Pristaulacus punctum 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 : 306-308

Pristaulacus punctum SMITH , new species

( Figs 72-76 )

Diagnosis:

Antenna and ovipositor black; mesosoma black. Forewing black with hyaline band at center basal to stigma and hyaline band near apex apical to stigma. Head long, extended, behind eyes, shining. Mesosoma shining with closely-set punctures, without carinae. Hind coxa smooth and shining. Pronotum with two anteriorly projecting teeth, dorsal one small.

Female:

Length, 10.5 mm; forewing length 8.0 mm; ovipositor length, 5.5 mm. Color: Antenna black; scape orange. Head orange with area from anterior half or more of vertex through frons to clypeus black; apex of mandible black. Legs orange; coxae, mid- and hind femora, and hind tibia dark brown to black; tarsi yellowish. Mesosoma black. Metasoma black with orange spot at base of first tergum; ovipositor black. Forewing with base, broad band below stigma widening toward posterior margin, and apex black; two bands between black areas hyaline to slightly yellowish ( Fig. 76 ). Hind wing black at base, hyaline toward apex. Forewing stigma black, more amber on apical half; veins black, those in hyaline areas more yellowish. Head: Antennal length 2.7X head width. Lower interocular distance 1.1X eye height; malar space 0.4X eye height ( Fig. 72 ). Head from above long behind eyes, straight then gradually narrowing, 1.1X eye length ( Fig. 73 ). Occipital carina very narrow, less than a fifth diameter of an ocellus. Head smooth and shining, very fine punctures on frons, with fine white pubescence, densest on frons to clypeus and malar area ( Figs 72, 73 ). Mesosoma: Pronotum with two anteriorly projecting teeth near dorsum. Propleuron smooth and shining. Mesosoma entirely, evenly reticulate; pronotum shining anteroventrally, with diagonal scrobiculate band at center, finely reticulate dorsoposteriorly; mesepisternum shining and finely punctate on upper half, more reticulate on lower half; mesepimeron shining with scrobiculate band on posterior margin; metapleuron finely punctate on upper half, coarsely reticulate on ventral half; propodeum reticulate, smooth and shining above adjacent to metasomal insertion ( Figs 74, 75 ). Hind coxa smooth, shining, 2.2X longer than broad; shallow ovipositor groove at apex in inner surface. Hind basitarsus 1.1X length of remaining tarsal segments combined. Forewing with cells 1M and 1Rs contiguous or separated by very short vein Rs+M; costal cell broad, about 1.2X broader than stigma ( Fig. 76 ). Tarsal claws with 6 teeth. Hind wing with veins distinct, cells Cu and R1+Rs contiguous (as in Fig. 110 ). Metasoma: Shining; fine white pubescence and fine punctures on segment 2 to apex. Ovipositor length about 0.7X forewing length.

Male: Unknown.

Types: Holotype: Female , labeled “Los Almendros, P.N. Guanacaste, Prov., Costa Rica, 11-30 Jun 1993, E. Lopez, LN 334800_369800, #2267,” “Costa Rica INBIO, CRI1001 126456” ( INBio) . Paratype: COSTA RICA: S. J. Escazu, 21-26 My 1989, F. D. Parker (1 ♀, USU) .

Etymology: From the Latin punctum , referring to the punctured or pitted mesoscutum.

Remarks:

This species is close to P. decorus , and both run to the same couplet in the key. They are similar in structure, but differ by the more extensive black color in P. punctum . Also, P. punctum is known only from Costa Rica and P. decorus only from Mexico. I have not seen specimens in between, and it is possible they represent extremes of the same species.

Figures

Figs 72-76: Pristaulacus punctum. 72 Head, front. 73 Head, dorsal. 74 Mesosoma, lateral. 75 Mesosoma, dorsal. 76 Wings.

Figs 106-110: Pristaulacus unimacula. 106 Head, front. 107 Head, dorsal. 108 Mesosoma, lateral. 109 Mesosoma, dorsal. 110 Wings.