Pristaulacus postala 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 : 321-322

Pristaulacus postala SMITH , new species

( Figs 111-114 )

Diagnosis:

All orange except antennal flagellum and hind femur black. Forewing with posterior half black, anterior half paler, to hyaline. Head shining. Mesonotum densely punctate without transverse carinae. Hind coxa smooth, shining. Pronotum with one short, blunt anteriorly projecting tooth.

Female:

Length, 14.0 mm; forewing length, 10.0 mm; ovipositor length, 7.0 mm. Color: Antenna with scape and pedicel orange, flagellar segment 3-5 black, 6 orange (broken beyond 6). Head, mesosoma, and metasoma orange with lateral portion of venter of segments 2-4 or 5 blackish. Legs orange; midfemur brownish; hind femur black except extreme apex orange; hind tibia brownish yellow, apex darkest; tarsi white with apical segment black. Ovipositor sheath black with white streak on outer surface of basal third. Forewing with anterior half hyaline to yellowish, posterior half black; hind wing black, somewhat paler on anterior half; stigma and anterior veins yellowish, veins black in black portion. Head: Lower interocular distance 1.1X eye height, very slightly longer; malar space about 0.3X eye height ( Fig. 111 ). From above, head behind eyes roundly narrowing, length behind eyes about 0.9X eye length ( Fig. 112 ). Occipital carina very small, less than a fifth diameter of an ocellus. Entirely shining and practically impunctate with white pubescence; frons, interantennal area, and clypeus with very few fine scattered punctures ( Figs 111, 112 ). Mesosoma: Pronotum with one short, blunt anteriorly projecting tooth. Propleuron shining, smooth, with few fine punctures especially dorsally; rest of mesosoma shining, almost evenly reticulate with central diagonal band on pronotum and narrow posterior margin of mesopleuron somewhat scrobiculate ( Figs 113, 114 ). Hind coxa about 2.0X longer than broad, smooth and shining. Tarsal claws with 5 teeth, lower tooth smallest. Hind basitarsus about 1.3X longer than length of remaining tarsal segments combined. Forewing with very short vein Rs+M separating cells 1M and 1Rs (as in Fig. 157 ). 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 fine punctures. Ovipositor length about 0.7X forewing length.

Male: Unknown.

Holotype: Female , labeled “ 10 mi. north Holpechen Camp, Mex., IV-17-1962, L. A. Stange, Collector” ( UCD).

Etymology: From the Latin post (rear) and ala (wing), referring to the black posterior part of the forewing.

Remarks:

This is the only species I have seen that has the posterior half of the forewing black and the anterior half hyaline to yellowish.

Figures

Figs 111-114:Pristaulacus postala. 111Head,front.112Head,dorsal.113Mesosoma,lateral.114 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 106-110: Pristaulacus unimacula. 106 Head, front. 107 Head, dorsal. 108 Mesosoma, lateral. 109 Mesosoma, dorsal. 110 Wings.