Aulacus bashfordi Jennings & Parslow & Austin 2018, sp. nov.

Aulacus bashfordi Jennings & Austin, sp. nov.

Figs 8, 56.

Material examined. Holotype. ♀, “Bicheno, Tas, Tree 14, Em[erged] 17-01-1984 R. Bashford (TMAG). Left antennomeres 8 to tip missing, right antennomeres 7 to tip missing, right fore leg tarsomere 5 and claw missing, right mid tarsus missing. Paratypes. Tasmania: Geveston, 30.x.1980, emerged 16.xii.1980, R. Bashford (Host: Epithora dorsalis (Cerambycidae) (TMAG); 1♀, same data as holotype, 7.x.1982, emerged 21.xi.1983 (Host: Epithora dorsalis (Macleay) (Cerambycidae); (TMAG) (Host: Epithora dorsalis (Macleay) (Cerambycidae); 2♀, same data as holotype, emerged 3.i.1984 (TMAG); 1♂, same data as holotype, emerged 27.i.1984 (TMAG); 2♂ same data as holotype, emerged 7.ii.1984 (emerged from eucalyptus infested with Epithora dorsalis and Coptocercus rubripres (Cerambycidae) (TMAG); Christ College, University of Tasmania Campus, 42.56’ S, 147.21’ E, on wood pile, 5.II.1992 D.S. Horning (ANIC).

Description. FEMALE. Length. 10 (8.7–11.6) mm, excluding ovipositor.

Colour. Black, except scape orange, fore and mid trochanters dark orange, all femora orange, fore and mid tarsomeres 1–4 cream, all tarsomeres 5 brown, hind tibiae dark brown and first two-thirds basitarsus dark brown, apical one-third basitarsus and tarsomeres 2–4 cream, ovipositor sheaths dark brown, cream band between about 65–85% of length, ovipositor orange-brown. Wings hyaline except for brown infuscation (spot) apically on the marginal and third submarginal cells of fore wings (Fig. 8B).

Head. 1.1× wider than long when viewed dorsally; face rugose, pubescence long, dense; weak sub-antennal groove; frons without lateral medial carina above toruli, rugose, scattered short setae; vertex punctate-rugose medially, strigate-rugose posteriorly and laterally, with scattered short setae; gena strigate-rugose, a few punctures near eye margin, with scattered short setae, denser ventrally; posterior margin of head slightly concave in dorsal view; occipital carina absent; malar space 0.21× height eye; clypeus 3.35 (2.8–3.9)× as wide as high, margin sinuate, distinct medial process; distance from lateral ocellus to eye margin 0.7× distance between lateral ocelli; scape 1.76 (1.6–2.0)× length pedicel; first flagellomere 1.1 (1.06–1.2)× as long as scape, 0.55 (0.5–0.6)× as long as second flagellomere.

Mesosoma. Propleuron rugose, scattered punctures dorsally, pubescence long, ventro-lateral carina present; pronotum confused rugose dorsally, remainder rugose; mesoscutum in lateral view rounded antero-dorsally (Fig. 8C), medial and lateral lobes strigate-rugose, with scattered short setae, admedial lines present; notauli distinct, carinate, broad and shallow; scutellum strigate-rugose, with two depressions on anterior margin; axillae rugose; metapostnotum broad, carinate, posterior margin convex; mesopleuron, rugose, pubescence long; mesepimeron broad, rugose dorsally, carinate ventrally; metapleuron rugose, patch in front of spiracle smooth, long scattered setae; propodeum areolate, posterior margin broad, smooth; hind coxa strigate-rugose, scattered long setae, denser laterally, ovipositor guide absent (Fig. 8D); hind trochanter imbricate, with scattered short setae; prefemur on hind leg present; hind femur imbricate, with scattered short setae; hind tibia imbricate, pubescence short, with scattered stout emergent setae; hind femur 0.73 (0.7–0.76)× 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, 2.3 (2.2–2.4)× length tarsomere 2; tarsomere 2, 1.55 (1.4–1.7)× length tarsomere 3; tarsomere 3, 2.4 (2.1–2.7)× length tarsomere 4; tarsomere 4, 0.66 (0.62–0.7)× length tarsomere 5; hind tarsal claw 0.48 (0.3–0.6)× length tarsomere 5; fore wing veins 2r-m and 3r-m largely spectral; hind wing venation complete, M+Cu, Cu, r-m and 2-M spectral (Cu very slightly pigmented), with 2 or 3 hamuli.

Metasoma. Ovate, 1.65 (1.6–1.7)× length of mesosoma (Fig. 8A); T1 and T2 narrow, glabrous, T1 smooth, T2 imbricate, T3–T8 imbricate, short pubescence; ovipositor 10.0 (9.0–11.0) mm.

MALE. Similar to female except scape dark brown; length 11.3 (10.0–12.5) mm.

Etymology. This species is named for Richard (Dick) Bashford, forest entomologist.

Distribution. This species has been collected from several localities in Tasmania (Fig. 56).

Biology. Aulacus bashfordi has been reared from eucalyptus infested with Epithora dorsalis (Macleay) (Cerambycidae) or emerged from eucalyptus infested with Epithora dorsalis and Coptocercus rubripres (Cerambycidae).

Comments. Aulacus bashfordi is in a group together with A. aquilus, A. froggatti and A. pallidicaudis, all of which have the mesosoma rounded antero-laterally in lateral view, metasoma ovate, and lack an ovipositor guide on the hind coxae. Aulacus bashfordi and A. froggatti both lack the lateral medial carina above the toruli that is present in the other two species.

Aulacus bashfordi and A. froggatti can be separated by both sculpturing and colour differences. Aulacus bashfordi has a largely black body and rugose face whereas A. froggatti is a largely brown species and has a punctate-reticulate face (see key for additional colour differences).