Pristaulacus ruficruris 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 : 339-341

Pristaulacus ruficruris SMITH , new species

( Figs 152-157 )

Diagnosis:

Black with legs a contrasting red. Forewing with black spot below stigma and black spot at apex. Head shining, elongate behind eyes. Mesonotum densely reticulate to punctate. Hind coxa shining, with cross striations. Anterior margin of pronotum with one tooth.

Female:

Length, 9.0 mm; forewing length, 7.0 mm; ovipositor length, 9.0 mm. Color: Black with base of antennal scape, mandible except apex, clypeus and outer edge of malar space, spot at sides of first metasoma segment dark orange. Legs bright orange to brown; hind coxa may be dark brown, apical tarsal segment of tarsi black. Ovipositor sheath black. Wings hyaline; forewing with black spot under stigma and black spot at apex ( Fig. 157 ); veins and stigma black. Head: Antennal length 3.3X head width. Lower interocular distance subequal to eye height; malar space about 0.25X eye height ( Fig. 152 ). From above, head long behind eyes, straight then roundly narrowing, about subequal to slightly longer than eye length ( Fig. 153 ); in lateral aspect, eye far removed from posterior margin of head ( Fig. 154 ). Occipital carina narrow, about 0.2X diameter of an ocellus. Shining with fine white pubescence, pubescence densest on lower frons, inner orbits and malar area; gena and vertex shining, almost impunctate; lower frons, interantennal area, and clypeus finely punctate ( Figs 152-154 ). Mesosoma: Pronotum with anteriorly projecting tooth. Propleuron finely punctate. Mesosoma reticulate with center of mesoscutal middle lobe, posterior portions of mesoscutal lateral lobes and center of mesoscutellum with more transverse sculpturation; pleura and propodeum reticulate; anteroventral portion of pronotum and upper area on mesopleuron more finely punctured, narrow posterior margin of mesopleuron scrobiculate ( Figs 155, 156 ). Hind coxa about 2.4X longer than broad, shining, with transverse carinae, with diagonal ovipositor guide near apex on inner surface. Tarsal claws with 5 teeth, inner tooth small and indistinct, and indistinct basal lobe. Hind basitarsus 1.2X length of remaining tarsal segments combined. Forewing with cells 1M and 1Rs touching or separated by very short vein Rs+M ( Fig. 157 ). Hindwing veins faint to absent ( Fig. 157 ). Metasoma: Segments 2 to apex with fine white pubescence and fine punctures. Ovipositor length 1.3X forewing length.

Male: Length, 8.5 mm; forewing length, 7.0 mm. Color and structure similar to female.

Types: Holotype: Female , labeled “Tex., San Patricio Co., Welder Wildlife Refuge, em. 21-31 Oct. 1981, R. Turnbow; ex Acacia farnesiana (L.) Willd.” ( UGA) . Paratypes: MEXICO: Chis: Mirador Chicoasen, nr Tuxtia Gut., 24 Oct. 86, E. Fisher, D. Thomas (1 ♀, CDA) ; Morelos: Cuantla , IX-7-1922, C. C. Hoffman (2 ♂♂, AMNH) ; Tamps Ca. San Antonio, Ruta 101 W. Co. Victoria , 24, 26-VI-81, B. Miller, C. Porter, L. Stange, C. Porter Collection (1 ♂, FSCA) ; La Ventosa, 72 mi. E. Oax., VII-21-68, J. Doyen, Collector (1 ♀, UCB) ; Teocaltiche, Jal. , 5600’, VIII-26-1979, B. Villegas (1 ♀, UCD) [broken]. UNITED STATES: TEXAS: Same data as holotype (1 ♂, UGA) ; same data as holotype except em. 10-20 May 1980, ex Acacia rigidula Benth (1 ♂, UGA) ; Live Oak Co., 1 mi ne Three Rivers , V-8-1987, D. J. Heffern, coll. (1 ♀, CSU) ; McMullen Co., 5 mi. W Tilden , 1 May 1982, R. Turnbow (1 ♀, UGA) ; Jim Wells Co., Alice , 15-IV-1986, S. G. Wellso (1 ♀, MSU) .

Etymology: Vrom the Latin rufi (red) and cruris (leg), referring to the entirely red legs.

Host: One specimen was apparently reared from Acacia rigidula BENTH. (Fabaceae) .

Remarks:

The hind coxa of the male may be entirely orange to blackish. The black head and body with the contrasting bright orange legs, densely punctate-reticulate mesonotum, and the single tooth on the anterior margin of the pronotum are helpful in identifying P. ruficruris .

Figures

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.