Aulacus aquilus Jennings & Austin, 2018

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Aulacus aquilus Jennings & Austin, 2018: 14.—ABRS 2019 [on-line checklist].

Aulacus wrightae Jennings & Austin, 2018: 96.—ABRS 2019 [on-line checklist]. syn. nov.

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Figure 3. Aulacus aquilus Jennings & Austin, A, holotype female, lateral habitus; B, male, lateral habitus. Scale bar = 1.00 mm.

Figure 4. Aulacus aquilus Jennings & Austin, holotype female, A, lateral head; B, frontal face; C, dorsal head; D, lateral mesosoma; E, dorsal mesosoma; F, inner metacoxa; G, fore wing. Scale bar = 1.00 mm.

Diagnostic description.

Female. Body size 8.0 (8.0–9.8) mm, ovipositor sheath length 6.5 (5.0–9.1) mm, fore wing length 5.3 (5.3–7.5) mm (Fig. 3A); colouration mainly black with metasomal T1 and T2 orange; fore wing without infuscation (Fig. 4G), hind wing viens spectral ; head shape quadrate, width 1.3 × length, postocular space 8.0 (0.8–0.9) × length of eye in dorsal view (Fig. 4C), transverse carina above toruli, malar space 0.2 (0.1–0.2) × height of eye in lateral view (Fig. 4A); length of scape 1.4 (0.9–1.4) × length of pedicel, first flagellomere 1.4 (1.4–1.6) × length of scape, 0.8 (0.7–0.8) × second flagellomere; mesosoma length 1.6 (1.5–1.6) × width, mesoscutum angular antero-dorsally in lateral view (Fig. 4D), length of mesoscutum 0.8 × width in dorsal view (Fig. 4E); medial lobe reticulate–rugose; ovipositor guide absent (Fig. 4F); ovipositor sheath length 1.2 × fore wing length (Fig 3A); 2-Rs+M 0.3 (0.3–0.8) × 1-Rs+M, three hamuli, equidistant (Fig. 4G); metasoma pyriform,T1+T2 length 2.7 (2.7–3.8) × width in dorsal view.

Male. Body size (6.3–10.9) mm, colouration similar to female except variable amounts of orange on T1 and T2 (Fig. 3B).

Material examined.

Holotype. AUSTRALIA - 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. AUSTRALIA – Queensland • 1 ♀, Bluff Range Biggenden, 10.Dec.1971, H. Frauca leg. (ANIC) • 1 ♀, Bin Bin Range via Didcot, 4-5.Dec.1974, H. Frauca leg. (ANIC) • 1 ♂, Barkula via Chinchilla, 4.Oct.1994, F.R. Wylie, J. King, M. DeBaar leg. (ANIC) • 2 ♂♂, Carnarvon National Park, Mt Moffatt Section, 500m NE The Tombs, 26.Sep.1997, J. Skevington, C. Lambkin, S. Evans leg. (QM) • 1 ♂, Mt Coo-tha, J. & A. Skevington leg., 8.Dec.1997 (QM) • 3 ♂♂, Carnarvon National Park, Mt Moffatt Section, NE peak Mt Rugged, 30.Sep.1997, J. Skevington, C. Lambkin, S. Evans leg. (QM) • 1 ♀, 24 ♂♂, Carnarvon National Park, Mt Moffatt Section, summit Mt Moffatt, various dates and collectors (QM). – South Australia • 1 ♂, Dingly Dell Camp, Oraparinna Creek, 7.Sep.1987, I. Naumann & J. Cardale leg. (ANIC);

Other material examined

AUSTRALIA – Queensland • 1 ♀, Holotype of Aulacus wrightae, “Mt. Cootha, Qld. Australia, Nov.–Dec. (QM). • 1 ♀, Brisbane Forrest Park, 27’25’04”S, 152’49’48”E, 30.Dec.1997, N. Power leg., Malaise trap (SAMA). – South Australia • 1 ♂, South Mulga Dam, 32.8km E Arkaroola Village, Wooltana Pastoral Lease, 30˚ 16.063’S, 139˚ 40.200’E, 30.Oct.2009, R.V. Glatz leg., On foliage of Acacia (poss. ligulata) at edge of small dried dam (CRG: 9247) • 1 ♂, Seal Bay CP, South Kangaroo Island, 35.9905°S, 137.3229°E, 28.Nov.2018, D.A.Young leg., sweeping Melaleuca lanceolata & Spyridium sp. (CRG: 14400). – Victoria • 1 ♀, Burramine, -35.982607, 145.817033, 15.Jan.2020, R. Rechter, iNaturalist observation 37676450.– No location • 1 ♂, New Holland [Australia], no date or collector data (AMS) – Western Australia • 1 ♀ Faure Island, Shark Bay, 15 km SE Monkey Mia, 25°51’20”S, 113°51’41”E, 27–31.May.2000, pitfall trap, J.A. Forrest leg., FAU006 (SAMA). – No location • 3 ♀, 2 ♂, no location data, no date, no collector, bred from stick containing larva of beetle, 4-15 (NMV).

Figure 3. Aulacus aquilus Jennings & Austin, A, holotype female, lateral habitus; B, male, lateral habitus. Scale bar = 1.00 mm.

Distribution. Aulacus aquilus is known from several localities across southeastern Queensland, victoria, South Australia and Western Australia (Fig. 87).

Biology.

Host information unknown. Some specimens were reared from wood containing larva of an unidentified beetle.

Notes.

The type specimens of A. aquilus and A. wrightae exhibit only slight variations in colouration and body size. As these differences constitute the sole distinguishing features between the two species, we synonymise A. wrightae with A. aquilus.