Aulacus flavimanus ( Kieffer, 1911 )

Jennings, John T., Parslow, Ben A. & Austin, Andrew D., 2018, Systematics of the parasitoid wasp genus Aulacus Jurine (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea: Aulacidae) from Australia, Zootaxa 4538 (1), pp. 1-113 : 42

Aulacus flavimanus ( Kieffer, 1911)

Figs 21 , 59 .

Disaulacinus flavimanus Kieffer 1911: 224 — Kieffer 1912: 361; Hedicke 1939: 23.

Aulacus flavimanus — Crosskey 1953: 759; Smith 2002: 271; Jennings 2010 [on-line checklist].

Material examined. Holotype. ♀ "Melbourne, Victoria " "c. 7.9.[19]00" " A.J. Turner 1907–244" ( BMNH 3 a.89; NHMUK011507534). Flagellomeres 3–12 missing, metathorax glued to card, apex of right fore wing damaged, ovipositor missing.

Description. FEMALE. Length. 7.6 mm, excluding ovipositor.

Colour. Black except antenna orange-yellow, mandibles, fore and mid trochanters and femora brown, fore and mid tibiae and tarsi pale brown, hind legs dark brown, metasoma dark brown ( Figs 21A, B ). Wings hyaline, pale brown ( Figs 21A, B ).

Head. 1.3× wider than long when viewed dorsally; face rugose, pubescence long; frons with lateral carina above toruli, rugose, with a few punctures near eye margin, with short pubescence; vertex imbricate, with short pubescence; gena imbricate, with long pubescence; posterior margin of head not concave in dorsal view; occipital carina absent; malar space 0.13× height eye; clypeus 3.4× as wide as high; distance from lateral ocellus to eye margin 1.55× distance between lateral ocelli; scape 1.9× length pedicel; first flagellomere 1.07× as long as scape, 0.67× as long as second flagellomere.

Mesosoma. Propleuron rugulose dorsally, pubescence long, ventro-lateral carina present; pronotum rugose; mesoscutum in lateral view angular antero-dorsally, medial and lateral lobes rugose, with short setae, admedial lines present; notauli distinct, carinate, broad and shallow; scutellum rugose, scutellum anteriorly with pair of deep depressions, separated by a median carina; axillae, mesopleuron rugose; mesepimeron broad, scrobiculate; metapleuron rugose, with long pubescence; propodeum rugose, posterior margin scrobiculate; hind coxa strigate dorsally, imbricate laterally, pubescence long laterally, ovipositor guide absent; hind trochanter imbricate, pubescence short; hind femur imbricate, pubescence short; hind tibia imbricate, pubescence short, with scattered emergent stout setae; hind femur 0.72× length hind tibia; hind tibia with ventro-apical pecten of short robust spines; hind tarsomeres 1–4 with ventro-apical pecten of short robust spines, tarsomere 1, 3.1× length tarsomere 2; tarsomere 2, 1.3× length tarsomere 3; tarsomere 3, 2.0× length tarsomere 4; tarsomere 4, 0.5× length tarsomere 5; hind tarsal claw 0.5× length tarsomere 5; fore wing veins 2r-m and 3r-m spectral medially; hind wing venation complete, R+Rs, M+Cu, Cu, r-m and 2-M spectral, with 3 hamuli.

Metasoma. Ovate, 1.7× length of mesosoma ( Fig. 21C ); T1 and T2 broad, rugulose dorsally, smooth laterally; ovipositor and sheath largely missing.

MALE. Unknown.

Distribution. The locality of the holotype specimen is Melbourne, Victoria ( Fig. 59 ). However, we have not been able to associate any other specimens with this species.

Biology. Nothing is known of the biology of this species.

Comments. Aulacus flavimanus keys out with A. brabyi and A. flavicornis . All three species have the mesoscutum angular in lateral view, ovate metasoma, fore wing lacking apical brown spot, face rugose, and have a black head and body. Aulacus flavimanus has metasomal T1 and T2 broad, rugulose dorsally and smooth laterally, whereas the other two species have at least a few punctures on metasomal T1 and T2. For other differences, see key above.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Aulacus flavimanus (Kieffer), holotype female, (A) lateral habitus; (B) dorsal habitus; (C) lateral metasoma (Images ©The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London).

FIGURE 59. Distribution of Aulacus elegans (Kieffer), A. festivus (Kieffer), and A. flavimanus (Kieffer).