Notes on the Nests and Prey of Six Species of Pison in Australia (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)

In the course of studies on the behavior of ground-nestingSphecidae in Australia, we have occasionally made observations onspecies that make free mud nests or that accept wooden trap nests (seeKrombein, 1967, for technique). Chief among these are species of thegenus Pison, which is abundantly represented in Australia. We reporthere on six species, four of which have not previously been studied(rufipes Shuckard, westwoodi Shuckard, marginatum Smith, and aspecies near tibiale Smith). Data on two additional species (ignavumTurner and spinolae Shuckard) confirm and enlarge upon previouslypublished reports. Our specimens have been compared with identifiedmaterial in the British Museum (Natural History), including thetypes of Smith's and Turner's species. Voucher specimens have beendeposited in the Australian National Insect Collections, Canberra,and at the University of Queensland, Brisbane. Some of theseobservations were made by Evans and Matthews during the summerof I969–70, others by Evans and Hook during the summer of1979–80