Aulacus maculosus 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 : 276-277

Aulacus maculosus SMITH , new species

( Figs 1-4 )

Diagnosis:

Head and mesosoma orange; legs black with tarsi white; forewing with apex and cell 2Cu black; head shining with large punctures; mesoscutum with strong transverse carinae; hind coxa smooth, shining.

Female:

Length, 9.5 mm; forewing length, 9.0 mm; ovipositor length 9.5 mm. Color: Head orange; mesosoma orange with spot on mesosternum, metapleuron, and propodeum black, mesopleuron darkened; legs black with tarsi white. Ovipositor sheath with white band near apex. Wings hyaline with apex and cell 2Cu of forewing black ( Fig. 4 ), veins and stigma black. Head: Antennal length 2.4X head width. Inner margins of eyes subparallel, upper and lower interocular distances subequal; lower interocular distance slightly less, 0.9X, eye height ( Fig. 1 ). Malar space 0.2X eye height. From above, narrowing behind eyes; distance behind eyes about 0.6X eye length ( Fig. 2 ). Shining, punctures far apart on vertex and frons, separated by flat, shining interspaces greater than puncture diameters. Gena without punctures except for indistinct row adjacent to outer orbits. Mesosoma: Propleuron smooth and shiny, with few fine punctures. Mesoscutum with coarse transverse carinae, about 10-12 on mesoscutal middle lobe; notauli meeting separately on transscutal articulation ( Fig. 3 ); axillae smooth; mesoscutellum with coarse transverse carinae; axillula with fine diagonal carinae ( Fig. 3 ). Pronotum with diagonal scrobiculate band, anteroventrally shining, posterodorsally shining with few large punctures in dorsoposterior corner; mesopleuron mostly scrobiculate dorsoposteriorly, with some large punctures anteroventrally; metapleuron mostly with large closely set punctures; propodeum with large, closely set punctures; sharp carina circles dorsal and lateral margins of metasomal insertion. Forewing with Rs+M between cells 1M and 1Rs long. Hind basitarsus about 1.2X length of remaining tarsal segments combined. Hind coxa smooth, shining, about 2.0X longer than broad, with diagonal ovipositor guide at center. Metasoma: Smooth, shining, with fine white pubescence from posterior third of segment 3 to apex, pubescence on segments 5 to apex densest. Ovipositor 1.2X forewing length.

Male: Length, 11.0 mm; forewing length, 10.0 mm. Color and structure similar to female.

Types:

Holotype: female, labeled “Est. Las Pailas, P.N. Rincon de la Vieja, Prov. Guana, Costa Rica, 800 m, 17-23 Jul 1993, K. Taylor, LN 306300_388600 #2238” and bar code label “Costa Rica INBIO CRI001 133241.” ( INBio) (“ Guana ” = Guanacaste) . Paratypes: COSTA RICA: Est. Pitilla, 700 m, 9 km S Sta. Cecilia , P.N. Guanacaste, Prov. Guan., 18 abr a 9 may 1993, C. Moraga, L-N-330200, 380200 and bar code label “ Costa Rica INBIO CRI001 357439 (1 ♂, INBio) ; Guan., 3 km SE R. Naranjo, 1-15 May 1992, F. D. Parker (1 ♀, USU) ; same data except 24-31 Mar 1992 (1 ♂, USU) .

Etymology: From the Latin, maculosus , meaning spotted, referring to the black forewing cell 2Cu.

Remarks:

The female and male are identical in color and structure except that the males are slightly larger than the females. The distinctive wing maculation is unique to this species.

Figures

Figs 1-4: Aulacus maculosus. 1Xead, front. 2Xead, dorsal. 3 Mesosoma, dorsal. 4Vorewing.