Maurillus australis Smith, 1855

(Fig. 2)

Maurillus australis Smith, 1855: 170; Evans 1972: 249, ♀.

Pompilus australiensis Dalla Torre, 1897: 275 (new name for australis Smith preoccupied in Pompilus).

Material examined

Holotype ♀ ‘N. Holl., N.W. Coast’ ‘ B.M. TYPE HYM. 19.257 ’ (NHML).

Diagnosis

Female

Head dark ferruginous above ocelli (Fig. 2a,e), its height greater than width; distance from eye toptovertex crest, in profile, about two-thirds of eye height (Fig. 2c); gena in dorsal view very thick (Fig. 2e), OOcD/POD = ~3.0; gena, in profile, 1.2× as broad as eye (Fig. 2c); and T1–5 with a pair of patches of dense golden pubescence posterolaterally (Fig. 2f).

Redescription

Female

Based on holotype.

Length 20 mm; fore wing 13.6 mm. Body and legs black or dark rufous, except for dark ferruginous upper frons, tibiae and tarsi. Wings infuscate with paler spot in subdiscal cell 1 and weakly defined, oblique, paler band apically to SMC3 (Fig. 2g).

Body and legs with pubescence mainly back, but silvery-white on lower frons laterally to antennal sockets, clypeus, upper gena, side of scutellum and propodeum posterolaterally; upper half of head with golden pubescence.

Head 0.98× as broad as high (Fig. 2a). Frons with median sulcus strongly impressed below and barely reaching anterior ocellus. MID 2.3× as broad as both eyes together. Antennocular line concave immediately laterally to antennal socket (Fig. 2e). Inner orbits subparallel but weakly emarginate above middle. UID: MID:LID = 9.5:10:9.9. MID 0.7× TFD. POL:OOL = 1:1.7. Clypeus 2.8× as wide as long; lateral and anterior rims smooth and polished (Fig. 2b); lateral margin weakly slanted, apicolateral corner narrowly rounded. Labrum broadly rounded apically. Scape roughly triangular in cross-section with U-shaped carinae on both median and lateral faces (Fig. 2d), surfaces insidethem concave. Scape:pedicel:fl1:fl2 = 10:1.8:10:7.6. Fl1 3.8× as long as wide, 0.5× UID.

Pronotum with posterior margin subangulate medially. Mesoscutum flattened with posterolateral margin narrowly rounded. Metapostnotum very short, less than 0.2× as long as metanotum at midline, not constricted medially. Propodeum, in dorsal view, 1.6× as wide as long; dorsum convex with coarse, transverse, somewhat reticulate rugae and indistinct median groove; its sides arcuately convex, slightly broadened subapically; declivity with strong transverse rugae (Fig. 2h).

Longer spur of hind tibia 0.4× hind tarsomere 1.

Fore and hind wings as shown in Fig. 2g. Marginal cell removed from wing tip by 0.6× its own length. SMC2: SMC3 = 1:1.1 on vein M, 1:0.9 on vein Rs. SMC2 0.6× as high as long, narrowed on vein Rs by 0.7× its length on vein M, receiving crossvein 1m-cu at basal 0.6. SMC3 0.7× as high as long, narrowed on vein Rs by 0.6× its length on vein M, receiving crossvein 2m-cu at basal 0.5. Crossvein 2rs-m bisinuate. Crossvein cu-a originating distal to point of separation of vein M + CuA and oblique to vein A. Hind wing crossvein rs-m sinuate, meeting vein M obliquely. Crossvein cu-a originating at point of separation of vein M + CuA.

Metasoma short, almost as long as mesosoma, much broader than latter, somewhat compressed dorsoventrally (Fig. 2f). T6 with many long sparse bristles. S6 slightly compressed laterally.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

Australia (North West Coast).