Pristaulacus triclora 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 : 315-317

Pristaulacus triclora SMITH , new species

( Figs 98-101 )

Diagnosis:

Antenna orange. Mesosoma orange with pleura black; coxae and femora black. Forewing black with more or less three hyaline areas, at center of anterior margin basal to stigma, on anteroapical margin apical to stigma, and on posterior margin posterior to stigma. Head shining, frons punctate. Mesonotum with large closely set punctures. Hind coxa with punctures and cross striations. Pronotum without anteriorly projecting tooth.

Female:

Length, 12.0 mm; forewing length, 10.5 mm; ovipositor length, 6.5 mm. Color: Antenna orange; pedicel and first and apical flagellomeres brown. Head orange; interocellar area and apex of mandible black. Mesosoma black with propleuron, most of pronotum except anteroventral corner, mesoscutum, and mesoscutellum orange. Legs with coxae and trochanters black, forefemur brown, mid- and hind femora black; tibiae and tarsi yellow. Metasoma dark orange; black spot at base of first segment. Ovipositor sheath yellow with apex black. Forewing with black and hyaline pattern; black with oval area near anterior margin basal to stigma, anterior portion of radial cell, large area on apicoventral area, and extreme posterior margin hyaline; Costa, subcosta and marginal radial veins orange, remaining veins black in black areas, brownish in hyaline areas. Hind wing blackish with anterior half more hyaline, veins brownish in paler areas, black in black areas. Head: Antennal length 2.2X head width. Lower interocular distance 1.1X eye height, malar apace 0.3X eye height ( Fig. 98 ). Occipital carina very narrow, less than a fifth diameter of an ocellus. Head from above rounded and narrowing behind eyes, distance behind eyes subequal to eye length. Shining with fine white pubescence. Vertex and gena with scattered fine punctures ( Fig. 99 ); frons reticulate; interantennal area and clypeus punctate ( Fig. 98 ). Mesosoma: Propleuron shining with few scattered punctures. Pronotum without anteriorly projecting tooth. Mesonotum reticulate; axillae and mesoscutellum with few large punctures, interspaces on mesoscutellum mostly wider than puncture diameters; few fine transverse carinae at center of mesoscutellum ( Fig. 101 ); mesepimeron more finely reticulate than rest of mesosoma, posterior margin scrobiculate ( Fig. 100 ). Hind coxa about 2X longer than broad, densely punctured with distinct transverse carinae; with diagonal ovipositor guide near apex on inner surface. Tarsal claws with 5 teeth and an acute basal lobe, basal lobe appearing as a sixth tooth. Tarsal claws apparently with 6 teeth, basal most tooth small, appearing as basal lobe. Hind basitarsus 1.3X longer than length of remaining tarsal segments combined. Forewing with long vein Rs+M separating cells 1M and 1Rs (as in Fig. 91 ). Hind wing with veins distinct, cells Cu and R1+Rs contiguous (as in Fig. 110 ). Metasoma: Segments 2 to apex with fine white pubescence and finely punctate. Ovipositor length 0.6X forewing length.

Male: Unknown.

Holotype: Female , labeled “ Mexico: Oaxaca, 27 mi SW Salina Cruz, VII-14-1987, R. Wharton ” ( TAMU).

Etymology: From the Latin tri (three) and clora (clear), referring to the three yellowish to hyaline spots on the forewing.

Remarks:

The maculation of the forewing, shining head with the reticulate frons, and reticulate mesoscutum are distinctive for this species.

Figures

Figs 98-101: Pristaulacus triclora. 98 Head, front. 99 Head, dorsal. 100 Mesosoma, lateral. 101 Mesosoma, dorsal.

Figs 87-92: Pristaulacus torridus. 87 Head, front. 88 Head, dorsal. 89 Mesosoma, lateral. 90 Mesosoma dorsal. 91 Wings. 92 Posterior portion of mesosoma and mid- and hind coxae.

Figs 106-110: Pristaulacus unimacula. 106 Head, front. 107 Head, dorsal. 108 Mesosoma, lateral. 109 Mesosoma, dorsal. 110 Wings.