Maurillus australis Smith, 1855

Shimizu, Akira, Pitts, James P, Rodriguez, Juanita, Wahis, Raymond & Yoshimura, Jin, 2021, Systematics and convergent evolution in three Australian genera of Pepsinae spider wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), Austral Entomology 60 (2), pp. 301-316 : 8-9

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).

Figures

Fig. 2. Maurillus australis Smith, holotype female. (a) Head, anterior view; (b) clypeus and mandible, anterior view; (c) head and anterior part of mesosoma, lateral view; (d) scape, dorsal (above) and lateral view (below); (e) head and anterior part of pronotum, dorsal view; (f) posterior part of propodeum and metasoma, dorsal view; (g) fore and hind wings; (h) posterior part of mesosoma and anterior part of metasoma, dorsolateral view; (i) apical part of right fore tibia, medial view; and (j) hind tibia, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1 mm. ((d), (i) and (j) lack scale bars (no measurement data available due to lack of access to the holotype).)