Pristaulacus tamaulipas 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 : 348-350

Pristaulacus tamaulipas SMITH , new species

( Figs 177-180 )

Diagnosis:

Head and most of mesosoma orange; legs orange; metasoma orange with black apex. Forewing with black spot below stigma and black at apex. Head shiny. Mesoscutum with transverse carinae. Hind coxa smooth, shining. Anterior margin of pronotum with one anteriorly projecting tooth.

Female:

Length, 9.0 mm; forewing length, 7.0 mm; ovipositor length, 7.0 mm. Color: Orange; mandible except apex, scape, frons from ocelli to clypeus, and malar area more orange yellow. Pedicel, flagellum, apex of mandible, labial palpus, first two segments of maxillary palpus, ventral surface of propleuron, mesosternum, ventral surface of forecoxa, foretrochanter, base of first metasomal segment, posterior dorsal spots on metasomal segments 1-3, metasomal segments 4 to apex, and ovipositor sheath black. Wings hyaline; forewing with spot below stigma and apex black, veins and stigma black. Head: Antennal length 3.2X head width. Lower interocular distance subequal to eye length; malar space about 0.25X eye length ( Fig. 177 ). Occipital carina narrow, less than a fifth diameter of an ocellus. From above, head narrowing behind eyes, about 0.6X eye height ( Fig. 178 ). Smooth and shining, with fine white pubescence, pubescence densest on lower inner orbits and malar area; gena, vertex, and frons smooth, shining, impunctate ( Figs 177, 178 ). Mesosoma: Pronotum with one anteriorly projecting tooth. Propleuron smooth, shining, impunctate. Mesoscutal middle lobe with 8-10 transverse carinae; mesoscutal lateral lobes reticulate, axillae reticulate, center of mesoscutellum without reticulations, finely punctate; pleura and propodeum almost evenly reticulate ( Figs 179, 180 ). Hind coxa about 3X longer than broad, smooth and shining. Tarsal claws with 4 teeth and small basal lobe. Hind basitarsus 1.2X longer than following tarsal segments combined. Forewing with cells 1M and 1Rs separated by vein Rs+M (as in Fig. 157 ). Hind wing with veins absent (as in Fig. 157 ). Metasoma: Fine white pubescence on segments 2 to apex. Ovipositor length subequal to forewing length.

Male: Unknown.

Types: Holotype: Female, labeled “ Mexico,Tamaulipas, Gomez Farias: 900 m, Alta Cima, Malaise, 17-24.vii.1999, Col. Sonia Hernandez A. ” ( USNM) . Paratypes: MEXICO: TAMAULIPAS: Same data as holotype except 7-14.viii.1999 (1 ♀, USNM) ; same data as holotype except 14-24. viii.1999 (1 ♀, USNM) .

Etymology: Named for the State of Tamaulipas where this species was collected.

Remarks:

The metapleuron is blackish in one paratype. See remarks under P. hespenheidei .

Figures

Figs 177-180: Pristaulacus tamaulipas. 177 Head, front. 178 Head, dorsal (partially obscured by mesosoma) 179 Mesosoma, lateral. 180 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.