Aulacus flavicornis ( 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 : 41-42

Aulacus flavicornis ( Kieffer, 1911)

Fig. 20 .

Aulacinus flavicornis Kieffer 1911: 220 , 222.— Kieffer 1912: 349, 357; Hedicke 1939: 25.

Aulacus flavicornis: Smith 2001: 271 . comb. nov.; Jennings 2010 [on-line checklist].

Material examined. Holotype. ♀ "9.ii.[19]07, Victoria " " Australia. R. E. Turner 1907–244" ( BMNH 3 a.87; NHMUK011509575). Left pedicel to tip, right antenna, right fore leg, left hind tarsus and ovipositor sheaths missing.

Description. FEMALE. Length. 9 mm, excluding ovipositor.

Colour. Black, tarsi brown ( Figs 20A, B ). Wings hyaline ( Fig. 20A ).

Head. 1.1× wider than long when viewed dorsally; face rugose, pubescence long; frons with pronounced lateral carina above toruli, rugose, with a few radiating striations near mid ocellus, pubescence short; vertex rugulose near ocelli to imbricate posteriorly, with short pubescence; gena imbricate, with scattered short setae; posterior margin of head not concave in dorsal view; occipital carina absent; malar space 0.16× height eye; clypeus 4.0× as wide as high; distance from lateral ocellus to eye margin 0.93× distance between lateral ocelli; antennae missing.

Mesosoma. Propleuron punctate-imbricate dorsally, imbricate laterally, pubescence short, ventro-lateral carina present; pronotum rugose-areolate; mesoscutum in lateral view somewhat angular antero-dorsally, medial and lateral lobes carinate, with scattered short setae, admedial lines present; notauli distinct, scrobiculate, broad and deep; scutellum carinate, scutellum anteriorly with pair of deep depressions, separated by a median carina; axillae rugose; mesopleuron rugose-areolate; mesepimeron broad, scrobiculate; metapleuron rugose-areolate, with long pubescence; propodeum rugose-areolate, with two medial longitudinal carinae, posterior margin scrobiculate; hind coxa rugose dorsally, imbricate laterally, pubescence long, ovipositor guide medial, transverse (hidden on specimen); hind trochanter imbricate pubescence short; hind femur imbricate, pubescence short; hind tibia imbricate, pubescence short, with scattered emergent stout setae; hind femur 0.8× 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, 2.9× length tarsomere 2; tarsomere 2, 1.6× 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 vein 2r-m pale brown, 3rm pale brown in anterior half, spectral in posterior half; 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 (mis-shapen on holotype) ( Fig. 20A ); T1 and T2 broad, weakly rugulose-punctate dorsally; ovipositor 3.5 mm.

MALE. Unknown.

Distribution. The locality of the holotype specimen is unknown, and 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 flavicornis keys out together with A. brabyi but the two species vary substantially in that the ovipositor guide is absent in A. brabyi but is medial and transverse in A. flavicornis . See also comments under A. brabyi .

Figures

FIGURE 20. Aulacus flavicornis (Kieffer), holotype female, (A) dorsal habitus; (B) lateral habitus (Images ©The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London).