NOTES ON THE NESTS AND PREY OF SIX SPECIES 
OF PISON IN AUSTRALIA 
(HYMENOPTERA: SPHECIDAE) 
By Howard E. Evans, 1 Robert W. Matthews, 2 and Allan Hook 1 
In the course of studies on the behavior of ground-nesting 
Sphecidae in Australia, we have occasionally made observations on 
species that make free mud nests or that accept wooden trap nests (see 
Krombein, 1967, for technique). Chief among these are species of the 
genus Pison, which is abundantly represented in Australia. We report 
here on six species, four of which have not previously been studied 
(rufipes Shuckard, westwoodi Shuckard, marginatum Smith, and a 
species near tibiale Smith). Data on two additional species ( ignavum 
Turner and spinolae Shuckard) confirm and enlarge upon previously 
published reports. Our specimens have been compared with identi¬ 
fied material in the British Museum (Natural History), including the 
types of Smith’s and Turner’s species. Voucher specimens have been 
deposited in the Australian National Insect Collections, Canberra, 
and at the University of Queensland, Brisbane. Some of these 
observations were made by Evans and Matthews during the summer 
of 1969-70, others by Evans and Hook during the summer of 
1979-80. 
Pison rufipes Shuckard 
Nests of this species were located on three occasions near Brisbane, 
Queensland. The first two were found early in the summer (1-2 
November 1979) on roots dangling from the top of steep, overhang¬ 
ing earthen banks not far from water. The third nest was found on the 
pendant branch of a tree close to water on 9 March 1980, and was 
doubtless made by a female of a second generation. All nests were 
made of dried mud and were spindle-shaped, with the long axis 
perpendicular to the ground, and were so covered with mud on the 
outside that individual cells could not be discerned on the surface. 
The nest on a living branch presented quite a different appearance 
'Department of Zoology and Entomology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, 
Colorado 80523. 
department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602. 
Manuscript received by the editor February 12, 1981. 
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