Pison Simulans

''Pison'' is a cosmopolitan genus of wasps within the family Crabronidae. The genus comprises 145 described species, although many species, especially in South America remain undescribed.Bohart, Richard Mitchell, and Arnold S. Menke. Sphecid wasps of the world: a generic revision. University of California Press, 1976.

Distribution

The genus is found throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world, but does not extend into the more northerly temperate regions. Most species occur in the Southern Hemisphere, with a third of species occurring in Australia. This distribution pattern has been thought to indicate that the genus was once much larger, and has declined in the face of competition with more competitive wasp genera, leaving the genus largely concentrated in geographically-isolated regions.Turner, Rowland E. "29. Notes On The Wasps Of The Genus Pison, And Some Allied Genera." Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. Vol. 86. No. 4. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 1916.

The habit of many species of building nests in holes in wood, keyholes, and similar situations has led to a number of species being distributed widely by ships and aircraft. Several species, including '' P. argentatum'' and '' P. iridipenne'' are of uncertain native distribution, having been dispersed by humans in antiquity.

Biology

''Pison'' wasps raise their young on a diet of living, but paralysed, spiders. Spiders are collected by adult females, paralysed by means of a sting, and an egg is laid on the spider or spiders before they are sealed into a chamber constructed by the female. The paralysed spiders do not decay, and upon hatching the wasp larva eats the spider, before pupating and emerging from the chamber as an adult.

While many species construct large mud nests in sheltered situations such as caves or tree hollows, other species make use of natural cavities such as hollow plant stems, beetle burrows, or abandoned bird nests, while still others dig their own nesting tunnels. Typically, multiple spiders-and-egg cells will be placed adjacent to one another in a larger nesting structure. Each cell is sealed off from adjoining eggs with mud or dung pellets. This sealing off of the young from each other is probably done to prevent competition and ensure that each young obtains sufficient food.

Species and other subtaxa

At one time the genus ''Pison'' was divided into the subgenera '' Pison'', '' Pisonoides'', '' Krombeiniellum'', and '' Entomopison''. These were later discarded in favor of species groups including (for the Americas):

* '' Conforme''
* '' Fritzi''
* '' Eremnon''
* '' Delicatum''
* '' Agile''
* '' Stangei''
* '' Krombeini''
* ''Euryops''
* '' Cressoni''
* '' Chilense''
* '' Convexifrons''
* '' Pilosum''

Accepted species

The following species are accepted :

*†'' Pison antiquum'' Antropov and Puławski, 1996
*'' Pison argentatum'' Shuckard, 1838
*'' Pison ashmeadi'' R.Turner, 1916
*'' Pison assimile'' Sickmann, 1894
*'' Pison atripenne'' , 1938
*'' Pison atrum'' (Spinola) 1808
*'' Pison auratum'' Shuckard, 1838
*'' Pison aureosericeum'' Rohwer, 1915
*'' Pison aurifex'' F. Smith, 1869
*'' Pison auriventre'' R.Turner, 1908
*'' Pison baguione'' Tsuneki, 1983
*'' Pison barbatum'' Evans, 1981
*'' Pison basale'' F. Smith, 1869
*'' Pison biroi'' Tsuneki, 1983
*'' Pison bismarckianum'' Tsuneki, 1982
*'' Pison brasilium'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison browni'' ( Ashmead), 1905
*'' Pison cameronii'' Kohl, 1893
*'' Pison carinatum'' R.Turner, 1917
*'' Pison chilense'' Spinola, 1851
*'' Pison chrysops'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison chrysoptilum'' Antropov, 1994
*'' Pison ciliatum'' Evans, 1981
*†'' Pison cockerellae'' Rohwer, 1908
*'' Pison collare'' Kohl, 1884
*'' Pison conforme'' F. Smith, 1869
*'' Pison congener'' R.Turner, 1916
*'' Pison cressoni'' Rohwer, 1911
*'' Pison decipiens'' F. Smith, 1869
*'' Pison delicatum'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison dementia'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison denticeps'' Cameron, 1910
*'' Pison deperditum'' R.Turner, 1917
*'' Pison differens'' R.Turner, 1916
*'' Pison difficile'' Turner, 1908
*'' Pison dimidiatum'' F. Smith, 1869
*'' Pison dives'' R.Turner, 1916
*'' Pison doggonum'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison duckei'' Menke, 1968
*†'' Pison electrum'' Antropov and Puławski, 1989
*†'' Pison eocenicum'' Nel, 2005
*'' Pison erebus'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison eremnon'' Menke, 1968
*'' Pison erimaense'' Tsuneki, 1983
*'' Pison erythrocerum'' Kohl, 1885
*'' Pison erythrogastrum'' Rohwer, 1915
*'' Pison erythropus'' Kohl, 1884
*'' Pison esakii'' , 1937
*'' Pison eu'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison euryops'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison exclusum'' R.Turner, 1916
*'' Pison exornatum'' R.Turner, 1916
*'' Pison exultans'' R.Turner, 1916
*'' Pison eyvae'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison fasciatum'' ( Radoszkowski) 1876
*'' Pison fenestratum'' F. Smith, 1869
*'' Pison festivum'' F. Smith, 1869
*'' Pison fraterculus'' R.Turner, 1916
*'' Pison fritzi'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison fuscipenne'' F. Smith, 1869
*'' Pison glabrum'' Kohl, 1908
*†'' Pison glyptum'' Zhang, 1989
*'' Pison hahadzimaense'' Tsuneki, 1984
*'' Pison hissaricum'' , 1937
*'' Pison hospes'' F. Smith, 1879
*'' Pison huonense'' Tsuneki, 1983
*'' Pison icarioides'' Turner, 1908
*'' Pison ignavum'' R.Turner, 1908
*'' Pison impunctatum'' R.Turner, 1912
*'' Pison inaequale'' R.Turner, 1916
*'' Pison inconspicuum'' R.Turner, 1916
*'' Pison infumatum'' R.Turner, 1908
*'' Pison insigne'' Sickmann, 1894
*'' Pison insulare'' F. Smith, 1869
*'' Pison iridipenne'' F. Smith, 1879
*'' Pison irramulus'' T. Li and Q. Li, 2011
*'' Pison Kohlii'' Bingham, 1897
*'' Pison koreense'' ( Radoszkowski) 1887
*'' Pison korrorense'' , 1937
*'' Pison krombeini'' Menke, 1968
*'' Pison laeve'' F. Smith, 1856
*'' Pison larsoni'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison lillo'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison liupanshanense'' T. Li and Q. Li, 2011
*'' Pison lobiferum'' Arnold, 1945
*'' Pison lutescens'' R.Turner, 1916
*'' Pison maculipenne'' F. Smith, 1860
*'' Pison maculipenne'' F. Smith, 1873
*'' Pison marginatum'' F. Smith, 1856
*'' Pison mariannense'' , 1953
*'' Pison martini'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison melanocephalum'' R.Turner, 1908
*†'' Pison menkei'' Bennett and Engel, 2008
*'' Pison meridionale'' R.Turner, 1916
*'' Pison mimicum'' Arnold, 1945
*'' Pison morosum'' F. Smith, 1856
*'' Pison multistrigatum'' R.Turner, 1917
*'' Pison neotropicum'' Menke, 1968
*'' Pison nigellum'' Krombein, 1949
*'' Pison ningyuenfuense'' Antropov, 1994
*'' Pison nitidum'' F. Smith, 1859
*'' Pison noctulum'' R.Turner, 1908
*'' Pison nogorombu'' Puławski, 1989
*'' Pison nosferatu'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison novabritanicae'' Tsuneki, 1982
*'' Pison novaguineanum'' Tsuneki, 1983
*'' Pison novocaledonicum'' Krombein, 1949
*'' Pison nozakae'' Tsuneki, 1983
*'' Pison oakleyi'' Krombein, 1949
*'' Pison obesum'' Arnold, 1958
*'' Pison obliquum'' F. Smith, 1856
*'' Pison obliteratum'' F. Smith, 1858
*†'' Pison oligocenum'' Cockerell in Rohwer, 1908
*'' Pison orientale'' Cameron, 1897
*'' Pison pallidipalpe'' F. Smith, 1863
*'' Pison papuanum'' W. Schulz, 1905
*'' Pison pasteelsi'' Leclercq, 1965
*'' Pison peletieri'' , 1841
*'' Pison pentafasciatum'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison perplexum'' F. Smith, 1856
*'' Pison pertinax'' R.Turner, 1908
*''Pison petularum'' Leclercq, 1965
*'' Pison phthinylla'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison pistillum'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison plaumanni'' Menke, 1968
*'' Pison ponape'' Krombein, 1949
*'' Pison pregustum'' Leclercq, 1965
*''Pison premunitum'' Leclercq, 1965
*'' Pison priscum'' R.Turner, 1916
*'' Pison pulawskii'' Antropov, 1994
*'' Pison pulchrinum'' R.Turner, 1916
*'' Pison punctifrons'' Shuckard, 1838
*'' Pison punctulatum'' Kohl, 1884
*'' Pison regale'' F. Smith, 1852
*'' Pison repentinum'' Arnold, 1940
*'' Pison rothneyi'' Cameron, 1897
*'' Pison rufipes'' Shuckard, 1838
*'' Pison rufitarse'' Arnold, 1944
*'' Pison rugosum'' F. Smith, 1856
*'' Pison sarawakense'' Cameron, 1903
*'' Pison scabrum'' R.Turner, 1908
*'' Pison scruposum'' Arnold, 1955
*'' Pison separatum'' F. Smith, 1869
*'' Pison sericeum'' Kohl, 1888
*'' Pison seyrigi'' Arnold, 1945
*'' Pison simillimum'' F. Smith, 1869
*'' Pison simulans'' R.Turner, 1915
*'' Pison sogdianum'' , 1937
*'' Pison speculare'' R.Turner, 1911
*'' Pison spinolae'' Shuckard, 1838
*'' Pison stangei'' Menke, 1968
*'' Pison strandi'' , 1935
*'' Pison strenuum'' R.Turner, 1916
*'' Pison strictifrons'' Vachal, 1907
*'' Pison strigulosum'' R.Turner, 1917
*'' Pison susanae'' Cheesman, 1955
*'' Pison sylphe'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison tahitense'' de Saussure, 1867
*'' Pison tenebrosum'' R.Turner, 1908
*'' Pison testaceipes'' R.Turner, 1916
*'' Pison tibiale'' F. Smith, 1869
*'' Pison tosawai'' , 1935
*'' Pison transvaalense'' Cameron, 1910
*'' Pison transversistriatum'' Simon Thomas, 1993
*'' Pison trukense'' , 1953
*'' Pison ugandense'' Arnold, 1955
*'' Pison vechti'' Antropov, 1994
*'' Pison vestitum'' F. Smith, 1856
*'' Pison virosum'' R.Turner, 1908
*'' Pison wagneri'' Arnold, 1932
*'' Pison westwoodii'' Shuckard, 1838
*'' Pison woji'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pison wollastoni'' R.Turner, 1916
*'' Pison xanthopus'' ( Brullé) 1833

''Pison'' nomina nuda

The following are not officially described and have nomen nudum status:
*'' Pison aurifer'' de Saussure
*'' Pison punctatus'' Ashmead

Species previously in ''Pison''

These species have been transferred from ''Pison'' to other genera:

*'' Entomopison alini'' Antropov, 1996
*'' Pisonopsis areolatum'' Spinola, 1851
*'' Entomopison aureofaciale'' Strand, 1910
*'' Aulacophilinus caliginosus'' R.Turner, 1908
*'' Entomopison convexifrons'' Taschenberg, 1870
*'' Entomopison cooperi'' Menke, 1988
*'' Scapheutes flavopictum'' F. Smith, 1860
*'' Entomopison gnythos'' Menke, 1988
*'' Scapheutes laetum'' F. Smith, 1860
*'' Entomopison longicorne'' Menke, 1988
*'' Aulacophilinus mandibulatum'' R.Turner, 1916
*'' Trypoxylonvaripes nasutum'' Tsuneki
*'' Entomopison oaxaca'' Menke, 1988
*'' Bothynostethus paraense'' Spinola, 1851
*'' Entomopison pilosum'' F. Smith, 1873
*'' Aulacophilinus pyrrhicum'' Naumann, 1990
*'' Trypoxylon sapporoense'' Tsuneki
*'' Entomopison sphaerophallus'' Menke, 1988
*'' Pisonopsis variicornis'' Reed, 1894
*'' Entomopison vincenti'' Menke, 1988
*'' Entomopison wasbaueri'' Menke, 1988
*'' Aulacophilinus weiri'' Naumann, 1990

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4046999
Crabronidae
Hymenoptera of Australia