Pristaulacus argutus 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 : 294-296

Pristaulacus argutus SMITH , new species

( Figs 45-48)

Diagnosis:

Black; antenna black; hind leg black, fore- and midlegs orange; ovipositor sheath with a white band; antenna black. Pronotum with one anteriorly projecting tooth. Hind coxa with punctures and some cross striations.

Female:

Length, 9.5 mm; forewing length, 7.0 mm; ovipositor length, 7.5 mm. Color: Black; ovipositor sheath with white band; fore- and mid femora, tibiae, and tarsi orange. Wings hyaline, veins and stigma black; forewing with black spot under stigma and black at apex. Head: Antennal length 2.7X head width. Lower interocular distance 0.9X eye height; malar space 0.3X eye height ( Fig. 45). Head from above straight to slightly narrowing behind eyes, length behind eyes about half of eye length ( Fig. 46). Occipital carina moderate, about 0.3X diameter of an ocellus. Vertex and gena smooth, shining; frons with moderate-sized punctures, separated by flat interspaces about equal to puncture diameters; fine white pubescence, densest on lower frons, malar area, interantennal area, and clypeus ( Figs 45, 46). Mesosoma: Mesoscutum with two acute anterolateral projections Propleuron shining with few fine punctures. Pronotum with one anteriorly projecting tooth. Mesoscutum reticulate anteriorly, two transverse scrobiculate rows posteriorly; axillae and sides of mesoscutellum reticulate, center of mesoscutellum with several transverse carinae; pronotum reticulate posteriorly, more punctate anteriorly; mesopleuron, metapleuron, and propodeum reticulate ( Figs 47, 48). Hind coxa with punctures and few transverse carinae, about 2.3X longer than broad. Tarsal claws with 3 teeth and small basal lobe. Hind basitarsus subequal in length to length of remaining tarsal segments combined. Forewing with cells 1M and 1Rs separated by long vein Rs+M. Hind wing venation absent (as in Fig. 157). Metasoma: Segments 3 to apex with fine white pubescence and fine punctures. Ovipositor length 1.1X forewing length.

Male: Unknown.

Holotype: Female , labeled “ Mexico: Tamaulipas, Gomez Farias: 300 m, Los Cedros, Malaise, 31.vii.-7.viii 1999, Col. Sonia Hernandez A. ” ( USNM).

Etymology: From the Latin argutus , referring to the acute anterolateral angles of the mesonotum.

Remarks:

This species is very similar to P. ambiguus (SCHLETTERER) from southern Brazil; both are black, but the latter species has entirely black legs. Pristaulacus argutus , P. tria , P. maculata , and P. ruficollis treated here, and P. ambiguous , P. ruficeps (WESTWOOD) , P. brasiliensis (KIEFFER) , P. punctatus SMITH , P. haemorrhoidalis (WESTWOOD) , P. femurrubrum SMITH , and a number of other species from South America belong in a group that has the anterolateral angles of the mesoscutum acute (as in Figs 48, 52, 57, 62), one anteriorly projecting tooth on the pronotum, and the tarsal claws with three teeth and a basal lobe. Tamaulipas, Mexico, is the northernmost record for species of this group; the southernmost species occur in northern Argentina.