Aulacus albimanus (Kieffer, 1911)

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Aulacinus albimanus Kieffer 1911: 220, 223.—Hedicke 1939: 24.

Aulacinus albimanus albimanus Kieffer 1912: 350, 354.

Aulacus albimanus (Kieffer)—Smith 2001: 268, comb. nov.; Jennings 2010 [on-line checklist]; Turrisi 2017: 932; Jennings et al. 2018: 10.

Aulacinus albimanus var. nigriventris Kieffer 1911: 224.—Hedicke 1939: 24.

Aulacinus albimanus nigriventris Kieffer 1912: 354.

Aulacus nigriventris (Kieffer)—Smith 2001: 273; Jennings et al. 2018: 10. syn. nov.

Pammegischia aroueti Girault 1926: 136.—Hedicke 1939: 23.

Aulacus aroueti (Girault)—Smith 2001: 269; comb. nov.; Jennings 2010 [on-line checklist]; Turrisi 2017: 932; Jennings et al. 2018: 16. syn. nov.

Aulacus anici Jennings & Austin, 2018: 12—ABRS 2019 [on-line checklist]. syn. nov.

Aulacus bashfordi Jennings & Austin, 2018: 20.—ABRS 2019 [on-line checklist]. syn. nov.

Aulacus simsoni Jennings & Austin, 2018: 81.—ABRS 2019 [on-line checklist]. syn. nov.

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Figure 1. Aulacus albimanus (Kieffer), A, female, lateral habitus; B, male, lateral habitus. Scale bar = 1.00 mm.

Figure 2. Aulacus albimanus (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.

Abacus albimanus can be separated from other Australian species by the combination of characters, head and mesosoma black, ovipositor sheath with large white band sub-apically, ovipositor guide oblique, positioned distally.

Female. Body size (8.2–11.6) mm, ovipositor length (7.2–12.7) mm, fore wing length (7.5–9.5) mm (Fig. 1A); colouration black, fore and mid legs excluding coxa orange, tarsomeres cream-coloured, metafemur and metasomal T2 reddish brown with base black, hind tasomere cream-coloured execpt basal two-thirds of tarsomere one and tarsomere five and claw dark brown, ovipositor sheath dark brown with large cream-coloured band sub-apically; wings hyaline except for infuscation at apex 1st marginal and 4th submarginal cell (Fig. 2G); head shape quadrate, width (1.0–1.1) × length, postocular space (0.6) × eye length in dorsal view (Fig. 2C), raised transverse carina above toruli absent, malar space (0.2) × height of eye (Fig. 2A); length of scape (1.6–2.0) × length of pedicel, 1st flagellomere (0.6–1.2) × length of scape, (0.5–0.6) × 2nd flagellomere; mesosoma length (1.6–2.0) × height; mesoscutum in lateral view angular antero-dorsally (Fig. 2D); mesoscutum length (1.0) × width in dorsal view; medial lobe transverse carinae (Fig. 2E); ovipositor guide oblique, positioned distally (Fig. 2F); ovipositor sheath length (1.1–1.3) × fore wing length (Fig. 1A); 2-Rs+M (0.3–0.4) × 1-Rs+M, hind wing veins spectral, three hamuli, equidistant (Fig. 2G); metasoma pyriform,T1+T2 length (3.1–3.4) × width in dorsal view.

Male. Body size (10.0–12.5) mm, similar to female (Fig.1B).

Abacus albimanus is similar to A. planiceps but can be separated based on reddish-brown metafemur colouration (black in A. planiceps), and the large cream-coloured band sub-apically on ovipositor sheath (no cream-coloured band in A. planiceps).

Material examined.

Holotype. AUSTRALIA – Queensland • ♀ "Mackay, 11.93" (NHMUK: 013457848). (examined from photographs).

Other material examined.

AUSTRALIA – Queensland • 1 ♀, holotype of Aulacus aroueti, “Gympie, Qld.” (QM). (examined from photographs) • 1 ♀, Stanthorpe, 15.Oct.1926 (QDPI). – ACT • 1 ♀, holotype of Aulacus anici, “Canberra ACT, 22 Dec 1963, E.F. Riek” (ANIC) • 8 ♀♀, paratypes of Aulacus anici, Canberra ACT, 22 Dec 1963, E.F. Riek leg. (ANIC) • 1 ♂, paratype of Aulacus anici, same data, XI-XII.1964 (ANIC). – NSW • 1 ♀, paratype of Aulacus anici, Mandalong, 33.11’S 151.23’E, 11.Sep.1990, Tom Gush leg., on epiphytic plant (ANIC). – Victoria • 1 ♀, Coimadai, -37.629581, 144.481309, 11.Feb.2023, C. Brown, iNaturalist observation 148589183 – Tasmania • 1 ♀. Holotype of Aulacus bashfordi, “Bicheno, Tas, Tree 14, Em[erged] 17-01-1984 R. Bashford” (TMAG). – Tasmania • 1 ♂, paratype of Aulacus bashfordi, Geveston, 30.Oct.1980, emerged 16.Dec.1980, R. Bashford leg. (Host: Epithora dorsalis (Cerambycidae) (TMAG) • 1 ♀, paratype of Aulacus bashfordi, Bicheno, Tree 14, 7.Oct.1982, emerged 21.Nov.1983 (Host: Epithora dorsalis (Macleay) (Cerambycidae) (TMAG) • 2♀♀, paratypes of Aulacus bashfordi, Bicheno, Tree 14, emerged 3.Jan.1984 (TMAG) • 1 ♂, paratype of Aulacus bashfordi, Bicheno, Tree 14, emerged 27.Jan.1984 (TMAG) • 2 ♂♂, paratypes of Aulacus bashfordi, Bicheno, Tree 14, emerged 7.Feb.1984 (emerged from Eucalyptus infested with Epithora dorsalis and Coptocercus rubripres (Cerambycidae) (TMAG) • 1 ♀, paratype of Aulacus bashfordi Christ College, University of Tasmania Campus, 42.56’ S, 147.21’ E, on wood pile, 5.Feb.1992, D.S. Horning leg. (ANIC) • 1 ♀, holotype of Aulacus simsoni, “Tasmania, A. Simson (SAMA). – South Australia • 1 ♂, Waite Arboretum, Waite campus, University of Adelaide; NW section, 34°57.910'S, 138°37.702'E, 6.Nov.2009, R.V.Glatz leg., trunk of Eucalyptus dunnii, (CRG: 11427) • 1 ♂, Waite Arboretum, Waite Campus, University of Adelaide; NW section, 34° 57.910'S, 138° 37.702'E, 10.Nov.2009, R.V.Glatz leg., trunk of Eucalyptus dunnii, (CRG: 11426) • 1 ♂, Waite Arboretum, Waite Campus, University of Adelaide; NW section, ; NW section, 34°57.940'S,34°57.910'S, 138°37.702'E, 10.Nov.2009, R.V.Glatz leg., trunk of Corymbia tessellaris, (CRG: 11424) • 1 ♂, Waite Arboretum, Waite Campus, University of Adelaide; NW section, 34°57.910'S, 138°37.702'E, 12.Nov.2009, R.V.Glatz leg., flight near trunk of Corymbia tessellaris, (CRG: 11425) • 1 ♂, Waite Arboretum, Waite Campus, University of Adelaide; NW section, 34°57.940'S, 138°37.707'E, 07.Dec.2010, R.V.Glatz leg., trunk of Corymbia citriodora, (CRG: 11417) • 1 ♂, Waite Arboretum, Waite Campus, University of Adelaide; NW section, 34°57.940'S, 138°37.707'E, 19.Jan.2011, R.V.Glatz leg., trunk of Corymbia citriodora, (CRG: 11418) • 1 ♂, Waite Arboretum, Waite Campus, University of Adelaide; NW section, 34°57.940'S, 138°37.707'E, 10.Jan.2011, R.V.Glatz leg., trunk of Corymbia citriodora, (CRG: 11646) • 1 ♀, Waite Arboretum, Waite Campus, University of Adelaide; NW section, 34°57.888'S, 138°37.663'E, 3.Nov.2011, R.V.Glatz leg., trunk of Eucalyptus dunnii, (CRG: 11645) • 1 ♂, Waite Arboretum, Waite Campus, University of Adelaide; NW section, 34°57.897'S, 138°37.684'E, 23.Nov.2011, R.V.Glatz leg., trunk of Corymbia variegata, (CRG: 11644) • 1 ♂, Waite Arboretum, Waite Campus, University of Adelaide; NW section, 34°57.893'S, 138°37.688'E, 5.Dec.2011, R.V.Glatz leg., trunk of Corymbia tessellaris, (CRG: 11643) • 1 ♂, Waite Arboretum, Waite Campus, University of Adelaide; NW section, 34° 57.940'S, 138° 37.707'E, 16.Dec.2011, R.V.Glatz leg., trunk of Corymbia citriodora (CRG: 11423) • 1 ♀, South Australia, 18.Apr.2021, M. van Zyl leg. (SAMA).

Figure 1. Aulacus albimanus (Kieffer), A, female, lateral habitus; B, male, lateral habitus. Scale bar = 1.00 mm.

Figure 2. Aulacus albimanus (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.

This species is widely distributed along eastern Australia, from Mackay, Queensland, through NSW, ACT, Tasmania and Soth AUstralia (Fig. 87).

Biology.

The species has been reared from eucalyptus infested with Epithora dorsalis (Cerambycidae) and Coptocercus rubripres (Cerambycidae).

Notes

Although the holotype specimen of A. aroueti is badly damaged, the shape and sculpturing of the mesosoma, ovipositor guide and the distinctive sub apical cream band on the ovipositor sheath allow us to synonymise this species with A. albimanus. As there are only very slight variations in colouration and body size between the type specimens of A. albimanus and three similar species A. anici, A. bashfordi and A. simsoni, we hereby synonymise these with A. albimanus.