Pison laeve F. Smith

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 : 243-247

Pison laeve F. Smith

Figures 560 -570.

Pison laeve F. Smith, 1856:317 , as ♀ but actually ♂ (as laevis, incorrect original termination). Lectotype: ♂, “ Georgia ”: no specific locality, actually island of New Georgia (BMNH), present designation, examined. – Cresson, 1862:238 (in catalog of North American Hymenoptera ); F. Smith, 1869:291 (in checklist of Pison ); Patton, 1880:386 (in checklist of North American Larrinae ); Kohl, 1885:187 (in checklist of world Pison ); Cresson, 1887:276 (in catalog of North American Hymenoptera ); W. Fox, 1894:471 (in revision of North American Larrinae , original description copied); Dalla Torre, 1897:712 (in catalog of world Hymenoptera , as leve); Ashmead, 1899d:251 (in checklist of North American Crabronidae ); Harrington, 1902:222 ( Canada: Ontario: Ottawa, as laevis, certainly in error); Turner, 1916b:628 (bibliographic reference to original description); Krombein in Muesebeck et al., 1951:954 (in catalog of North American Hymenoptera ); Krombein, 1958:188 (holotype is a male, not female); Menke, 1968a:7 (tentatively in checklist of New World species of subgenus Pison ); R. Bohart and Menke, 1976:333 (in checklist of world Sphecidae , probably from New Georgia, Solomon Islands); Krombein, 1979:1641 (origin probably New Georgia, Solomon Islands); Menke, 1988a:90 (origin discussed, diagnostic characters, redescription).

As Pison glabrum : Naumann, 1990a:24 ( Norfolk Island) and Smithers, 1998:46 (in list of insects of Norfolk Island), present correction.

DESIGNATION OF LECTOTYPE AND ITS ORIGIN. – F. Smith (1856) did not indicate the number of specimens examined in the original description of Pison laeve . One specimen bearing the label “ laevis Sm., type” is present in The Natural History Museum, London, and I have designated it as the lectotype of this species.

The specimen also bears the label “ Georgia ”, and this name is given in the original description. Several XIXth and early XXth centuries North American authors treated it as Georgia, USA, but Bohart and Menke (1976), Krombein (1979), and Menke (1988) suspected that the specimen came from the western Pacific island of New Georgia. In my opinion, the specimen was certainly collected at New Georgia, as it has never been recorded from USA, and particularly because the island of New Georgia is close to the other areas of this species distribution.

RECOGNITION. – Pison laeve is unique among the Australian species in having a significantly expanded scutal flange, largely covering the tegula ( Fig. 563 ). Subsidiary recognition feature are: ocellocular distance markedly smaller than hindocellar diameter ( Fig. 562 ), tegula all punctate, and the mesopleuron ( Fig. 564 ), propodeal dorsum ( Fig. 565 ), side, and posterior surface shiny, with punctures several to many diameters apart. The body is all black except the mandible is dark reddish preapically.

COMPARISON WITH PISON SEYRIGI . – Pison laeve resembles the Madagascan species P. seyrigi Arnold in having an expanded scutal flange. The latter differs from P. laeve in having conspicuous, well defined punctures on the frons, scutum, and terga (rather than fine, inconspicuous punctures), erect setae on tergum I and sternum II (rather than appressed ones), and markedly longer setae on the thorax and femora (e.g., scutal setae are 1.5 × midocellar diameter, rather than 0.6-0.7 ×).

DESCRIPTION.– Frons dull, conspicuously microareolate, with minute punctures several diameters apart. Distance between antennal socket and orbit slightly smaller than socket width. Gena narrow in dorsal view. Labrum emarginate. Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about as long as midocellar diameter. Scutum not foveate along flange, at most with a few small, short longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures fine, several diameters apart; interspaces microsculptured, dull. Scutal flange significantly expanded in most specimens, as wide as 1.2-1.7 × midocellar diameter, largely covering the tegula ( Fig. 563 ), but as wide as 1.0 × midocellar diameter and covering about half of the tegula in the lectotype and specimens from Norfolk Island. Tegula finely punctate except for impunctate narrow marginal rim. Mesopleural punctures well defined, several diameters apart ( Fig. 564 ). Postspiracular carina present, about as long as 1.5 × midocellar diameter. Metapleural sulcus not costulate between dorsal and ventral metapleural pits. Propodeum without longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface; dorsum, side, and posterior surface punctate, punctures several to many diameters apart, fine on dorsum ( Fig. 565 ). Punctures of tergum I minute, several diameters apart. Sternum II finely punctate, punctures sparse mesally, several diameters apart apicomesally.

Setae silvery, suberect on upper frons, erect on scutum, gena, appressed on tergum I, not concealing integument on clypeus in female, concealing in male; setal length slightly less than midocellar diameter on upper frons and scutum, equal to midocellar diameter on lower gena. Apical depressions of terga with ill-defined setal fasciae in most specimens; tergal setae all black in lectotype and specimen from Norfolk Island.

Head, thorax, propodeum, legs, and gaster black, mandible dark reddish preapically.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.46-0.52 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.1-0.2 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli 0.3-0.4 × hindocellar diameter ( Fig. 562 ); eye height equal to 1.04-1.08 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella broadly arcuate ( Fig. 560 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 3.1-3.2 × apical width, of flagellomere IX 1.6-1.8 × apical width. Mandible: trimmal carina with small incision at about mandible midlength. Length 7.9-9.0 mm; head width 2.0- 2.4 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.62-0.64 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.3-0.5 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli 0.4-0.7 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 1.06-1.1 × distance between eye notches. Free margin of clypeal lamella obtusely angulate ( Fig. 561 ). Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.7-2.9 × apical width, of flagellomere X 1.4 × apical width. Sternum VIII shallowly, broadly emarginate apically ( Fig. 566 ), wieved in profile: Fig. 567 . Genitalia: Figs. 568, 569 . Length 6.2-6.8 mm; head width 1.8-2.0 mm.

VARIATION.– Most specimens have three submarginal cells, but a male from Lamington National Park, Queensland, has only two.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 570).– Eastern Australia, Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, New Georgia, Papua New Guinea.

RECORDS.– AUSTRALIA: Australian Capital Territory: Black Mountain (1 ♂, ANIC) . New South Wales: Barrington Tops National Park: upper Williams River (1 ♀, AMS), Bulahdelah (as Bulladellah): OʹSullivan’s Gap (1 ♀, AMS), Chichester State Forest at 32°08ʹS 151°27ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC), Cockerawoombeeba Creek WNW Ballangry (5 ♀, 1 ♂, AMS), Coocumbac Island Nature Reserve near Taree (1 ♀, ANIC), Dorrigo National Park (6 ♀, 1 ♂, AMS), Harrington : littoral rainforest (2 ♀, AMS), 3 km N Lansdowne near Taree (1 ♂, CAS), Lindfield at 33°46ʹS 151°11ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC), Lord Howe Island (1 ♀, ANIC; 1 ♀, SAM), Lord Howe Island at 31°31ʹ37ʺS 159°03ʹ58ʺE (6 ♀, 12 ♂, AMS), Lord Howe Island : Dawson’s Point Ridge at 31°30ʹ58ʺS 159°02ʹ58ʺE (1 ♀, AMS), Lord Howe

Island: Malabar Trail near Neds Beach at 31°31ʹS

159°04ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC), Lord Howe Island : Mount

Lidgebird foothills (1 ♀, ANIC), Lorien Wildlife

Refuge 3 km N and ca 1 km NNW Lansdowne near

Taree (1 ♂, ANIC; 4 ♀, 5 ♂, AMS), Manly: Kangaroo Park (1 ♀, ANIC), Myall Lakes National Park

(4 ♀, AMS), Nadgee Nature Reserve : Merrica River

(2 ♀, 4 ♂, AMS), Pearl Beach (1 ♀, ANIC), Royal

National Park (1 ♀, AMS), Shoalhaven River 30 km

W Nowra (1 ♀, AMS), Starrs Creek in Lansdowne

State Forest (4 ♀, AMS), Sydney (1 ♀, 1 ♂,

BMNH), Sydney: Manly Dam (1 ♀, ANIC) , Wilson

River Primitive Reserve 15 km NW Bellangry

(10 ♀, 2 ♂, AMS), Woronera River at Engadine FIGURE 570. Collecting localities of Pison laeve (2 ♀, AMS). Norfolk Island: Filmy Fern Valley at F. Smith .

29°01ʹS 167°57ʹE (1 ♀, ANIC) , Norfolk Island National Park at 29°01ʹS 167°57ʹE (1 ♀, CAS, determined as Pison glabrum by I.D. Naumann), South Spur Track at 29°01ʹS 167°56ʹE (3 ♂, ANIC) . Queensland : Binna Burra in Lamington National Park (1 ♀, CAS) , Brisbane Forest Park at 27°25ʹS 152°50ʹE (1 ♀, 1 ♂, MNKB) , Bulburin State Forest (1 ♀, QMB) , Cairns (1 ♀, BMNH) , Cairns District (3 ♀, SAM) , Curtain Fig 2 km SSW Yungaburra at 17°17ʹS 145°34ʹE (2 ♀, ANIC) , Earl Hill N Cairns (1 ♂, ANIC) , Eungella at 21°07.6ʹS 148°29.7ʹE (10 ♀, CAS) , Eungella National Park (1 ♀, QMB; 1 ♀, UCD), Eurimbula National Park: Bustard Beach at 24°10ʹS 151°52ʹE (1 ♀, AMS) , Lamington National Park at 28°13ʹS 153°07ʹE (4 ♀, MNKB) , at 28.188°S 153.121°E (6 ♀, 1 ♂, QMB) , at 28.192°S 153.124°E (5 ♀, 1 ♂, QMB) , at 28.204°S 153.129°E (3 ♀, 1 ♂, QMB) , at 28.207°S 153.139°E (1 ♀, QMB) , and at 28.212°S 153.141°E (1 ♂, QMB) , Mount Glorious at 27°20ʹ07ʺS 152°45ʹ30ʺE (1 ♀, MNKB) , Paluma , 2900 feet (1 ♀, CAS) , Paluma Range National Park at 18°51.6ʹS 146°07.6ʹE, alt. ca 50 m (1 ♀, 1 ♂, CAS) , Pine Creek 11 km SSE Cairns at 17°00ʹS 145°50ʹE (2 ♀, ANIC) , Shiptons Flats at 15°47ʹS 145°14ʹE (2 ♀, ANIC) .

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Morobe Province: Finschhafen (1 ♀, BISH) .

SOLOMON ISLANDS: New Georgia island: no specific locality (1 ♂, BMNH, lectotype of Pison laeve ) .

Figures

Figures 560-565. Pison laeve F. Smith. (560) Female clypeus and mandibles; (561) Male clypeus and mandibles; (562) Female vertex; (563) Left part of female scutum (arrow shows expanded flange); (564) Female mesopleuron; (565) Propodeal dorsum of female.

FIGURES 566-569. Pison laeve F. Smith, male. (566) Sternum VIII (ventral surface); (567) Sternum VIII in lateral view; (568) Genitalia in dorsal view; (569) Genitalia in lateral view.

FIGURES 1-3. Pison abductor Pulawski, sp. nov., female. (1) Clypeus and mandibles; (2) Head in dorsal view; (3) Mandible in lateral view (arrow shows abductor ridge). FIGURE 4. Collecting locality of Pison abductor Pulawski, sp. nov.