Pristaulacus decorus SMITH, 2008

Smith, David R., 2008, Aulacidae of the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America (Hymenoptera), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 58 (2), pp. 267-355 : 308-310

Pristaulacus decorus SMITH , new species

( Figs 77-82 )

Diagnosis:

Head black with head black between eyes; mesosoma black with pronotum orange. Forewing black with hyaline band at center basal to stigma and hyaline band near apex apical to stigma. Head long behind eyes, shining. Mesosoma with anterolateral lobes of mesonotum roundly produced; mesonotum shining, with large closely set punctures. Hind coxa smooth, shining. Pronotum with 2 anteriorly projecting teeth, dorsal on e small.

Female:

Length, 13.0 mm; forewing length 10.0 mm; ovipositor length, 6.0 mm. Color: Antenna black; scape and pedicel orange. Head orange with large black area from just behind ocelli through frons to about level of antenna.; apex of mandible black. Mesosoma black with propleuron and pronotum orange. Legs orange with hind femur and tibia dark brown; tarsi yellowish. Metasoma orange; ovipositor sheath black. Forewing with base, broad band below stigma, and apex black; stigma brownish ( Fig. 81 ). Hind wing hyaline at base, becoming black toward apex. Veins black, those in hyaline parts yellowish to brown. Head: Antennal length 2.7X head width. Lower interocular distance subequal to eye height; malar space about 0.3X eye height ( Fig. 77 ). Head from above long behind eyes, straight, length of head 1.2X eye length ( Fig. 78 ). Occipital carina very narrow, less than a fifth diameter of an ocellus. Smooth and shining, few fine punctures on frons; pubescence densest on fronts to clypeus and malar area, sparse elsewhere ( Figs 77, 78 ). Mesosoma: Pronotum with two anteriorly projecting teeth near dorsum. Propleuron smooth and shining. Mesonotum shining with large punctures, distance between most punctures more than a puncture diameter ( Fig. 80 ); pronotum with broad smooth and shining diagonal band, coarsely reticulate above and below band; mesopleuron with dorsoanterior finely punctate area, rest coarsely reticulate; metapleuron and propodeum coarsely reticulate ( Fig. 79 ). Hind coxa smooth and shining, few indistinct carinae laterally, 2.0X longer than broad; ovipositor groove on inner surface indistinct. Hind basitarsus subequal to length of remaining tarsal segments combined. Tarsal claw with 6 teeth and indistinct basal lobe; lower tooth small and near basal lobe ( Fig. 82 ). Forewing with cells 1M and 1Rs contiguous, without vein Rs+M; costal cell broad, 1.2 times broader than stigma ( Fig. 81 ). Hind wing with veins distinct, cells Cu and R1+Rs contiguous ( Fig. 81 ). Metasoma: Shining; fine white pubescence and fine punctures on segments 2 to apex. Ovipositor length about 0.6X forewing length.

lateral. 80 Mesosoma , dorsal. 81 Wings. 82 Tarsal claws.

Male: Length, 13.0 mm; forewing length, 13.0 mm. Color and structure similar to female except: Black on head ends above antennal insertions; propleuron may be black; metasoma may be black at base or almost entirely black.

Types: Holotype: Female, labeled “ 13 mi. S. Cuernavaca, Mor., Mex., VII-8-1962, D. H. Janzen, Collector” ( UCB) . Paratypes: MEXICO: GUERRERO: Mexcala , Jun 3, 1946, J. & D. Pallister (1 ♂, AMNH) ; 6 mi. e. Xochipala , July 18, 1984, Carroll, Schaffner, Friedlander (1 ♀, TAMU) ; Mexcala , VI-29-51, H. E. Evans, Collector (1 ♀, AEI) . JALISCO: Chamela Biol. Stn. , 11 July 1989, R. Brooks, C. Michener, A. Roig Alsina, #015 (1 ♀, UKAN) ; 11 mi. n. Autlan , July 6, 1984, Carroll, Schaffner, Friedlander (1 ♀, TAMU) ; Chamela Res. Sta. , 20 July 1986, M. Sanchez – M.T. (1 ♀, USU) , same data except 24 July 1986 (1 ♀, USU) ; Est. Biol. UNAM, Chamela , 5 km. SE Chamela, 13/ 14 July 1981, E. M. Fisher, collector (1 ♀, 1 ♂, CDA) . MICHOACÁN: 36.7 km NE. Areaga , 16 July 1989, R. Borks, A. Roig, #052, ex Vitex pyramidta (1 ♂, UKAN) , same data except #053, ex. Oxalis comiculata albicans (1 ♂, UKAN) . MORELOS: Same data as holotype (2 ♂♂, 1 metasoma missing, UCB) ; 6 mi. S. Temixco , VII-16-1963, F. D. Parker, L. A. Stange, Collectors (2♀♀, 1 ♂, UCD) . NAYARIT: Arroyo Santiago , nr. Jesus Maria, VII-5-55, B. Malkin, Collector (1 ♂, UCB) . OAXACA: Totolapan,B mi NW,C 300 ft., VII-6-1953, Univ. Kans. Mex.Uxpedition (1 ♀ head missing, UKAN) ; 26 km. NE. Tapanatepec , 29 June 1981, E. M. Fisher, collector (1 ♀, CDA) ; 10 km E. De Tehuantepec , 25-V-53, Ana Maria de Buen., collector (1 ♂, AEI) ; nr. Totolapan , Aug. 5, 1965, Flint & Ortiz (1 ♀, USNM) . SINALOA: Mazatlan , 5 mi. N., VII-27-72, J. & M. A. Chemsak, A. & M. Michelbacher (1 ♀, 1 ♂, UCB) ; 5 mi. N. Mazatlan, VIII-1-1973, J. Chemsak & E. G. Linsley (1 ♀, UCB) ; Mazatlan , 5 mi. N., VII-27-64, Scoparia dulcis , J. A. Chemsak, Collector (1 ♀, UCB) ; 8 mi. south Elota , VII-2-63, F. D. Parker, L. A. Stange, Collectors (1 ♀, UCD) ; Concordia , VII-4-1963, F. D. Parker, L. A. Stange, Collectors (1 ♀, UCD) ; 5 mi. N. of Mazatlan , VII-19-1972, Collector, C. H. Nelson (1 ♀, FSCA) ; Mazatlan , 10 km. S., July 9, 1963, Eric Fisher, coll. (1 ♀, LACM) ; Mazatlan , 31 July 1964, W. R. M. Mason (2♀♀, 2 ♂♂, CNC) . VERACRUZ: Cotaxtla Exp. Sta., Cotaxtla , VI-28-1962, D. H. Janzen, Collection (1 ♀, 1 ♂, UCB) , same data except VII-1-1962 (1 ♀, 1 ♂, UCB) , same data except VII-5-1962 (1 ♀, UCB) ; Anton Lizardo , 23 June 1961, L. B. Carney, #26 (3 ♀♀, 4 ♂♂, UKAN) ; 1 mi. W. Anton Lizardo, 5 ft., 23 June 1961, U. Kans. Mex. Exp. (1 ♂, UKAN) .

Etymology: From the Latin decorus , meaning beautiful, for one of the most strikingly colored aulacids of this region.

Hosts: No rearing records are indicated on labels. Some adults were taken from the following plants, apparently by sweeping: Vitex sp. (Lamiaceae) ; Oxalis corniculata L. ( Oxalidaceae ), and Scoparia dulcis L. ( Plantaginaceae ).

Remarks:

See remarks under P. punctum . This species has been collected rather frequently in Mexico.

Figures

Figs 77-82:Pristaulacus decorus. 77 Head,front.78 Head, dorsal.79 Mesosoma,