Pristaulacus mexiuni 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 : 343-344

Pristaulacus mexiuni SMITH , new species

( Figs 164-168 )

Diagnosis:

Head orange; mesosoma orange in front of transscutal articulation, black behind; metasoma black. Forewing with black spot under stigma and black at apex. Head shining, strongly narrowing behind eyes. Mesoscutum with transverse carinae. Hind coxa smooth, shining. Anterior margin of pronotum with one anteriorly projecting tooth.

Female:

Length, 7.5 mm; forewing length, 6.5 mm; ovipositor length, 7.0 mm. Color: Head orange, sometimes small black spots around or anterior to ocelli on frons; mesosoma black, usually propleuron, pronotum, and mesoscutum orange, propleuron may be black or partly black and sometimes black spot on lower pronotum.Legs black with fore- and midfemora and tibiae orange, hind tarsus white. Ovipositor sheath black. Wings hyaline, veins and stigma black; forewing with black spot under stigma and black spot at apex ( Fig. 168 ). Head: Lower interocular distance subequal to eye height; malar space about 0.25X eye height ( Fig. 164 ). From above, narrowing behind eyes, length of head about 0.6X eye length ( Fig. 165 ). Occipital carina narrow, 0.2X or less diameter of an ocellus. Smooth and shining with white pubescence, pubescence densest on lower frons, lower inner orbits, and malar area. Gena and vertex impunctate ( Fig. 165 ); frons practically impunctate, few very widely scattered punctures on lower half ( Fig. 164 ). Mesosoma: Pronotum with anteriorly projecting tooth. Propleuron smooth and shining, impunctate. Mesonotum ( Fig. 167 ) shining, mostly reticulate, sculpturation more transverse on mesoscutal middle lobe and middle of mesoscutellum; pronotum ( Fig. 166 ) smooth and shining with few widely scattered punctures, more reticulate on posterior third; mesopleuron, metapleuron, and propodeum ( Fig. 166 ) reticulate with upper portion of metapleuron with small finely punctate area. Hind coxa about 3X longer than broad, smooth and shining. Tarsal claws with 5 teeth, lower tooth smallest. Hindbasitarsus slightly longer than length of remaining tarsal segments combined. Forewing with cells 1M 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 and shining; first segment long, etiolate. Ovipositor length 1.1X longer than forewing length ( Fig. 168 ).

Male: Unknown.

Types: Holotype: Female , labeled “Tex., Cameron Co., 10 mi. E. jct. hwy. 4 &1419, emerged 11-20 June 1979, R. Turnbow ” ( UGA) . Paratypes: COSTA RICA: Escazu , May 27, 1987, H. & M. Townes (1 ♀, AEI) . MEXICO: CHIHUAHUA: 6 MI. s. Villa Mtamoros , VIII-8-1967, R. C. Gardner, C. R. Kovacic, K. Lorenzen (1 ♀, UCD) . JALISCO: 14 MI. w, 7360 ft., Ojelos de Jalisco , July 7, 1972, B. & C. Dasch (3 ♀♀, AEI) ; PUEBLA: 4.4 mi. SW. Acatepec , July 9, 1981, Bogar, Schaffner, Friedlander (1 ♀, TAMU) . TAMAULIPAS: Gomez Farias: 900 m, Alta Cima, T. Malaise , 19-26.vi.1999, Col. Sonia Hernandez A. (1 ♀, USNM) , same except 29.v-5.vi.1999 (1 ♀, USNM) . UNITED STATES: ARIZONA: Onion Saddle, 7600’, Chiricahua Mts. , Cochise Co., VIII-24-1967, E. I. Schlinger, Univ. Calif. Riverside Ent. Res. Museum, UCRC ENT 88952 (1 ♀, UCRC) . TEXAS: Cameron Co., 4 mi W Boca Chica, R’d Ebony , 1-7 July 2003, J. E. Wappes (2 ♀♀, FSCA) .

Etymology: From the first syllables of Mexico and the United States, referring to the occurrence of this species in both countries; a noun in apposition.

Remarks:

Some specimens have black areas on the vertex to frons.

Figures

Figs 164-168: Pristaulacus mexiuni. 164 Head, front. 165 Head, dorsal. 166 Mesosoma, lateral. 167 Mesosoma, dorsal. 168 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.