of world Sphecidae ); Evans, 1981:425 (nesting habits); Cardale, 1985:258 (in catalog of Australian Sphecidae ).

LECTOTYPE DESIGNATION.– Of the two females of this species in The Natural History Museum London, I have selected as the lectotype the one bearing the label “Type” and the identification label “ Pison auriventris ” in Turner’s handwriting. The other female was designated as the paralectotype.

RECOGNITION.– Pison auriventre is an all black species, with the setae appressed on tergum I. Both sexes are characterized by the lower gena adjacent to the oral fossa glabrous, practically impunctate (at most with a few minute, scattered punctures). The tegula is elongate, and the mesopleuron adjacent to the metapleuron and the propodeal side adjacent to the metapleuron below the dorsal pit each has a conspicuously foveolate sulcus.

The female has a psammophore on the lower gena and posterior mandibular margin, and is further characterized by a well-defined, broad middle clypeal lobe, the clypeal lamella having an obtuse but well-defined corner on each side (the distance between the corners slightly greater than the distance between a corner and the adjacent orbit), and the ocellocular distance 1.1-1.3 × hindocellar diameter; the setae on the forefemoral venter are erect, but not forming a real psammophore. It closely resemble Pison argentifrons , but differs from the latter in having, scutal punctures contiguous (rather than less than one diameter apart, but not contiguous), tergum VI broader (compare Figs. 93 and 160 ) and in many specimens a golden (rather than silvery) vestiture on the frons. It differs from other species with psammophores by an elongate tegula.

In the male, flagellomeres III-VI are expanded apicoventrally, but at least flagellomere IV is concave basoventrally ( Fig. 158 ), scutal punctures contiguous, and sternum VIII is largely unsculptured and truncate to broadly, shallowly emarginate apically, without transverse carina ( Fig. 161 ). Pison argentifrons is similar, but has the flagellomeres cylindrical, scutal punctures less than one diameter apart, but not contiguous, the basal glabrous area of sternum VIII conspicuously convex (rather than only slightly convex). Also similar is P. antennatum , in which the gena is setose on each side of the oral fossa, the flagellomeres are not concave basoventrally, and sternum VIII has a narrow subbasal V-shaped impression and a transverse, preapical carina ( Figs. 64, 65 ), two features that lack in auriventre .

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, minutely punctate, punctures averaging less than one diameter apart. Scape inflated in lateral view ( Fig. 155 ). Labrum transverse, not emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about as long as midocellar diameter. Scutum not foveate along flange, without longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal and mesopleural punctures fine, contiguous ( Fig. 156 ); interspaces markedly microsculptured, dull. Tegula elongate ( Fig. 157 ). Postspiracular carina present but ill defined, about as long as midocellar diameter. Mesopleuron adjacent to metapleuron and propodeal side adjacent to metapleuron below dorsal pit with conspicuously foveolate sulcus. Propodeum with irregular longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface and extending from gastral socket area toward spiracle; dorsum punctate, punctures nearly contiguous, interspaces merging into fine ridges except ridges conspicuous along anterior margin and on each side of middle carina; side ridged; posterior surface ridged. Hindcoxal dorsum with outer margin carinate except basally. Punctures of tergum I minute, no more than one diameter apart. Sternum II punctate throughout, punctures well defined.

Setae silvery on head and thorax except golden on frons and clypeus mesally in many females and some males, golden on terga (Fig, 159) except silvery on tergum I posterolaterally and on tergum II anterolaterally and in most specimens on propodeal dorsum, appressed on scutum and tergum I, concealing integument on frons, clypeus (except lamella), and in many specimens on propodeal dorsum; see below for genal setae.

Head (including antenna), thorax, propodeum, legs, and gaster black, mandible black basally, yellowish brown mesally, dark brown apically; tarsi ferruginous apically in many specimens.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.7 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.2-1.3 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.3-1.4 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 1.18 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella almost straight, minimally concave laterally ( Fig. 151 ), corner obtuse but well defined (distance between corners slightly greater than distance between corner and adjacent orbit). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.1 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.4 × apical width. Mandible: trimmal carina with small incision at about midlength. Lower gena ( Fig. 152 ) and mandibular posterior margin with psammophores (longest setae of genal and mandibular psammophores about 0.5 × greatest forefemoral width); lower gena impunctate and asetose between oral fossa and psammophore ( Fig. 153 ); forefemoral venter with erect setae that are up to 1.0-1.5 midocellar diameter long and that do not form psammophore. Tergum VI obtusely angulate ( Fig. 160 ). Length 7.8-8.7 mm; head width 2.4-2.5 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.85 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 1.1-1.3 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 1.4-1.5 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 1.1 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella acutely angulate ( Fig. 154 ). Flagellomeres II-VIII with tyloids, flagellomeres III-VI concave basoventrally, convex apicoventrally ( Fig. 158 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.9 × apical width, of flagellomere X 1.1 × apical width. Lower gena with only a few, minute, sparse punctures and associated setae on either side of oral fossa. Sternum VIII largely unsculptured and shiny, punctate only laterally and apically, truncate to broadly, shallowly emarginate apically ( Figs. 161, 162 ). Genitalia: Figs 163, 164 ). Length 6.0- 7.5 mm; head width 1.8-2.3 mm.

NESTING HABITS.– Evans (1981) observed two females of this species digging their nests on the crest of a clay bank in the southern part of the city of Brisbane. “Both were digging a vertical hole by backing out with small lumps of soil in their mandibles and flying off about a meter and dropping the soil from a height of about half a meter. Thus no soil accumulated at the entrances. Three days later one of the wasps was seen bringing in small spiders, carrying them in her mandibles in flight, landing near the entrance, and walking directly into the open hole with the prey”. The nest was found to have a vertical burrow 3 mm in width, 4.5 cm in length, and terminating in an oblique cell measuring 11 mm in length and 5 mm in width. The cell, apparently not fully provisioned, contained four paralyzed spiders but no egg. Another cell, 1 cm away, was closed and fully provisioned. It contained nine spiders, the uppermost one in the cell bearing the wasp’s egg dorsally, obliquely at the extreme base of the opistosoma. All spiders were very small Lycosidae of two species, Lycosa laeta L. Koch and Trochosa expolita L. Koch , currently Artoriopsis expolita (L. Koch) .

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 165).–

All Australia except Tasmania.

RECORDS.– AUSTRALIA: New South Wales:

Coolbaggie Forest Reserve 10 km E Eumungerie at

31°58.5ʹS 148°40.5ʹE (1 ♂, CAS), 1 km W Eumungerie at 31°56.7ʹS 148°36.9ʹE (1 ♀, 1 ♂, CAS) ,

Lightning Ridge (1 ♀, AMS), 40.5 km SW Narrabri at 30°37.7ʹS 149°34.1ʹE (1 ♂, CAS), 5 mi. N Rank-

ins Springs (1 ♀, BMNH), Warrenburg National

Park (1 ♀, UCD). Northern Territory: Keep River

National Park at 15°54ʹ55ʺS 129°04ʹ11ʺE (1 ♂,

ANIC). Queensland: Brisbane (Turner, 1916b;

Evans, 1981), 6 km N Taroom at 25°36ʹS 149°46ʹE

(1 ♀, QMB). South Australia: Dingly Dell Camp FIGURE 165. Collecting localities of Pison auriventre on Oraparinna Creek at 31°21ʹS 138°42ʹE (3 ♀, Turner.

ANIC), 79 km NNW Renmark at 33°31ʹS 140°24ʹE (2 ♀, 1 ♂, ANIC) , Trezona Camp at Brachina Creek at 31°20ʹS 138°37ʹE (1 ♂, ANIC) , Wilpena in Flinders Ranges National Park at 31°31.7ʹS 138°36.2ʹE (72 ♀, 82 ♂, CAS) , 3 km ENE Wilpena at 31°31.0ʹE 138°36.6ʹE (1 ♀, 1 ♂, CAS) , Wilpena Pound Gap at 31°33ʹS 138°36ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) . Victoria: Gunbower (1 ♂, BMNH) ; no specific locality (2 ♀, BMNH, lectotype and paralectotype of Pison auriventre ) . Western Australia: 10 km W Cobra Station at 24°10.2ʹS 116°23.0ʹE (2 ♀, ANIC; 1 ♀, USU), 28 mi. E Leonora (21 ♀, 20 ♂, CAS) , 45 km S Newman on Great Northern Highway at 23°42.4ʹS 119°44.3ʹE (1 ♀, USU) , 158 km S Newman (= 9 km N Kumarina Roadhouse ) at 24°37.8ʹS 119°36.8ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , 30 km ESE Three Rivers Station at 25°13.6ʹS 118°56.9ʹE (1 ♂, ANIC; 3 ♀, CAS; 1 ♀, 1 ♂, USU) .

Figures

FIGURES 151–156. Pison auriventre Turner. (151) Female clypeus and mandibles; (152) Female gena showing psammophore; (153) Female head from below showing unsculptured areas; (154) Male clypeus and mandibles; (155) Female scape in lateral view; (156) Female tegula and adjacent scutum.

FIGURES 90–95. Pison argentifrons Pulawski, sp. nov. (90) Female clypeus and mandibles; (91) Male clypeus and mandibles; (92) Female tegula and adjacent scutum; (93) Apex of female gaster; male: (94) Sternum VIII (ventral surface); (95) Sternum VIII in lateral view;

FIGURES 157–162. Pison auriventre Turner. (157) Female tegula; (158) Basal flagellomeres of male; (159) Female gaster in dorsal view; (160) Apex of female gaster; male: (161) Sternum VIII (ventral surface); (162) Sternum VIII (ventral surface in lateral oblique view).

FIGURES 64–67. Pison antennatum Pulawski, sp. nov., male. (64) Sternum VIII (ventral surface); (65) Sternum VIII in oblique lateral view (arrow shows V-shaped impression); (66) Genitalia in dorsal view; (67) Genitalia in lateral view.

FIGURES 163–164. Pison auriventre Turner, male. (163) Genitalia in dorsal view; (164) Genitalia in lateral view.