Pristaulacus ruficollis (CAMERON)

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 : 300-302

Pristaulacus ruficollis (CAMERON)

( Figs 59-62 )

Aulacus ruficollis CAMERON 1887: 423 , pl. 18, Fig. 10 .– SCHLETTERER 1889: 521.– DALLA TORRE 1902: 1062.– KIEFFER 1902: 10.– KIEFFER 1912: 371, 373.– HEDICKE 1939: 18.

Pristaulacus ruficollis: KIEFFER 1903: 455 (? Pristaulacus ).– SMITH 2001: 295.

Diagnosis:

Head black; mesosoma red anterior to transscutal articulation; forewing with only black apical spot. Pronotum with one anteriorly projecting tooth. Head with frons shining, only few small punctures. Hind coxa punctate.

Female:

Length, 10.0 mm; forewing length, 7.5 mm; ovipositor length, 8.0 mm. Color: Antenna black, scape may be dark orange. Head black; clypeus, mandible except apex, malar area all or in part dark orange. Mesosoma black with mesoscutum and most or all of pronotum red; narrow anterior margin and lower half of pronotum may be blackish; upper surface of Propleuron and spot on mesepimeron may be dark orange. Legs mostly black; fore- and midtibia and tarsus orange to dark brown. Metasoma black. Ovipositor sheath black with white band near apex. Wings hyaline, veins and stigma black; forewing with black spot under stigma and black spot at apex. Head: Antennal length 2.5X head width. Lower interocular distance subequal to eye height; malar space 0.3X eye height ( Fig. 59 ). From above head behind eyes gradually narrowing, head 0.8X eye length ( Fig. 60 ). Vertex and gena smooth and shining; frons densely punctate, most punctures at center separate by short ridges shorter or equal to puncture diameters; with fine white pubescence, densest and longest on lower frons, malar area, and clypeus ( Figs 59, 60 ). Mesosoma: Mesoscutum with acute anterolateral teeth, each slightly projecting outward toward apex; mesoscutum reticulate anteriorly, posteriorly with two transverse scrobiculate rows; axilla and lateral portions of mesoscutellum reticulate, mesoscutellum with several transverse carinae at center. Propleuron smooth, shining, with few fine punctures; pronotum with one anteriorly projecting tooth, mostly reticulate, more punctate anteriorly; mesopleuron reticulate, narrowly scrobiculate posteriorly, mesepimeron with small finely punctate area, metapleuron and propodeum reticulate ( Figs 61, 62 ). Hind coxa shining, 2.0X longer than broad, with punctures; shallow ovipositor groove near apex on inner surface. Tarsal claws with 3 teeth and small basal lobe. Hind basitarsus subequal in length to remaining tarsal segments combined. Forewing with cells 1M and 1Rs separated by long crossvein Rs+M. Hind wing veins absent (as in Fig. 157 ). Metasoma: Shiny; fine white pubescence on gastric segment 4 to apex. Ovipositor length about 1.1X forewing length.

Male: Unknown.

Type: A female from “ Guatemala, Torola 1000 feet (Champion). The specimen is at the BMNH, labeled “type” [round label], “B.M. TYPE HYM. 3.a.92”, “ Aulacus ruficollis Cam. , type, BCA ii 423d” [handwritten], “Torola, 1000 ft, Champion”, “ B.C.A. Hymen. I. Aulacus ruficollis Cam. ” The number of specimens was not given by Cameron (1887); thus, it is not known if he had more than one specimen. I designate this specimen the lectotype to ensure stability of the name .

Specimens examined: HONDURAS: Catacamus , Olancho, 30-IX-1980, R. W. Jones (1 ♀, TAMU) . MEXICO: 24 mi. N. Matias Romero, Oax., VI-24-1969, Bright & Campbell (1 ♀, CNC) .

Remarks:

Pristaulacus ruficollis is very similar in size and structure to P. maculatus . In P. ruficollis , the mesosoma is red only anterior to the transscutal articulation, the ovipositor is slightly longer than the forewing length, and there is never a dusky or dark spot below the stigma of the forewing.

Figures

Figs 59-62: Pristaulacus ruficollis. 59 Head, front. 60 Head, dorsal. 61 Mesosoma, lateral. 62 Mesosoma, dorsal.

Figs 5-10: Aulacus ochreus. 5 Head, dorsal. 6 Head, front. 7 Head, lateral. 8 Forewing. 9 Mesosoma, dorsal. 10 Mesosoma, lateral.

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.