Pristaulacus maculatus (SCHLETTERER)

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 : 298-300

Pristaulacus maculatus (SCHLETTERER)

( Figs 53-58 )

Aulacus maculatus SCHLETTERER 1889: 497 , 531, t. 22, f. 144.– DALLA TORRE 1902: 1061.– KIEFFER 1902: 11.

Pristaulacus maculatus: KIEFFER 1903: 455 .– KIEFFER 1904: 10.– SMITH 2001: 288.– SMITH 2005: 238, Figs 45-50 .

Odontaulacus maculatus: KIEFFER 1912: 365 , 369.– HEDICKE 1939: 22.

Diagnosis:

Head red; mesosoma mostly black; wing with dark spot under stigma. Pronotum with one anteriorly projecting tooth. Head shining with few small punctures on frons. Hind coxa punctate.

Female:

Length, 8.0 mm; ovipositor length, 6.0 mm; forewing length 6.0 mm. Color: Antenna black, scape cark reddish. Head red with apex of mandible and palpi black. Mesosoma black with pronotum mostly reddish except anterior portion at center and upper surface of propleuron reddish. Metasoma black with venter of first segment reddish brown; ovipositor sheath black with central white band. Legs reddish brown with coxae, trochanters, extreme bases of femora, and hind tibia and hind tarsus black. Wings hyaline, extreme apex of forewing with black spot and with small, faint infuscate spot below stigma ( Fig. 56 ); veins and stigma black. Head: Antennal length about 2.7X head width. Eyes in front view subparallel, lower interocular distance about 0.3X eye height; malar space a little less than 0.3X eye height ( Fig. 53 ). In dorsal view, head broad and slightly narrowing behind eyes; length behind eyes about 0.7X eye length ( Fig. 55 ). Occipital carina very narrow, less than 0.3X diameter of an ocellus. Vertex and gena glabrous, smooth, shining, without punctures; vertex without pubescence and very sparse pubescence on gena; frons shining with small punctures separated by flat interspaces one to several times diameter of punctures; pubescence dense on frons, malar area, and clypeus ( Figs 53-55 ). Mesosoma: Propleuron shining, punctate rugose. Anterior margin of pronotum with one anteroventrally projecting tooth. Coarsely sculptured, pubescence rather sparse, densest on mesoscutal lateral lobes, scutellum, and mesepisternum. Mesonotum with short, acute, outwardly protruding anterolateral projections; mesoscutal middle lobe aerolate, with 3 or 4 irregular transverse carinae forming 4 large punctures at each side lobe; axillula more finely reticulate punctate. Pronotum with oblique scrobiculate area, anteroventrally finely reticulate punctate, dorsoposteriorly coarsely reticulate; mesepisternum finely reticulate punctate; mesepimeron scrobiculate; metapleuron and propodeum coarsely reticulate; propodeum dorsally with large punctures than laterally ( Figs 57, 58 ). Upper surface of hind coxa densely punctate, with transverse carinae on apical half; about 1.7X longer than broad; inner surface with ovipositor guide near apex. Hind basitarsus slightly longer than length of remaining tarsal segments combined. Tarsal claws with 3 teeth and small basal lobe. Forewing with cells 1M and 1Rs separated by long vein Rs+M ( Fig. 56 ). Hind wing veins absent (as in Fig. 157 ). Metasoma: Shining, impunctate; pubescence densest on distal halves of segments 4 to apex. Ovipositor length about equal to forewing length.

Male: Unknown.

Specimens examined: Records from Brazil, Colombia , Guyana , and Peru are given by Smith (2005). COSTA RICA: Prov. Heredia, F. La Selva, 3 km S. Pto. Viejo, 10°26'N, 84°01'W, 6-IV-1964, H. A. Hespenheide, on fallen branch of Pentaclethra macroloba (1 ♀, CHAH) ; same except 3-IV-94 (1 ♀, CHAH) ; same except 8-VII-1992 (1 ♀, CHAH) ; Guan. , 14 km. S. Canas, 1-11 Feb. 1990, F. D. Parker (2 ♀♀, USU) ; same except 11-31 Jan. 1990 (1 ♀, USU) ; Punta Arenas Prov., Piedras Blancas , 23, 26-VII-1981, H. V. Weems, Jr., G. B. Edwards, rain forest (1 ♀, FSCA) ; Palmar , CR49F (1 ♀, USNM) ; Limon Prov., 2 mi S. Cahuita, 24-25-XII-1988, A. S. Menke, rain forest (1 ♀, USNM) ; Guanacaste, 500 m, 9°52.096'N, 85°056'W, Reserva Privada , 2-4-IV-2005, Malaise, B. Brown et al. (1 ♀, USNM) . NICARAGUA: Rio San Juan Pr., Refugio Bartolo , 10 km ESE El. Castillo, 10° 58/59N, 84° 20/21W, 22-IV-1999, H. A. Hespenheide (9 ♀♀, CHAH) . PANAMA: Canal Zone, Barro Colorado , VIII-1924, N. Banks (1 ♀, MCZ) ; Canal Zone , 0.5 mi. S Palo Seco, 8°54'N, 79°34'W, 8-VI-1973, H. A. Hespenheide (2 ♀♀, CHAH) ; Panama Prov., Pan American Hwy. , 30 km E of Canita, 15-29 June 1992, Jean & Keve Ribardo (2 ♀♀, CAS) ; Provincia de Chiriqui, Pan-Am Hwy., Rio Tabasara , 133 m, 23-I-1987, Edward S. Ross (1 ♀, CAS) ; Las Sabanas , nr. Panama City, 3-24-1924, 2-2918, ex Trachysomus thomsoni (1 ♀, USNM) ; Orange trunk, Parita , emerged 9-20-'22, J. Zetek, Coll., Zetek No. 1787 (1 ♀, USNM) .

Types: The holotype female ( ZMUC) is labeled “ Brasilien (Amazonenstrom)” “Coary Amazonas” [handwritten, uncertain of spelling], “[?] Schletterer [?]” [handwritten, first and third words illegible], “ Coll. Wustnel. ” “ Aulacus maculatus Schletterer ,” “Type” [red], “Zool. Museum DK Copenhagen.”

Hosts: Specimens from Costa Rica were collected on a fallen branch of Pentaclethra macroloba (Willd.) Kuntze (Fabaceae) . A specimen from Panama is labeled “ex Trachysomus thomsoni ,” which probably refers to Trachysomus thomsoni Aurivillius (Cerambycidae) .

Remarks:

This is a widespread species occurring from Brazil and Peru north to Nicaragua.

Figures

Figs 53-58: Pristaulacus maculatus. 53 Head, dorsal. 54 Head, front. 55 Head, lateral. 56 Forewing. 57 Mesosoma, dorsal. 58 Mesosoma, lateral.

Figs 45-48: Pristaulacus argutus. 45 Head, front. 46 Head, dorsal. 47 Mesosoma, lateral. 48 Mesosoma, dorsal.

Figs 49-52: Pristaulacus tria. 49 Head, front (partially obscured by pin). 50 Head, dorsal. 51 Mesosoma lateral. 52 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.