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

Aulacus aquilus Jennings & Austin, sp. nov.

Figs 4, 55.

Material examined. Holotype. ♀, Queensland: "24°59"28' S 147°53 "48' E, Mt Moffatt Nat. Pk. SQC. Marlong Arch. 820 m. 19 Nov 1995. C.J. Burwell " (QM). Paratypes. Queensland: 1♀, Bluff Range Biggenden, 10.xii.1971, H. Frauca (ANIC); 1♀, Bin Bin Range via Didcot, 4-5.xii.1974, H. Frauca (ANIC); 1♂, Barkula via Chinchilla, 4.x.1994, F.R. Wylie, J. King, M. DeBaar (ANIC); 1♂, Carnarvon National Park, Mt Moffatt Section, 500m NE The Tombs, 26.xi.1997, J. Skevington, C. Lambkin, S. Evans (QM); 1♂, Mt Coo-tha, J. & A. Skevington, 8.ix.1997 (QM); 3♂, Carnarvon National Park, Mt Moffatt Section, NE peak Mt Rugged, 30.xi.1997, J. Skevington, C. Lambkin, S. Evans (QM); 21♂, Carnarvon National Park, Mt Moffatt Section, summit Mt Moffatt, various dates and collectors (QM). South Australia: 1♂, Dingly Dell Camp, Oraparinna Creek, 7.xi.1987, I. Naumann & J. Cardale (ANIC).

Other Material examined. ? Victoria: 3♀, 2♂, no data labels (MVMA).

Description. FEMALE. Length. 6.9 mm (6.0– 8.2 mm), excluding ovipositor.

Colour. Black except legs, metasomal T1 and T2 and mandibles with variable amounts of light brown; tarsomeres 2–4 cream-white; ovipositor sheaths with cream-white band sub-apically. Wings hyaline.

Head. 1.40 (1.16–2.17) when viewed dorsally; face rugose, pubescence long; frons with pronounced lateral carina above toruli, rugose, with short pubescence; vertex and gena imbricate, pubescence short; posterior margin of head not concave in dorsal view; malar space 0.16 (0.13–0.19)× height eye; clypeus 3.7× as wide as high, punctate; distance from lateral ocellus to eye margin 1.10 (0.90–1.25)× distance between lateral ocelli (Fig. 4C); scape 1.60 (1.40–2.00)× length pedicel; first flagellomere 1.30 (1.00–1.45)× as long as scape, 0.75 (0.73–0.80)× as long as second flagellomere.

Mesosoma. Propleuron very short, rugulose, pubescence long, ventro-lateral carina present (Fig. 4E); pronotum rugose; mesoscutum in lateral view somewhat rounded antero-dorsally (Fig. 4E), antero-lateral face vertical, medial and lateral lobes rugose with long setae; admedial lines present; notauli distinct, scrobiculate, broad and deep; scutellum and axillae rugose, scutellum anteriorly with pair of deep depressions, somewhat oblique, separated by a median carina; metapostnotum scrobiculate, posterior margin slightly curved; mesopleuron rugose, with long pubescence; mesepimeron broad, scrobiculate; metapleuron rugose, pubescence long; propodeum rugose, posterior margin scrobiculate; hind coxa strigate, pubescence long laterally, ovipositor guide absent (Fig. 4F); hind trochanter and 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, 3.5× length tarsomere 2; tarsomere 2, 1.1× length tarsomere 3; tarsomere 3, 1.5× length tarsomere 4; tarsomere 4, 0.75× length tarsomere 5; hind tarsal claw 0.38× length tarsomere 5 (sometimes claw worn); fore wing vein 2r-m spectral medially, 3r-m largely spectral; hind wing venation complete, R+Rs, M+Cu, Cu, r-m and 2-M spectral, 3 hamuli.

Metasoma. Ovate, 1.5× length of mesosoma (Figs 4A, B); T1 and T2 broad, dorsal surface rugulose, lateral surfaces smooth; ovipositor 5.2 (4.6–6.5 mm) mm.

MALE. Similar to female except: length more variable, 6.3–9.5 mm; hind wing with 2–4 hamuli (3% 2/2, 77% 3/3, 7% 4/4 and 13% 3/2, 2/3 or 3/4); digitus about as long as or slightly longer than basiparamere.

Etymology. The name for this species, aquilus, is from the Latin meaning 'dark coloured, swarthy, or blackish', and indicates the generally dark colour of this species.

Distribution. Aulacus aquilus is known from several localities in southeastern Queensland and a single locality Oraparinna Creek, Flinders Ranges, in South Australia. Although the five specimens in MVMA are possibly from Victoria, we cannot be certain of this, and they have not been plotted on Fig. 55.

Biology. Nothing is known of the biology of this species except for several specimens in MVMA "bred from sticks containing larvae of beetles".

Comments. Aulacus aquilus is in a group together with A. bashfordi, 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 aquilus and A. pallidicaudus both have a lateral medial carina above the toruli which is absent in the other two species. Aulacus aquilus and A. pallidicaudus can be readily separated by the sculpturing on the face (rugose in A. aquilus and rugulose-reticulate in A. pallidicaudus).