Pristaulacus tenuis 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 : 324-326

Pristaulacus tenuis SMITH , new species

( Figs 120-123 )

Diagnosis:

Head yellow with black spot on vertex; mesosoma black, pronotum yellow; metasoma and legs yellow. Wings hyaline without black spots. Head shining. Mesosoma with anterolateral corners of mesonotum lobed; mesoscutal middle lobe with transverse carinae. Hind coxa shining, smooth. Pronotum without anteriorly projecting tooth.

Female: Unknown.

Male:

Length, 12.0 mm; forewing length, 8.0 mm. Color: Antenna with scape and pedicel yellow, flagellar segments 3-5 black (segments beyond 5 missing). Head yellow with large black area on vertex and frons, black at center of vertex from near occipital carina touching upper inner margin of eyes, through ocelli to center of frons. Mesosoma black with propleuron and pronotum yellow orange. Legs yellow orange with black stripe on outer surface of hind tibia. Metasoma orange. Wings hyaline without black spots; veins and stigma brownish. Head: Lower interocular distance subequal to eye height; malar space about 0.25X eye height ( Fig. 120 ). Head from above straight behind eyes then roundly narrowing, subequal to eye length ( Fig. 121 ). Occipital carina very narrow, less than a fifth diameter of an ocellus. Entirely shining with white pubescence and practically impunctate, with very few widely scattered fine punctures ( Figs 120, 121 ). Mesosoma: Pronotum without anteriorly projecting tooth. Propleuron shining, impunctate. Mesonotum shining, mostly reticulate, mesoscutal middle lobe and mesoscutellum with faint transverse sculpturation at center; anterior lobes of mesoscutum roundly protuberant ( Fig. 123 ). Pleura reticulate, posterior margin of mesopleuron narrowly scrobiculate ( Fig. 122 ). Hind coxa nearly 3.0X longer than broad, smooth and shining. Hind basitarsus about 1.3X length of remaining tarsal segments combined. Tarsal claws with 5 teeth, lower tooth smallest, and with small basal lobe. Forewing with cells 1M and 1Rs contiguous, not separated by vein Rs+M (as in Fig. 97 ); intercostal area about same width as stigma. Hind wing with veins distinct, cells Cu and R1+Rs separated by vein M (as in Fig. 104 ). Metasoma: Smooth, shining, with fine white pubescence on segments 3 to apex.

Holotype: Male , labeled “ Mexico: Guerrero, 6 miles east of Xochipala, July 13, 1985, Jones, Schaffner” ( TAMU).

Etymology: Vrom the Latin, tenuis , referring to the slender appearance of the species.

Remarks:

This species resembles the male of P. decorus , but in P. tenuis the wings are clear, the coxae are long, nearly three times longer than broad, and the mesoscutal lobes are sculptured. The intercostal area is broad as in P. decorus , but it is about equal to the width of the stigma in P. tenuis whereas it is broader than the stigma in P. decorus .

Figures

Figs 120-123:Pristaulacus tenuis. 120Head, front.121 Head, dorsal.122 Mesosoma,lateral.123 Mesosoma, dorsal.

Figs 93-97: Pristaulacus anteala. 93 Head, front. 94 Head, dorsal. 95 Mesosoma, lateral. 96 Mesosoma, dorsal. 97 Wings.

Figs 102-105: Pristaulacus nigricoxae. 102 Head, front. 103 Head, dorsal. 104 Mesosoma, lateral. 105 Mesosoma, dorsal.