Pristaulacus nigricoxae 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 : 317-319

Pristaulacus nigricoxae SMITH , new species

( Figs 102-105 )

Diagnosis:

Mesosoma with only mesonotum and pronotum orange. Legs with coxae black, rest orange. Forewing with anterior half black, posterior half paler, to hyaline. Head shining. Mesoscutum with transverse carinae. Hind coxae with punctures and cross striations. Pronotum without anteriorly projecting tooth.

Female:

Length, 10.0 mm; forewing length 10.0 mm; ovipositor length, 8.0 mm. Color. Antenna orange, pedicel and flagellar segment 3 and 4 black (broken past 4). Head orange with black spot on each side of occipital foramen. Mesosoma black; upper and lower surfaces of propleuron, pronotum except black spot on lower third, and mesonotum except black anterior margin and lateral sides of mesoscutellum orange. Legs orange with coxae black and foretrochanter brownish, mid- and hind trochanters black. Metasoma orange with apex of first segment and lateral areas of segments 3-5 blackish; ovipositor sheath orange with apex black. Forewing with anterior half black, posterior half hyaline to slightly yellowish, stigma dark orange with black at center, marginal radial vein and 2r orange, remaining veins black; hind wing almost uniformly blackish; veins and stigma black. Head: Lower interocular distance subequal to eye height; malar space about 0.3X eye height ( Fig. 102 ). Head from above straight behind eyes then narrowing posteriorly, length of head about 0.7X eye length ( Fig. 103 ). Occipital carina very narrow, less than a fifth diameter of an ocellus. Shining with fine white pubescence, pubescence denser on lower inner orbits and malar area. Vertex and gena practically impunctate ( Fig. 103 ); frons very finely reticulate ( Fig. 102 ). Mesosoma : Anterior margin of pronotum without anteriorly projecting tooth. Reticulate; propleuron shining, with few punctures laterally and dorsally; central diagonal band on pronotum and posterior margin of mesopleuron scrobiculate; mesepimeron with finer sculpture than rest of mesosoma ( Figs 104, 105 ). Hind coxa about 2.1X longer than broad, densely punctured with distinct transverse carinae; diagonal ovipositor guide near apex on inner surface. Hind basitarsus 1.4X longer than length of remaining tarsal segments combined. Tarsal claws with 5 teeth plus small basal lobe, lower tooth smallest. Forewing with cells 1M and 2RS separated by long vein Rs+M (as in Fig. 91 ). Hind wing with cells Cu and R1+Rs separated by vein M (as in Fig. 104 ). Metasoma: Segments 2 to apex with fine white pubescence and with fine punctures. Ovipositor length 0.8X forewing length.

Male: Unknown.

Types: Holotype: Female, labeled “ Mexico: Guerrero, 32 miles southeast Petatlan, July 10, 1985, Jones , Schaffner ” ( TAMU). Paratype: Est. Palo Verde, 10 m, Ref. Nac. Fauna Silv. R. L. Rodriguez, Prov. Guan., Costa Rica, U. Chavarria, May 1991, L-N-259000, 388400” “ Costa Rica, INBIO CRI000 510783” (1 ♀, INBio).

Etymology: From the Latin niger (black) and coxae, referring the black coxae, contrasting with the bright orange of the rest of the legs.

Remarks:

The paratype has the interocellar area blackish, most of the hind femur black, and more black on the metasoma with the apical half of the first segment and the entire second segment black. Also, the transverse carinae on the mesoscutum are more distinct. See remarks under P. torridus .

Figures

Figs 102-105: Pristaulacus nigricoxae. 102 Head, front. 103 Head, dorsal. 104 Mesosoma, lateral. 105 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.