Pristaulacus parkeri 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 : 341-342

Pristaulacus parkeri SMITH , new species

( Figs 158-163 )

Diagnosis:

Entirely orange. Forewing with black spot under stigma and black at apex. Head shining. Mesonotum reticulate to punctate. Propleuron and hind coxa smooth, shining. Anterior margin of pronotum without tooth.

Female:

Length, 14.0 mm; forewing length, 10.0 mm; ovipositor length, 9.0 mm. Color: Orange; ovipositor sheath black. Wings lightly infuscate; forewing with dark spot under stigma and at apex; veins and stigma black ( Fig. 163 ). Head: Lower interocular distance subequal to eye height; malar space about 0.25X eye height ( Fig. 158 ). Occipital carina narrow, about 0.3X or less diameter of an ocellus. From above long and narrowing behind eyes, length behind eyes subequal to eye length ( Fig. 159 ). Shining with fine white pubescence, pubescence densest on lower inner orbits, malar area, interantennal area, and clypeus. Vertex and gena smooth and shining, impunctate ( Figs 159, 160 ); frons with small punctures about as close together as puncture diameters ( Fig. 158 ). Mesosoma: Pronotum without anteriorly projecting tooth. Propleuron shining, almost impunctate. Mesonotum ( Fig. 161 ) shining; mesoscutal middle lobe with transverse carinae, lateral lobes reticulate; axillae and mesoscutellum mostly finely reticulate to punctate; pleura and propodeum ( Fig. 162 ) almost evenly reticulate, small more punctate areas on upper portion of meso- and metapleura. Hind coxa smooth and shining. Tarsal claws with 5 teeth. Hind basitarsus subequal in length to length of remaining tarsal segments combined. Cells 1M and 1Rs of forewing almost contiguous, vein Rs+M separating them very short ( Fig. 163 ). Hind wing with veins distinct, cells Cu and R1+Rs separated by vein M (as in Fig. 104 ). Metasoma: Segments 2 to apex with fine white pubescence and fine punctures. Ovipositor about 0.9X length of forewing.

Male: Unknown.

Types: Holotype: Female , labeled “ 6 mi. south Temixco, Mor., Mex., VII-16-1963, F. D. Parker, L.A. Stange, Collectors” ( UCD) . Paratypes: MEXICO: GUERRERO: 18.2 mi. S. Iguala, VII-5-1987, 3000 ft., R. Wharton (1 ♀, TAMU) . JALISCO: Chamela Biol. Stn. , 16 July 1989, R. Brooks, C. Michener, A. Roig Alsina #054, ex Malaise trap (1 ♀, UKAN) , same except A. Roig Alsina, C. Michener, R. Brooks (1 ♀, UKAN) ; same except 11 July 1989, A. Roig Alsina, C. Michener, R. Borroks #018 (1 ♀, UKAN) ; Chamela Res. Sta. , 25 Aug. 1986, M. Sanchez – M.T. (1 ♀, USU) , same except 4 Aug. 1986 (1 ♀, USU) . MORELOS: Same data as holotype (1 ♀, UCD) ; Yautepec , VII-31-1963, F.D. Parker, L.A. Stange, Collectors (1 ♀, UCD) .

Other specimens: MEXICO: Oaxaca, 5 km N Huajapan de León , 5-X-1986, R. Miller & L. Stange (1 [metasoma missing], FSCA) .

Etymology: Named for FRANK D. PARKER, who collected the holotype and some paratypes of this species.

Remarks:

The orange color and size are similar to P. totoferrugineus . Pristaulacus parkeri has the head and hind coxae smooth and shining as opposed to the punctate frons and punctate and striate hind coxae of P. totoferrugineus .

Figures

Figs 158-163: Pristaulacus parkeri. 158 Head, front. 159 Head, dorsal. 160 Head, lateral. 161 Mesosoma, dorsal. 162 Mesosoma, lateral. 163Vorewing.

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