Aulacus fascius 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 : 279-280

Aulacus fascius SMITH , new species

( Figs 11-13 )

Diagnosis:

Orange; antenna and ovipositor sheath each black with white central band; legs brown, tarsi white; forewing black at apex; head shining with shallow separated punctures; mesoscutum with prominent transverse carinae; hind coxa with some punctures and fine cross striations.

Female:

Length, 8.2 mm; forewing length 7.0 mm; ovipositor length 6.8 mm. Color: Entirely orange. Antenna and ovipositor sheath both with white band. Forewing hyaline with apical black spot, veins and stigma black. Head: Antennal length 2.6X head width. Inner margins of eyes subparallel, lower interocular distance equal eye height ( Fig. 11 ); malar space 0.3X eye height. In dorsal view, head narrowing behind eyes, about 0.6X eye length ( Fig. 12 ). Shining, with fine white pubescence; gena and vertex punctate, punctures separated by flat shining interspaces about 2X puncture diameters ( Fig. 12 ); frons with similar punctures, but punctures smaller ( Fig. 11 ). Mesosoma: Propleuron smooth, shining, impunctate, few small punctures on venter. Mesoscutal middle lobe with widely spaced transverse carinae; mesoscutal lateral lobes, axillae, and lateral portions of mesoscutellum reticulate; center of mesoscutellum with transversely directed sculpture ( Fig. 13 ); notauli meeting transscutal articulation separately ( Fig. 13 ). Pronotum shining, anteroventral third smooth, posterodorsal two-thirds reticulate; mesopleuron with upper third of mesepisternum and mesepimeron smooth, shining, lower two-thirds mesepisternum reticulate, mesosternum reticulate, lower two-thirds mesepimeron finely reticulate; metapleuron upper half smooth, shining, lower half reticulate; propodeum reticulate. Hind coxa shining, with punctures, 2X longer than broad. Hind basitarsus subequal to remaining tarsal segments combined. Metasoma: Smooth, shining, segments 4 to apex with white pubescence. Ovipositor length 1.1X forewing length.

Male: Unknown.

Holotype: Female, labeled “ Mexico: Veracruz, Est. Biol. de Los Tuxtlas , 18° 35'N, 95° 05'W, 2-V-1991, H. A. Hespenheide ( USNM).

Etymology: Vrom the Latin fascia, meaning banded, referring the white-banded antenna.

Remarks:

This is the only known species of Aulacus in this region to have both the antenna and ovipositor sheath with a central white band.

Figures

Figs 11-13. Aulacus fascius. 11Xead, front. 12Xead, dorsal. 13 Mesosoma, dorsal.