Aulacus ochreus SMITH, 2005

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 : 277-279

Aulacus ochreus SMITH

( Figs 5-10 )

Aulacus ochreus SMITH 2005: 224 , Figs 13-18 .

Diagnosis:

Yellow orange with brownish marks; forewing with apex black; head shining with large, separated punctures, strongly narrowing behind eyes; mesonotum shining with large separated punctures, without carinae; hind coxa smooth and shining.

Female:

Length, 6.0 mm; forewing length, 4.0 mm; ovipositor length, 9.0 mm. Color: Entirely yellowish with darker more brownish areas on antenna, apical halves of metasomal segments, tibiae, and dorsum of mesosoma. Wings hyaline with apex of forewing black ( Fig. 8 ); veins and stigma black. Head: Antennal length nearly 3.0X head width. Eyes in front view slightly converging below, lower intraocular distance subequal to eye height; malar space 0.2X eye height ( Fig. 5 ).

Eyes large, close to posterior margin of head in lateral view ( Fig. 7 ). Head in dorsal view, short and strongly narrowing behind eyes; length behind eyes about 0.3X eye length ( Fig. 6 ). Shining, punctate, almost glabrous with short setae arising from punctures; vertex and gena with widely scattered punctures, separated by flat shining interspaces several times diameter of a puncture; punctures denser on lower half of frons, separated by ridges or flat, shining interspaces mostly less than diameter of a puncture ( Figs 5-7 ). Mesosoma: Shining , smooth, glabrous, mostly punctate with short setae arising from punctures. Propleuron shining, small punctures posteriorly. Mesoscutum rounded anteriorly, with punctures separated by flat, shining interspaces equal to or about 2X puncture diameter on mesoscutal middle lobe, less dense and separated by several times puncture diameter on lateral lobes, dense and separated by about diameter of a puncture on mesoscutellum; axilla almost impunctate; notauli distinct and meeting posteriorly before reaching transscutal articulation ( Fig. 9 ). Pronotum with lower half almost impunctate, upper half with scattered punctures and strigate at center; mesepisternum, metapleuron, and propodeum evenly closely punctate with punctures separated by shining interspaces ( Fig. 10 ). Hind coxa shining, without sculpture; short, about as long as broad, with indistinct ovipositor guide near apex. Hind basitarsus 1.3X longer than remaining tarsal segments combined. Forewing with veins 2r-m and 3r-m faint. Metasoma: Shining, impunctate; pubescence sparse on segments 6 to apex. Ovipositor about 2.2X length of forewing.

Male: Unknown.

Holotype: Female , labeled “ Colombia, Magdalena PNN Tayroma Giaraca, 11 20'N, 72 2'W, 5 m, Malaise, 2/22/01 – 3/5/01, R. Henriquez, leg, M.1350” ( HUM).

Specimens examined: Two female paratypes in addition to holotype. COLOMBIA: Magdalena PNN Tayroma Neguanje , 11 20"N, 72 2'W, 10 m, Malaise, 3/21/91 – 4/5/91, R. Henriquez, leg, M. 1482 ( HUM). COSTA RICA: S. Rosa Park, Guan., 12 May 78, D. H. Janzen, Dry Hill ( AEI) .

Remarks:

This species and A. elongatus are the only Aulacus species with large punctures on the head and mesosoma; there is no reticulate or carinate sculpture. The two may be separated in the preceding key.

Figures

Figs 5-10: Aulacus ochreus. 5 Head, dorsal. 6 Head, front. 7 Head, lateral. 8 Forewing. 9 Mesosoma, dorsal. 10 Mesosoma, lateral.

Figs 11-13. Aulacus fascius. 11Xead, front. 12Xead, dorsal. 13 Mesosoma, dorsal.

Figs 14-17: Aulacus veracruz. 14 Head, front. 15 Head, dorsal. 16 Mesosoma, lateral. 17 Mesosoma, dorsal.

Figs 18-21: Aulacus costaricensis. 18 Head, front. 19 Head, dorsal. 20 Mesosoma, lateral. 21 Mesosoma dorsal.