Aulacus heredia 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 : 284-285

Aulacus heredia SMITH , new species

( Figs 22-25 )

Diagnosis:

Head and mesosoma orange, propleuron black; head shining without sculpture; tarsi white.

Female: Unknown.

Male:

Length, 6.0 mm; forewing length 5.0 mm. Color: Head and mesosoma orange with blackish spot behind ocelli; propleuron, coxae, hind legs except white hind tarsus; and metasomal tergites blackish. Forewing hyaline with apical margin black; stigma and veins dark orange to brown. Head: Antennal length 3.3X head width. Lower interocular distance subequal to eye height; malar space about 0.3X eye height ( Fig. 22 ). From above head long and gradually narrowing behind eyes, head behind eyes subequal to eye length ( Fig. 23 ). Vertex and frons shining, without sculpture ( Figs 22, 23 ). Mesosoma: Propleuron smooth, shining. Mesoscutum reticulate with wavy transversely directed sculpture; notauli meeting separately on transscutal articulation ( Fig. 25 ); axilla and mesoscutellum reticulate. Pronotum smooth shining except several arced carinae at center; mesopleuron with mesepisternum smooth and shining above, very coarse reticulations at center, mesosternum finely reticulate, mesepimeron with widely spaced cross carinae; metapleuron smooth and shining above, below with large, coarse reticulations; propodeum coarsely reticulate ( Figs 24, 25 ). Hind coxa smooth and shining, 2.1X longer than broad. Hind basitarsus 1.1X length of remaining tarsal segments combined. Metasoma: Smooth, shining, without pubescence.

Holotype: Male , “ Costa Rica, Prov. Heredia, 11 km ESE La Lirgen, 10 21'N, 84 03'W, 250-350 m, 3/M/16/096, 18.iv.2004, INBio-OET-transect” ( USNM).

Etymology: Named for Heredia, the province in Costa Rica where this species was collected; a noun in apposition.

Remarks:

This is a small, orange, smooth and shining species and is therefore not likely to be the male of one of the described females in this family.

Figures

Figs 22-25: Aulacus heredia. 22Xead, front. 23Xead, dorsal. 24 Mesosoma, lateral. 25 Mesosoma, dorsal.