Australian Journal of
Taxonomy
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Pompilus distinctus Smith, 1868:242. Type data: type BMNH, male. Type locality: WA, Champion Bay; Froggatt, 1892:212 [cat.].
Figure 6. (a, b) Pompilus distinctus male holotype (a) dorsal view (b) head, frontal view (c, d)
female non-type (c) lateral view, right side (d) head, frontal view. Scale bars: 1mm.
Diagnosis (modified from Smith, 1868)
Length 10-15mm; colour black and orange; body moderately setose; head of female entirely orange; head of a male with vertex and disc of frons black; some males with pronotum golden; propodeum without tubercles; second metasomal segment without any apical black band.
Female
Colouration. Head orange, mesosoma black; tibiae and tarsi orange, femora black basally, orange at apex; first metasomal segment black, second metasomal segment onward orange; wings yellow-orange, with a narrow apical darkening.
Head. Head wider than long, TFD/FD= 1.2; posterior ocelli closer to each other than to the compound eye, POL: OOL = 0.86; frons with the median line reaching median ocellus; apical margin of clypeus straight; clypeus medium, clypeus length: width = 2; labrum on the same plain as clypeus slightly exposed beneath; malar space very short, almost non-existent; first flagellar segment about the same length as the second.
Mesosoma. Bears black setae; pronotum relatively short, with a median line, its posterior margin angulate; metanotum knobbed; metapostnotum suppressed; propodeum wrinkled across with a median line, without tubercules; the dorsal edge of hind tibia serrate with spines; tarsal claws dentate.
Metasoma. Metasoma polished, sparsely punctate, pygidium covered by short, abundant golden setae, metasoma 1.16x length of mesosoma.
Male
Similar to females except for differences described here: vertex and most of the frons black; hind tibiae without serration with short spines; body size slightly smaller.
Figure 6. (a, b) Pompilus distinctus male holotype (a) dorsal view (b) head, frontal view (c, d)
female non-type (c) lateral view, right side (d) head, frontal view. Scale bars: 1mm.
mentions: Cryptocheilus distinctus Evans et al. 1981:10 [prey and nest]. Elliot, 2007:21 [cat.]
Prey records: Eriophora biapicata (Koch, 1871) (Araneidae); Lycosa laeta Koch, 1877 (Lycosidae) (Evans, 1981:10)
Remarks: The original description of this species by Smith, 1868 was based on one sex only (male).
Distribution: NSW, WA. (Elliot, 2007). New records: Qld., Vic., SA
Material examined
Holotype
Type accession number: B.M. TYPE HYM. 19.156, NHMUK010577193, 68-6, The type is determined by R.Wahis in 1995, is pinned and is in fair condition, the lower right part of the right forewing is torn, and the right hind wing is broken and missing for the most part, the last tarsal segment of the right hind leg is missing, and the left antennae has some distal broken segments.