Aulacus atriceps (Kieffer, 1911)

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Aulacinus atriceps Kieffer, 1911: 220, 221.—Kieffer 1912: 350, 356; Hedicke 1939: 25.

Aulacus atriceps (Kieffer)—Smith 2001: 269, comb. nov.; Jennings 2010 [on-line checklist]; Turrisi 2017: 932; Jennings et al. 2018: 17.

Aulacus pallidus Jennings & Austin, 2018: 73.—ABRS 2019 [on-line checklist]. syn. nov.

Aulacus warraensis Jennings & Austin, 2018: 92.—ABRS 2019 [on-line checklist]. syn. nov.

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Figure 5. Aulacus atriceps (Kieffer), female, lateral habitus. Scale bar = 1.00 mm.

Figure 6. Aulacus atriceps (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.

Female. Body size (6.8–8.4) mm, ovipositor length (5.5–6.8) mm, fore wing length (6.2–7.2) mm (Fig. 5); body orange except head black, antenna dark brown, flagellomeres 5–9 cream coloured; fore wing hyaline, infuscation apex 1st marginal, 4th submarginal cell and margin of 3rd discal cell (Fig. 6G), hind wing veins spectral; head shape quadrate, width (1.4–1.7) × length, postocular space (0.6–0.7) × eye length in dorsal view (Fig. 6C), raised transverse carina above toruli absent, malar space (0.2–0.3) × height of eye (Fig. 6A); length of scape (1.3–1.5) × length of pedicel, 1st flagellomere (1.3–1.4) × length of scape, (0.5–0.6) × 2nd flagellomere; mesosoma length (1.6) × height, mesoscutum in lateral view angular antero-dorsally (Fig. 6D), mesoscutum length (0.9) × width in dorsal view (Fig. 6E); medial lobe rounded striations; ovipositor guide oblique, positioned posteriorly (Fig. 6F); ovipositor sheath length (0.9–1.1) × fore wing length (Fig. 5A); 2-Rs+M (0.6–0.8) × 1-Rs+M, three hamuli, equidistant (Fig. 6G); metasoma pyriform,T1+T2 length (2.3–2.4) × width in dorsal view.

Variation. The specimen from Lamington National Park, Queensland has dark brown hind legs and less extensive cream colouration on the flagellomeres.

Male. Body size (8.1–8.4) mm, colouration similar to female except last few metasomal segments with variable amounts of dark brown dorsally and laterally.

Material examined.

Holotype. AUSTRALIA – Tasmania • ♀, "Tasmania. A.M. Lea. 1904–245" "Lea 6504" “(NHMUK: 013457850). Left flagellomeres 3–12 and right hind tarsomeres 4–5 and claw missing (examined from photographs).

Other Material examined.

AUSTRALIA – NSW • 1 ♀, Lismore, -28.810877, 153.296782, 15.Nov.2023, N. Fisher, iNaturalist observation 192780198. – Victoria • 1 ♀, Holotype of Aulacus pallidus, "Mt Dandenong, Victoria, 300 m, 13-29.ii" (ANIC). – Tasmania • 1 ♀, Holotype of Aulacus warraensis, “WARRA LTER. 13 Jan 1999. Site, 254/117. Malaise. R. Bashford leg. (TMAG). – Queensland • 1 ♀, Lamington National Park, 28.188S,153.121E, IBISCA 700a, 16.Dec.2008–6.Jan.2009 (QM). – No location • 3 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂, A.M. Lea leg. (ASCU). • 1 ♂, no label (MVMA).

Figure 5. Aulacus atriceps (Kieffer), female, lateral habitus. Scale bar = 1.00 mm.

Figure 6. Aulacus atriceps (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.

Aulacus atriceps is recorded mainly from Tasmania with one specimen from Mt Dandenong, Victoria and another from Lamington National Park, Queensland (Fig. 88).

Biology.

Unknown

Notes.

Based on minimal discernible differences in coloration and morphology, the species A. pallidus and A. warraensis are hereby synonymised with A. atriceps. The specimen from Lamington National Park, Queensland varies in colour with dark brown hind legs and less extensive cream colouration on the flagellomeres.