Aulacus costaricensis Smith 2008, new species
Creators: name: Smith, David R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2008
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Curculionidae
Aulacus
Aulacus costaricensis

description: Aulacus costaricensis SMITH, new species   
(Figs 18-21)  
 Diagnosis:   
Entirely black, only tarsi mostly whitish; forewing apex black. Head shining, no discernable punctures; mesoscutum shining, with coarse transverse carinae which are stronger posteriorly, but few punctures. Hind coxa smooth, shining.  
 Female:   
 Length, 11.0 mm; forewing length, 9.0 mm; ovipositor length 13.0 mm. Color: Black. Tarsi mostly whitish. Wings hyaline, veins and stigma black; apex of forewing black. Ovipositor sheath with white band. Head: Antennal length 3.3X head width. Lower interocular distance subequal to eye height; malar space 0.3X eye height (Fig. 18). In dorsal view, narrowing behind eyes, about 0.6X eye length (Fig. 19). Head smooth and shining with fine white pubescence, pubescence densest in lower inner orbits and malar area; gena and vertex practically impunctate; frons punctate, punctures almost contiguous (Figs 18, 19). Mesosoma: Propleuron smooth, shining, almost impunctate. Mesoscutal middle lobe with few punctures and transverse carinae; mesoscutal lateral lobes shining, inner margins with transverse carinae; notauli meeting posteriorly anterior to transscutal articulation (Fig. 21); axillae punctate; mesoscutellum punctate with few transverse carinae at center; pronotum finely punctate with anterior margin, diagonal line, and line perpendicular to diagonal line reticulate; mesopleuron, metapleuron, and propodeum mostly reticulate with posterior margin of mesopleuron narrowly scrobiculate (Figs 20, 21). Hind coxa smooth and shining, 2.1X longer than broad; diagonal ovipositor groove at center on inner surface. Hind basitarsus 1.1X length of remaining tarsal segments combined. Metasoma: Smooth, shining, with fine white pubescence on segments 6 to apex. Ovipositor length 1.4X forewing length.   
 Male: Length, 12.5 mm; forewing length, 10.5 mm. Color and structure similar to female.   
 Types: Holotype: Female, labeled “Fca. Cafrosa, 1300 m, Est. Las Mellizas, P. Intgernac. La Amistad, Prov. Punt., Costa Rica, M. Ramirez, Jun 1991, L-S-316100, 596100” and “Costa Rica INBIO CRI000 604300” (INBio) (Fca.” = Finca). Paratype: COSTA RICA: Puntarenas: Monteverde, 18-24 July 1990, coll. G. C. Snelling (1 ♂, LACM).   
 Other specimen: Costa Rica, Prov. Puntarenas, Monte Verde area, 13-1700 m, 10°18'N, 84°48'W, 4-9.vi-1983, F. T. Hovore (1 ♀, CHAH).   
 Etymology: Named for Costa Rica, the country of collection.   
 Remarks:   
The holotype and paratype have most of the hind tarsus white. The other specimen has the hind tarsus black, and I prefer not to include it in the type series although all other features are identical to the types.
description: Published as part of Smith, David R., 2008, Aulacidae of the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America (Hymenoptera), pp. 267-355 in Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 58 (2) on pages 282-284, DOI: 10.21248/contrib.entomol.58.2.267-355, http://zenodo.org/record/5364480