Pristaulacus tria 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 : 296-297

Pristaulacus tria SMITH , new species

( Figs 49-52 )

Diagnosis:

Entirely black; ovipositor sheath black. Pronotum with three anteriorly projecting teeth. Hind coxa shining.

Female:

Length, 11.5 mm; forewing length 10.0 mm; ovipositor length 12.5 mm. Color: Black; foretibia and tarsus brownish. Wings hyaline except apex of forewing black; veins and stigma black. Head: Antennal length 2.5X head width. Lower interocular distance subequal to eye height; malar space 0.3X eye height ( Fig. 49 ). Occipital carina distinct, flangelike, half or more diameter of an ocellus. From above, head long behind eyes, only gradually narrowing, head behind eyes subequal to eye length ( Fig. 50 ). Gena and vertex smooth and shining, almost impunctate; frons with large scattered punctures, farther apart than several times puncture diameters; with fine white pubescence, densest and longest on malar area, interantennal area, and clypeus ( Figs 49, 50 ). Mesosoma: Mesoscutum with two acute anterolateral teeth. Mesoscutum with large, indistinct reticulations, with indistinct transverse scrobiculate area posteriorly; axilla and lateral areas of mesoscutellum reticulate, center of mesoscutellum with several transverse carinae; propleuron smooth, shiny; pronotum with three anteriorly projecting teeth, a row of diagonal carinae posteriorly, and mostly shining anteriorly; mesopleuron coarsely reticulate; metapleuron reticulate with narrow scrobiculate band posteriorly; propodeum reticulate ( Figs 51, 52 ). Hind coxa smooth, shining, 2.5X longer than broad; diagonal ovipositor groove near apex on inner surface. Tarsal claws with 3 teeth and small basal lobe. Hind basitarsus 1.6X longer than length of remaining tarsal segments combined. Forewing with cells 1M and 1Rs separated by long vein Rs+M. Hind wing with veins absent (as in Fig. 157 ). Metasoma: Segment 5 with fine white pubescence, segments 6 to apex densely pubescent. Ovipositor length about 1.3X forewing length.

Male: Unknown.

Holotype: Female , labeled “ Costa Rica: CATIE, 3 km SE Turrialba, 600 m, Cartago Prov., V-16-85, J. Chemsak ” ( UCB).

Etymology: From the Latin tria , meaning three, referring to the three anteriorly projecting teeth of the pronotum.

Remarks:

Two species from South America have three anteriorly projecting teeth on the pronotum, P. decemdentatus KIEFFER from Brazil and P. tridentatus SMITH from Colombia. Pristaulacus decemdentatus has a red head, mostly reddish legs, and a central white band on the ovipositor sheath. Pristaulacus tridentatus has the metasoma red.

Figures

Figs 49-52: Pristaulacus tria. 49 Head, front (partially obscured by pin). 50 Head, dorsal. 51 Mesosoma lateral. 52 Mesosoma, dorsal.

Figs 152-157: Pristaulacus ruficruris. 152 Head, front. 153 Head, dorsal. 154 Head and anterior mesosoma, lateral. 155 Mesosoma, dorsal. 156 Mesosoma, lateral. 157 Wings.