Aulacus festivus ( Kieffer, 1911 )

Jennings, John T., Parslow, Ben A. & Austin, Andrew D., 2018, Systematics of the parasitoid wasp genus Aulacus Jurine (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea: Aulacidae) from Australia, Zootaxa 4538 (1), pp. 1-113 : 39-41

Aulacus festivus ( Kieffer, 1911)

Figs 19 , 59 .

Neuraulacinus festivus Kieffer 1911: 217 , 219.— Kieffer 1912: 359, 361; Hedicke 1939: 26.

Aulacus festivus: Smith 2001: 270 , comb. nov.; Jennings 2010 [on-line checklist].

Material examined. Holotype. ♀, no data label ( BMNH, 3.a.230). Antennae (except for right scape and pedicel), hind tarsomeres 2–5, and metasoma missing.

Other Material examined. Queensland: 1♀, Bundaberg Creek, Bundaberg ( ANIC) .

Description. FEMALE. Length. 12.5 mm, excluding ovipositor.

Colour. Generally dark brown, with variable amounts of black on frons and face, pronotum, mesoscutum, metanotum, mesopleuron, mesepimeron, basally on mid and hind coxae, hind trochanter and trochantellus ( Figs 19A, B ). Wings hyaline, costal, sub-basal, first submarginal and marginal cells largely pale brown, and small amounts of brown on sub-basal and third submarginal cells.

Head. 1.28× wider than long when viewed dorsally ( Fig. 19C ); face punctulate-rugulose, pubescent; frons punctulate-rugulose, with transverse carina above toruli, pubescence short; vertex and gena weakly imbricate, pubescence short, golden; posterior margin of head not concave in dorsal view; occipital carina absent; malar space 0.24× height eye; clypeus 7.0× as wide as high; distance from lateral ocellus to eye margin 0.90 (0.84–0.95)× distance between lateral ocelli; scape 2.1 (2.0–2.2)× length pedicel; first flagellomere 1.18× as long as scape, 0.90× as long as second flagellomere.

Mesosoma. Propleuron punctulate-rugulose, pubescence long laterally, prominent ventro-lateral carina ( Fig. 19D ); pronotum rugose except rugulose near lateral margin, dorsal and ventral parts separated by carinate groove; mesoscutum in lateral view rounded antero-dorsally ( Fig. 19F ), medial and lateral lobes rugose with scattered short setae, admedial lines distinct ( Fig. 19D ), forming lamellate carinae; notauli distinct, scrobiculate, broad and deep ( Fig. 19E ); scutellum rugose anteriorly, punctate-rugulose posteriorly, scutellum anteriorly with a single large depression; axillae punctulate-rugulose; mesopleuron rugose, with short pubescence; mesepimeron broad, rugose; metapleuron rugose, with short pubescence; propodeum rugose, posterior margin scrobiculate; hind coxa strigate dorsally, pubescent; ovipositor guide medial, transverse ( Fig. 19G ); hind trochanter imbricate, pubescent; hind femur, hind tibia imbricate, pubescence short; hind femur 0.64 (0.62–0.65)× length hind tibia; hind tibia with ventro-apical pecten of short robust spines, tibial spurs about same length; hind tarsomeres 1–4 with ventro-apical pecten of short robust spines, tarsomere 1, 2.5× length tarsomere 2; tarsomere 2, 1.3× length tarsomere 3; tarsomere 3, 2.0× length tarsomere 4; tarsomere 4, 0.75× length tarsomere 5; hind tarsal claw 0.75× length tarsomere 5, with basal tooth; fore wing vein 2r-m short, not meeting 2M, vein 3r-m spectral medially; hind wing venation complete, R+Rs, M+Cu, Cu, r-m and 2-M present, with 2 hamuli.

Metasoma. Ovate, 1.6× length of mesosoma ( Figs 19A, B ); T1 and T2 smooth dorsally ( Fig. 19H ); ovipositor 14.3 mm.

MALE. Unknown.

Distribution. Although the locality of the holotype is unknown, this species is also known from Bundaberg, Queensland ( Fig. 59 ).

Biology. Nothing is known of the biology of this species.

Comments. Aulacus festivus keys out with A. deansi . Both species have a transverse ovipositor guide on the hind coxae, but the guide is somewhat distal in A. deansi compared with medial in A. festivus . As well, A. deansi is a smaller species (length 6.2 (5.6–6.6) mm, excluding ovipositor) than A. festivus (length 12.5 mm, excluding ovipositor). There are also colouration differences (see key).

The specimen from Bundaberg Creek, Queensland, is generally darker than the holotype (although this may be an artefact of the collecting or preservation technique) and is somewhat more pubescent.

Figures

FIGURE 19. Aulacus festivus (Kieffer), female, (A) dorsal habitus; (B) lateral habitus; (C) frontal head; (D) lateral head; (E) dorsal mesosoma; (F) lateral mesosoma; (G) dorsal hind coxae; (H) dorsal metasomal T1.

FIGURE 59. Distribution of Aulacus elegans (Kieffer), A. festivus (Kieffer), and A. flavimanus (Kieffer).