Pristaulacus hespenheidei 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 : 346-348

Pristaulacus hespenheidei SMITH , new species

( Figs 173-176 )

Diagnosis:

Head and mesosoma orange with pleura and sterna black, legs orange with coxae and femora black; metasoma mostly black. Forewing with black spot below stigma and black at apex. Head smooth, shiny. Mesoscutum with transverse carinae. Hind coxa shining. Anterior margin of pronotum with one anteriorly projecting tooth.

Female:

Length, 7.0 mm; forewing length, 5.0 mm; ovipositor length, 4.5 mm. Color: Antenna black; scape and pedicel dark orange. Head and mesosoma orange with venter of propleuron, mesosternum, and lower lateral margins of propodeum black. Legs orange; coxae black, venter of forecoxa orange in one specimen; hindleg black with basal fifth of tibia and tarsus white. Metasoma with apical two-thirds of first segment and second segment mostly orange; basal third of first segment and segments 3 to apex black. Ovipositor sheath black. Head: Antennal length 1.8X head width. Lower interocular distance subequal to eye height; malar space about 0.25X eye height ( Fig. 173 ). Occipital carina narrow, less than a fifth diameter of an ocellus. From above, head narrowing behind eyes, about 0.6X eye length ( Fig. 174 ). Smooth, shining, with white pubescence, pubescence densest above antennae, on lower inner orbits, and malar area ( Fig. 173 ); gena and vertex with few, very widely scattered punctures, much farther apart than puncture diameters; frons with somewhat denser punctation than vertex ( Fig. 173 ). Mesosoma: Pronotum with anteriorly projecting tooth. Propleuron shining, finely punctate. Mesoscutal middle lobe with 6 or 7 transverse carinae; mesoscutal lateral lobes reticulate; axillae with few punctures; mesoscutellum with few transverse carinae at center Fig. 176 ); pronotum mostly reticulate, anteroventral margin finely punctate; mesopleuron reticulate with area on upper portion finely punctate; metapleuron and propodeum reticulate ( Fig. 175 ). Hind coxa about 2.7X longer than broad smooth and shining above, transverse carinae on sides and ventrally. Tarsal claws with 4 teeth, basal most tooth very small and with small basal lobe. Hind basitarsus slightly longer than length of remaining tarsal segments combined. Forewing with cells1M and 1Rs separated by short vein Rs+M (as in Fig. 157 ). Hind wing with veins faint to absent (as in Fig. 157 ). Metasoma: Smooth, shining, with fine white pubescence on segments 3 to apex. Ovipositor length about 0.9X forewing length.

Male: Unknown.

Types: Holotype: Female , labeled “México: Veracruz, Est. Biol. de Los Tuxtlas, 18°35'N, 95°05'W,” “ 25-IV-1991, H. A. Hespenheide ” ( USNM) . Paratype: UNITED STATES: ARIZONA: Prescott, VII-25-50, D.J. & J.N. Knull, Collrs (1 ♀, OSU) .

Etymology: Named for Henry Hespenheide, University of California, Los Angeles, who colleted the paratype.

Remarks:

This species and P. tamaulipas are similar. Pristaulacus hespenheidei has the coxae and hind femur black, the ovipositor length slightly shorter than the forewing length, and coarser reticulations on meso- and metapleura and propodeum than on the pronotum (compare Figs 175, 176 , 179, 180 ).

Figures

Figs 173-176: Pristaulacus hespenheidei. 173 Head, front.174 Head, dorsal.175 Mesosoma, lateral.176 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.

Figs 177-180: Pristaulacus tamaulipas. 177 Head, front. 178 Head, dorsal (partially obscured by mesosoma) 179 Mesosoma, lateral. 180 Mesosoma, dorsal.