Aulacophilinus Lomholdt, 1980

Menke, Arnold S., 2016, A Re-evaluation of the Generic Limits of Pison Jurine, and a New Species of the Genus Aulacophilinus Lomholdt (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Trypoxylini), Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 63 (11), pp. 333-340 : 334-335

Genus Aulacophilinus Lomholdt , revised status

Aulacophilinus Lomholdt, 1980 . The Natural History of Rennell Island, British Solomon Islands 8:27. Monotypic.

Aulacophilinus, Antropov, 1999 . Zoologischeskiy Zhurnal 78:562. Synonymized Aulacophilinus with Pison .

When Lomholdt described his new genus, he compared it to the Neotropical genus Aulacophilus Turner because of similar abdominal elongation, the presence of only two submarginal cells, and the absence of a carina at the top of the propodeal side. These are superficial resemblances, however, and in my opinion Aulacophilinus is more closely allied with Pison . In fact Antropov (1999) realized the true affinities of Lomholdt’s genus and synonymized it with Pison . The peculiar elongate abdominal petiole of rennellensis (Fig. 1) is approached or paralleled by several species of Pison ( woji Menke , pistillum Menke , icarioides Turner , difficile Turner ). The broad mandible common to the various species discussed here is an apomorphy that in my opinion elevates Aulacophilinus to genus. The mandible in this genus is acuminate apically, but the inner (or cutting) edge is broadly expanded in an angular fashion near its apical one-third (Figs. 3, 8). In addition, the margin of the cutting edge is narrowly polished. This smooth rim extends along the truncation and around the sharp mandibular apex (Figs. 3, 7). The ventral (posterior) edge of the mandible is fringed with very short, dense setae. Both sexes share this unique type of mandible, and I agree with Naumann (1990) that this is an apomorphy for Aulacophilinus . Another feature common to species of Aulacophilinus is a narrow labrum (Figs. 4, 8) and it may prove to be an additional apomorphy.

The species of Aulacophilinus are rather diverse morphologically. Two species, A. caliginosus and A. weiri , have two submarginal cells, the rest three; A. weiri has an omaulus on the mesopleuron and a transverse carina on the pronotal collar; two species have a crenulate ridge at the top of the propodeal side ( A. caliginosus , A. mandibulatus ); and among the included species the occipital carina varies from a complete circle to interrupted at the midventral line of the head.