Aulacus pascali Ramage & Jouault 2020, sp. nov.

Aulacus pascali sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: F0BE8DED-24F4-43C9-B7B5-EFF64670D469

Figs 1, 12A

Diagnosis

Small species (BL = 2.97 mm). Head 1.23 × as wide as long; antenna with scape 1.18 × as long as pedicel, F-I 0.86 × as long as F-II; forewing with vein 2Rs +M shorter than 2Rs, discal cell elongated and narrow, second discal cell narrow; metasoma 1.11 × as long as mesosoma.

Etymology

The specific epithet is a patronym honoring Olivier Pascal, manager of the terrestrial part of the “Our Planet Reviewed” expeditions. The species epithet is to be treated as a noun in the genitive case.

Type material

Holotype

NEW CALEDONIA • ♀; Grande Terre, Province Nord, Poindimié, Katalupaik; 20°51′14.39″ S, 165°0′49.85″ E; alt. 304 m; 18 Oct.–2 Nov. 2017; E. Poirier leg.; Malaise trap n°KAT3-MAL2; MNHN.

Description

Female holotype

MEASUREMENTS (in mm, except CI, EI and OI). BL = 3.18; HL = 0.65; HW = 0.80; EL = 0.46; EW = 0.33; OOL = 0.16; POL = 0.11; SL = 0.13; PDL = 0.11; F-I = 0.13; F-II = 0.15; FWL = 2.42; HWL = 1.43; MSL = 1.20; MSW = 0.73; MTL = 1.33; OL = 2.35; CI = 123; EI = 71; OI = 97.

COLOR. Head, mesosoma and coxae II and III, ovipositor valves black; hind legs tarsomeres, tibia III, propleuron, metasoma and ovipositor brown to dark brown; palpi, pronotum, pro-coxa, trochanter white; mandibles, scape, pedicel, femora, pro- and mesotibia, pro- and mesotarsomeres yellow; flagellomeres yellow basally, gradually becoming dark brown toward apex; wings hyaline with brown veins.

HEAD (Fig. 1 A–C). In full-face view, 1.23 × as wide as long; mandibles visible but closed [tooth number not visible]; clypeus slightly convex, with small blunt projecting tooth medially; malar space 0.58 × as long as scape, margin sinuate; antenna with 14 antennomeres, scape 1.60 × as long as wide and slightly longer than pedicel and as long as F-I, F-I slightly longer than F-II, both more than twice as long as wide; flagellum thickening toward apex, apical flagellomere longer than preceding one; subantennal groove shallow and indistinct; frons without lateral medial carina above torulus; vertex with ocelli arranged in small isosceles triangle, mid-ocellus separated from lateral ocelli by its diameter, lateral ocelli separated by twice their diameter, and by twice their diameter from eye margin; posterior margin of head slightly concave in dorsal view; occipital carina absent.

MESOSOMA (Fig. 1D). Propleuron ventrolateral carina pronounced; pronotum without angular process, covered with tiny, erect and dense pilosity; mesoscutum in lateral view slightly angular anterodorsally, notauli conspicuous, parapsidal lines present; metapostnotum narrow with posterior margin strongly curved; mesepimeron broad; propodeum straight under metasomal insertion; protrochantellus present; tibial spurs formula 1-2-2 with mid- and hind-tibial spurs equal and similar in shape; hind coxa with ovipositor guide on inner surface, somewhat distal, transverse and somewhat oblique; hind femur 0.68 × as long as hind tibia; TS 1 3.20 × as long as TS 2; TS 2 1.25 × as long as TS 3; TS 3 1.60 × as long as TS 4; TS 4 0.55 × as long as TS 5; hind tarsal claw 0.35 × as long as TS 5; tarsal claws simple.

FORE WING (Fig. 1F). Pterostigma twice as wide as costal cell; marginal cell with Rs abscissae curved; sub-marginal cell with vein 2-Rs as long as 1-Rs, vein 2-Rs+M shorter than 2-Rs; veins 2r-m and 3r-m largely nebulous; discal cell rectangular, vein 1-M and 1m-cu parallel; second discal cell elongate with vein 2m-cu ending at mid-length of 3-M vein; sub-basal cell thin, 2.6 × as wide as discal cell.

HIND WING (Fig. 1F). Venation reduced, Sc +R tubular, C and A nebulous, with 3 hamuli, second and third closer to each other.

METASOMA (Fig. 1E). Clavate, slightly longer than mesosoma; T-I about 3.00 × as long as T-II; T-II to T-VI of similar length slightly shortening toward apex.

SCULPTURE. Head shallowly and transversally strigate except around occelli and along exterior eyes margin; gena shallowly and longitudinally strigate; malar space puncticulate-reticulate; head densely puncticulate; pronotum punctate; mesoscutum and scutellum strigose-reticulate transversally; mesepisternum punctate-reticulate; mesepimeron costulate transversally; metapleuron medially punctate-reticulate; pronotal lobes and mesoscutellum smooth; metapostnotum scrobiculate; propodeum areolate-rugose under metasomal insertion, with 2 concentric ridges originating from propodeal sides and passing above metasomal insertion; pronotum, mesoscutum and mesoscutellum shallowly punctate; metasomal sparsely and shallowly puncticulate, T-I smooth and II to VI gradually shallowly-reticulate to reticulate.

PILOSITY. Tiny, erect, dense on head (including antennae and palpi), pronotum, scutum, scutellum and legs, sparse on propodeum; rest of body almost glabrous.

Distribution

It is known only from its type locality, Katalupaik (Fig. 12A).

Remarks

Aulacus pascali sp. nov. can be distinguished from A. coracinus Jennings, Austin & Stevens, 2004 by the reduced hind wing venation (R +Rs, M +Cu, Cu, r-m and 2-M absent), the pronotum white and the appendages mostly yellow, and its smaller size (3.18 mm vs 11.5 mm), from A. emineo Jennings, Austin & Stevens, 2004 by the presence of the transverse ovipositor guide on the inner surface of the hind coxa and from A. burwelli Jennings, Austin & Stevens, 2004 by its coloration (body of A. pascali sp. nov. mostly black vs body of A. burwelli black with extensive orange coloration on mesosoma and metasoma), the metasoma more clavate and its smaller size (3.18 mm vs 4.1–5.9 mm).