Aulacus Jurine 1807, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Jennings, John T.
name: Parslow, Ben A.
name: Austin, Andrew D.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Aulacidae
Aulacus

description: Key to Australian Aulacus Jurine (females only)
We have not included in the key four species known only from males, viz., A. flindersbaudini Jennings, Austin & Stevens, a largely reddish brown species which is endemic to Kangaroo Island, South Australia; A. insularis sp. nov., which is readily separated from all other Australian species by the two distinctive cream bands on metasomal segments 2 and 3 (Fig. 26A); A. naumanni sp. nov., which has a colour combination different from all other Australian species (see comments below under this species), and A. vespiformis Kieffer, which has distinctive banding on the metathorax (Figs 50A, B) and anterior half of fore wing distinctively fuscous (Fig. 50A).
1 Mesoscutum in lateral view angular antero-dorsally (e.g., Fig. 18E).......................................... 2
- Mesoscutum in lateral view rounded antero-dorsally (e.g., Fig. 2E).......................................... 20
2(1) Metasoma clavate (Figs 9A, B); face punctate-reticulate; fore wing vein 2-Rs+M very long; mesothorax pale orange in the anterior half and largely dark brown in the posterior half; brown band either side of fore wing veins 1-Rs and 1-M and apically in costal cell [NSW and Queensland]................................................ A. bicolor sp. nov.
- Metasoma ovate (e.g., Figs 29A, B); other features not in combination........................................ 3
3(2) Fore wing with brown infuscation (spot) at apex (e.g., Fig. 1)............................................... 4
- Fore wing lacking brown infuscation (spot) at apex...................................................... 15
4(3) Hind wing venation incomplete, variable loss of one or more veins M+Cu, Cu, r-m and 2-M....................... 5
- Hind wing venation complete (e.g., Fig. 1).............................................................. 7
5(4) Hind tarsal claw long, 3.0× length tarsomere 5; face rugose with a few punctures medially; head and mesosoma black, metasoma orange; ovipositor guide about 2/3 rd distance along coxa, oblique (Fig. 51F) [Victoria]..... A. walkeri sp. nov.
- Hind tarsal claw short, about half length of tarsomere 5; other features not in combination......................... 6
6(5) Face rugose; head and mesosoma blackish brown, metasomal T1 and T2 orange, remainder of metasoma blackish brown (Figs 29A, B); ovipositor guide about ¾ way along coxae, oblique, distal fringe of long setae, long setae in groove [NSW]............................................................................ A. kiwarrakensis sp. nov.
- Face punctate-rugose; head and mesosoma black, metasoma orange (Figs 30A, B); ovipositor guide medial, oblique, setae on lower distal margin, lacking setae in groove [Tasmania]...................................... A. leai sp. nov.
7(4) Ovipositor guide on hind coxa transverse (e.g., Fig. 5D).................................................... 8
- Ovipositor guide on hind coxa oblique (e.g., Fig. 51F)..................................................... 9
8(7) Ovipositor guide on hind coxa distal; face rugulose-reticulate; frons without lateral medial carina above toruli; head black, meso- and metasoma orange (Figs 36A, B) [Victoria]....................................... A. neboissi sp. nov.
- Ovipositor guide on hind coxa medial; face punctate-rugose; frons with lateral medial carina above toruli; largely dark black-brown species (Figs 25A, B) [Queensland]........................................... A. hackeri sp. nov.
9(7) Ovipositor guide on hind coxa distal (e.g., Fig. 12F)...................................................... 10
- Ovipositor guide on hind coxa medial (e.g., Fig. 7F)...................................................... 14
10(9) Frons with lateral medial carina above toruli; face imbricate; head, scape, pedicel, propleuron, legs and metasoma orange, except for variable amounts of black on metasomal T1, mesosoma black (Figs 18A, B) [NSW and Victoria]............................................................................................. A. elegans sp. nov.
- Frons without lateral medial carina above toruli; other features not in combination.............................. 11
11(10) Face imbricate; vertex punctate (Fig. 33C); posterior margin of head distinctly concave in dorsal view (Fig. 33C); metasoma dark brown, head, scape, pedicel, flagellomere 1 and propodeum reddish brown, legs and metasoma brown (Figs 33A, B) [NSW and Queensland]....................................................... A. minutus sp. nov.
- Face other than imbricate; other features not in combination............................................... 12
12(11) Face rugulose; body length 8.1 mm, excluding ovipositor; ovipositor 5.0 mm; head and mesosoma black, metasoma largely orange, ovipositor sheaths black, ovipositor brown (Figs 45A, B) [Tasmania]................ A. smithi sp. nov.
- Face rugulose-reticulate or rugose-reticulate; other features not in combination................................ 13
13(11) Body length excluding ovipositor, 8.0 mm; ovipositor 5.3 (5.0–5.7) mm; vertex rugose-reticulate, almost strigate-reticulate (Fig. 53C); head and mesosoma black, metasomal T1 and T2 largely orange with remainin g segments blackish brown (Figs 53A, B) [NSW]............................................................... A. williamsi sp. nov.
- Body length excluding ovipositor, 6.5 mm; ovipositor 3.7 mm; vertex rugose-reticulate, punctate-reticulate near ocelli (Fig. 35C); body orange-brown [Queensland]................................................ A. nebo sp. nov.
14(9) Body length, excluding ovipositor, 9.45 (9.4–9.5) mm; ovipositor longer than body, 12.5 (12.0–13.0) mm [Victoria]...................................................................................... A. confusus sp. nov.
- Body length, excluding ovipositor, 7.5 mm; ovipositor shorter than body, 5.7 mm [Queensland].................................................................................................. A. mareebaensis sp. nov.
15(3) Face with punctures, sculpturing either punctate-rugose or punctate-reticulate................................. 16
- Face lacking punctures, sculpturing either rugose or rugulose.............................................. 17
16(15) Face punctate-rugose; antenna black except flagellomeres 4-7 cream (Figs. 43A, B), ovipositor sheath brown; metasoma 1.3× length of mesosoma, and T1 and T2 narrow, glabrous, smooth tending to imbricate with scattered, small punctures posteriorly [Queensland].............................................................. A. scitulus sp. nov.
- Face punctate-reticulate; antenna black except flagellomeres 5–7 white (Figs 37A, B); ovipositor sheath black except tip pale orange; metasoma 1.19 (1.12–1.21)× length of mesosoma, and T1 and T2 broad, several shallow and indistinct punctures antero-dorsally Tasmania, Victoria, Queensland]................................... A. obcordellus sp. nov.
17(15) Face rugulose (wrinkles fine); head, meso- and metasoma black, tibae and tarsi largely light brown; body length, excluding ovipositor, 10.5 mm [South Australia]................................................. A. moerens Westwood
- Face rugose (wrinkles coarse, e.g., Fig. 27C); body length excluding ovipositor, ≤ 9.0 mm....................... 18
18(17) Metasomal T1 and T2 rugulose dorsally, smooth laterally, lacking punctures; body length 7.6 mm, excluding ovipositor [ovipositor and sheath largely missing on holotype]; 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 (Fig. 21A) [Victoria]................................................................. A. flavimanus (Kieffer)
- Metasomal T1 and T2 with at least a few punctures; other features not in combination........................... 19
19(18) Metasomal T1 and T2 glabrous, except for a few indistinct, shallow punctures; body length 6.8 (5.8–7.3) mm, excluding ovipositor; ovipositor 2.8 (2.30–3.35) mm; ovipositor guide absent [Victoria]..................... A. brabyi sp. nov. - Metasomal T1 and T2 weakly rugulose-punctate dorsally; body length 9.0 mm, excluding ovipositor; ovipositor short, 3.5 mm; ovipositor guide medial, transverse [Victoria]........................................ A. flavicornis Kieffer
20(1) Metasoma clavate (e.g., Figs 9A, B).................................................................. 21
- Metasoma ovate (e.g., Figs 29A, B)................................................................... 38
21(20) Fore wing with brown spot at apex (see Fig. 1)........................................................ 23
- Fore wing without brown spot at apex................................................................. 33
22(21) Hind wing venation incomplete, veins M+Cu, Cu, r-m and 2-M absent....................................... 23
- Hind wing venation complete, veins M+Cu, Cu, r-m and 2-M present (e.g., Fig. 1).............................. 24
23(22) Ovipositor guide absent (Fig. 15F); ovipositor 6.3 (6.0–6.5) mm; metasoma 1.80 (1.60–1.92)× length of mesosoma; metasoma dark brown [Victoria]..................................................... A. dandenongensis sp. nov.
- Ovipositor guide medial, oblique; ovipositor very short, 3.95 mm; metasoma 1.5× length of mesosoma; metasoma dark blackish brown with pale brown band dorsally before posterior margin of T2 (Fig. 28B) [Queensland].................................................................................................. A. kittelae sp. nov.
24(22) Ovipositor guide absent; posterior margin of head not concave in dorsal view (Fig. 54C) [Queensland]................................................................................................ A. wrightae sp. nov.
- Ovipositor guide present, either transverse or oblique; posterior margin of head concave in dorsal view............. 25
25(24) Ovipositor guide transverse......................................................................... 26
- Ovipositor guide oblique........................................................................... 28
26(24) Head with lateral medial carina present above toruli (e.g., Figs 11C, 43F)..................................... 27
- Head without lateral medial carina above toruli [South Australia]........... A. belairensis Jennings, Austin & Stevens
27(25) Ovipositor guide somewhat caudad, narrow (Fig. 31G); head and mesosoma black, metasoma orange (Figs 31A, B) [Queensland, NSW, ACT, Victoria]................................................. A. longiventris (Kieffer)
- Ovipositor guide medial, broad; body orange-brown [WA]................... A. houstoni Jennings, Austin & Stevens
28(25) Occipital carina present laterally, weak (narrow) (Fig. 7D); body length excluding ovipositor 7.5 mm; ovipositor short, 3.0 mm [Queensland]................................................................ A. bamagensis sp. nov.
- Occipital carina absent; other features not in combination................................................. 29
29(28) Face with punctures............................................................................... 30
- Face without punctures............................................................................. 31
30(28) Face punctate-reticulate; frons without lateral medial carina above toruli; metasomal T2 with distinctive cream band dorso-laterally (Figs 17A, B) [Queensland]................................................. A. doddi sp. nov.
- Face punctate-rugose; frons with lateral medial carina above toruli; body yellowish-brown, including metasomal T2 (Figs 41A, B) [Queensland]................................................................. A. quickei sp. nov.
31(29) Head and mesosoma red-brown (Figs 27A, B); face rugose (Fig. 27C); ovipositor guide somewhat medial [NSW]...................................................................................... A. jamberoo sp. nov.
- Head and mesosoma largely black; other features not in combination........................................ 32
32(31) Body black except femora, tibiae and posterior metasomal T1 orange, tarsomeres predominantly white (Figs 2A, B); face rugose; ovipositor guide somewhat caudal [Queensland and NSW].......................... A. albimanus (Kieffer)
- Body black except propleuron and ventral half of pronotum orange, metasomal T1 and T2 orange, and remainder dark brown (Figs 13A, B); face rugulose; ovipositor guide medial [Queensland]........................ A. burnsi sp. nov.
33(21) Hind wing venation incomplete...................................................................... 34
- Hind wing venation complete (see Fig. 1).............................................................. 35
34(33) Ovipositor guide transverse; head and mesosoma dark brown, metasoma yellow brown [Western Australia]............................................................................ A. mcmillani Jennings, Austin & Stevens
- Ovipositor guide somewhat oblique; head and mesosoma black, metasoma orange (Figs 24A, B) [Queensland]........................................................................................... A glorious sp. nov.
35(33) Occipital carina present laterally, weak (narrow); face punctate-rugulose; mesosoma and metasoma about equal in length; ovipositor guide more or less oblique [South Australia]....................... A. grossi Jennings, Austin & Stevens
- Occipital carina absent; other features not in combination................................................. 36
36(35) Frons with lateral medial carina above toruli [Tasmania]..................................... A. simsoni sp. nov.
- Frons without lateral medial carina above toruli......................................................... 37
37(36) Face punctate-rugose (Fig. 42C); body dark brown-black [ACT, NSW, Victoria].................... A. rieki sp. nov.
- Face without punctures, rugose-reticulate; head and mesosoma black, metasoma orange except for variable amounts of black on T1 (Figs 23A, B) [NSW, Queensland]........................................ A. fuscicornis (Cameron)
38(21) Ovipositor guide absent............................................................................ 39
- Ovipositor guide present............................................................................ 42
39(38) Frons with lateral carina above toruli (e.g., Figs 11C, 43F)................................................. 40
- Frons without lateral carina above toruli............................................................... 41
40(39) Face rugulose-reticulate; head and mesothorax black, metasoma dark brown (Figs 38A, B) [NSW].............................................................................................. A. pallidicaudis (Cameron)
- Face rugose; body black except legs, and metasomal T1 and T2 with variable amounts of light brown (Figs 4A, B) [Queensland, South Australia]................................................................ A. aquilus sp. nov.
41(39) Face punctate-reticulate; head and mesosoma brown except some orange on gena, propleuron and lateral pronotum, scape, pedicel, legs and metasoma orange (Figs 22A, B) [NSW].................................... A. froggatti sp. nov.
- Face rugose; body black except scape orange, fore and mid trochanters dark orange, all femora orange, fore and mid tar- someres 1–4 cream, all tarsomeres 5 brown, hind tibiae dark brown and first two-thirds basitarsus dark brown, apical onethird basitarsus and tarsomeres 2–4 cream (Figs 8A, B) [Tasmania]........................... A. bashfordi sp. nov.
42(38) Ovipositor guide transverse......................................................................... 43
- Ovipositor guide oblique........................................................................... 45
43(42) Body entirely black (Fig. 42A); length 11.4 mm, excluding ovipositor; ovipositor 17.0 mm [NSW, Queensland]..................................................................................... A. planiceps (Szépligeti)
- Body generally dark brown or head largely orange and mesosoma black...................................... 44
44(43) Length 6.2 (5.6–6.6) mm, excluding ovipositor; ovipositor 7.6 (7.5–7.7) mm; head orange except for variable amounts of dark brown medially on frons and vertex, mesosoma black (Figs 16A, B) [Victoria]................ A. deansi sp. nov.
- Length 12.5 mm, excluding ovipositor; ovipositor long, 14.3 mm; generally dark brown, with variable amounts of black on frons and face, pronotum, mesoscutum, metanotum, mesopleuron, mesepimeron, basally on mid and hind coxae, hind trochanter and trochantellus (Figs 19A, B) [Queensland]...................................... A. festivus (Kieffer)
45(42) Ovipositor guide somewhat distal.................................................................... 46
- Ovipositor guide medial............................................................................ 48
46(45) Face rugose, punctate-rugose laterally; ovipositor guide distal (Fig. 12F); length 7.3 mm, excluding ovipositor; ovipositor 9.7 mm; head and metasoma dark brown, mesosoma black [ACT].............................. A. broadi sp. nov.
- Face lacking punctures; other features not in combination................................................. 47
47(46) Face rugulose-reticulate; head and mesosoma black, metasoma black except somites 1–3 orange, with variable amounts of black anteriorly on T1 (Figs 10A, B); metasoma 1.22 (1.15–1.26)× length of mesosoma [NSW]................................................................................................ A. boonanghiensis sp. nov.
- Face rugulose; head black, meso- and metasoma orange (Figs 6A, B); metasoma 1.3 (1.2–1.4)× length of mesosoma [Tasmania]............................................................................. A. atriceps Kieffer
48(45) Head black...................................................................................... 49
- Head orange to dark brown......................................................................... 54
49(48) Mesosoma and metasoma orange..................................................................... 50
- Mesosoma black, metasoma variable in colour, but not entirely orange....................................... 51
50(49) Face rugulose; length 9.6 mm, excluding ovipositor; ovipositor long, 10.6 mm [Queensland]...... A. umbackae sp. nov.
- Face punctate-rugose; length 8.0 mm, excluding ovipositor; ovipositor short, 6.5 mm [Tasmania]................................................................................................... A. warraensis sp. nov.
51(49) Ovipositor short, <6.0 mm.......................................................................... 52
- Ovipositor long,> 9.0 mm.......................................................................... 53
52(51) Length 7.0 mm, excluding ovipositor; ovipositor short, 5.5 mm; head 1.35× wider than long when viewed dorsally; face rugulose; metasoma predominantly dark brown, T1 and T2 paler (Fig. 48A) [Victoria].......... A. truncatus (Kieffer)
- Length 7.1 mm, excluding ovipositor; ovipositor 5.5 mm; head 1.10× wider than long when viewed dorsally; face rugose; metasoma dark brown (Fig. 46B) [Tasmania]........................................... A. tasmanicus sp. nov.
53(51) Metasoma 1.6 (1.5–1.7)× length of mesosoma; ovipositor 11.0 (10.5–11.5) mm; metasoma with T1 black, T2 orange, T3– T8 dark brown (Fig. 43B) [ACT and NSW]................................................. A. anici sp. nov.
- Metasoma 1.3× length of mesosoma; ovipositor 9.4 mm; metasoma dark brown except T2 generally paler (Fig. 5B) [Queensland]....................................................................... A. aroueti (Girault)
54(48) Large specimens, length 16.5 mm, excluding ovipositor; ovipositor 18.8 mm; head and body largely orange-red; ovipositor guide medial and oblique [Western Australia]............................. A. douglasi Jennings, Austin & Stevens
- Small specimens. length, excluding ovipositor, less than 10 mm; other features not in combination................. 55
55(54) Head dark brown, meso- and metasoma pale orange (Figs 32A, B); length 6.8 mm, excluding ovipositor; ovipositor 6.1 mm; metasoma 1.4× length of mesosoma [Victoria]........................................ A. pallidus sp. nov.
- Head and metasoma orange, mesosoma brown (Figs 47A, B); length 7.6 (6.5–8.25) mm, excluding ovipositor; ovipositor 13.6 (13–14.2) mm; metasoma 1.5× length of mesosoma [Victoria]............................. A. tiernyi sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Jennings, John T., Parslow, Ben A. & Austin, Andrew D., 2018, Systematics of the parasitoid wasp genus Aulacus Jurine (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea: Aulacidae) from Australia, pp. 1-113 in Zootaxa 4538 (1) on pages 7-10, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4538.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3771367