Aulacus festivus (Kieffer, 1911)

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Neuraulacinus festivus Kieffer 1911: 217, 219.—Kieffer 1912: 359, 361; Hedicke 1939: 26.

Aulacus festivus (Kieffer)—Smith 2001: 270, comb. nov.; Jennings 2010 [on-line checklist]; Turrisi 2017: 932; Jennings et al. 2018: 39.

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Figure 31. Aulacus festivus (Kieffer), A, female, lateral habitus; B, male, lateral habitus. Scale bar = 1.00 mm.

Figure 32. Aulacus festivus (Kieffer), female, A, lateral head; B, frontal face; C, dorsal head; D, lateral mesosoma; E, dorsal mesosoma; F, ovipositor guide; G, fore wing. Scale bar = 1.00 mm.

Diagnostic description.

Aulacus festivus is one of three species with an orange and black colouration resembling the general aposematic colouration typical of other aculeate hymenoptera (e.g Vespidae).

Female. Body size (11.8–14.9) mm, ovipositor length (9.3–12.1) mm, fore wing length (9.8–11.9) mm (Fig. 31A); colouration; colouration, head and metasoma mostly orange, with variable amounts of black, mesosoma mostly black with small pvarible patches of orange on the pronotum, mesoscutum and propodeum, legs orange, oviposiotor sheath dark brown; wings faint brown tint, fore wing 1st marginal, 1st submarginal, basal cell with brown infuscation, costal cell and pterostigma yellow (Fig. 32G), hind wing veins lightly pigmented; head shape quadrate, width (1.3) × length, postocular space (0.9–1.0) × eye length in dorsal view (Fig. 32C), raised transverse carina above toruli, malar space (0.2) × height of eye (Fig. 32A); length of scape (1.5–1.9) × length of pedicel, 1st flagellomere (1.4) × length of scape, (1.0) × 2nd flagellomere; mesosoma length (1.4–1.5) × height, mesoscutum in lateral view rounded antero-dorsally (Fig. 32D); mesoscutum length (0.8) × width in dorsal view (Fig. 32E); medial lobe rugose; ovipositor guide medial, positioned obliquely (Fig. 32F); ovipositor sheath length (0.9–1.0) × fore wing length; 2-Rs+M (0.4–0.6) × 1-Rs+M, three hamuli, equidistant (Fig. 32G); metasoma pyriform,T1+T2 length (1.8–1.9) × width in dorsal view.

Males. Body size (13.8–13.9) mm, otherwise similar to females (Fig. 31B).

This species is superficially similar to A. douglasi and A. vespiformis in general appearance and distinctive infuscation of the fore wing, but can be separated by the distinctive raised transverse carina above toruli (A. vespiformis with indistinct projections), ovipositor length short, 0.9–1.0 × fore wing length (longer in A. douglasi, 1.5–1.8 × fore wing length and A. vespiformis 1.5 × fore wing length) mesosoma colouration mainly black with variable patches of orange (mesosoma colouration mainly orange with small variable patches of black in A. douglasi).

Material examined.

Holotype. AUSTRALIA – Unknown ♀, Australia (NHMUK: 013457855). Antennae (except for right scape and pedicel), hind tarsomeres 2–5, and metasoma missing (examined from photographs).

Other material examined.

AUSTRALIA – NSW • 2 ♀, 2 ♂, Cheltenham, 25.Mar.1951 (AM: K604632–K604635) • 2 ♂, Lane Cove, Sydney, various dates between 18.Feb.1945–26.Mar.1949 (AM: K604636–K604639) • 1 ♀, 2 ♂, Kariong, 12.Oct.1965, S. Neser leg., ex Hakea gibbosa logs containing Aphanasium (ANIC) • 1 ♀, Nerriga, 11.Feb.1981, S.Nesar leg., ex stem Hakea sericea with larvae Aphenasium australe (ANIC).

Figure 31. Aulacus festivus (Kieffer), A, female, lateral habitus; B, male, lateral habitus. Scale bar = 1.00 mm.

Figure 32. Aulacus festivus (Kieffer), female, A, lateral head; B, frontal face; C, dorsal head; D, lateral mesosoma; E, dorsal mesosoma; F, ovipositor guide; G, fore wing. Scale bar = 1.00 mm.

Distribution.

The collection locality of the type specimen is unknown but this species has been collected from several localities near Sydney, NSW (Fig. 91).

Biology.

Reared from both Hakea gibbosa and Hakea sericea infested with Aphanasium austral ( Cerambycidae) larvae..

Notes.

The specimen identified as A. festivus in Jennings et al. 2018 and depicted in Figs 19A–H was misidentified and is a female specimen of A. vespiformis.