The genus Pristaulacus Kieffer, 1900 (Hymenoptera: Aulacidae) in Vietnam and Northeastern Laos with descriptions of ten new species Author Pham, Nhi Thi 0001-0002-9304-9863 Institute of Ecology & Biological Resources (IEBR), Vietnam Academy of Science & Technology (VAST), 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay, Ha Noi, Vietnam & Graduate University of Science & Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science & Technology (VAST), 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay, Ha Noi, Vietnam ptnhi2@yahoo.com Author Long, Khuat Dang Institute of Ecology & Biological Resources (IEBR), Vietnam Academy of Science & Technology (VAST), 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay, Ha Noi, Vietnam Author Dzuong, Nguyen Van 0000-0003-2363-0088 Tay Bac University, Son La, Vietnam duongdhtb@gmail.com Author Mai, Pham Quynh 0000-0002-9479-9604 Institute of Ecology & Biological Resources (IEBR), Vietnam Academy of Science & Technology (VAST), 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay, Ha Noi, Vietnam & Graduate University of Science & Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science & Technology (VAST), 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay, Ha Noi, Vietnam pqmai70@gmail.com Author Turrisi, Giuseppe Fabrizio 0000-0002-5258-367X Museum of Natural History “ La Specola ”, Entomology, University of Florence, via Romana, 17, 50125 Florence, Italy giuseppefabrizio.turrisi@unifi.it text Zootaxa 2024 2024-03-28 5432 2 213 249 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5432.2.4 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.5432.2.4 1175-5326 10898639 86CDBFBF-A565-4C97-AE83-306369B48E5A Pristaulacus simulatus Long, Jennings & Turrisi , sp. nov. Figures 13–14 , 23 Type material . VIETNAM : holotype , ♀ , labelled “Aulac. 008 ” ( IEBR ) , NW Vietnam : Son La , Thuan Chau , Copia forest , 21°20’ N 103°35’E , 1506 m , light trap , 15.v.2017 ” ( HTHCT ) . LAOS : paratype ♀ , labelled “ LAOS , Phongsaly pr., Pho [n]gsaly env., about 1500 m , N 21°41’ E 102°06’, Pacholátko lg., 06/2003” ( TGFF ) . FIGURE 13. Pristaulacus simulatus Long, Jennings & Turrisi , sp. nov . , holotype, female. A Habitus, lateral, B Right hind trochanter, inner side, arrow indicates apical groove, C Right hind coxa, inner side, arrow indicates subapical groove (ovipositor guide). Etymology . Named from “simulo” (Latin for “imitate, copy”), because this new species is similar to P. calidus Chen, Turrisi & Xu, 2016 . Diagnosis . Head from above 1.2 × wider than long; occipital carina lamelliform, interrupted medially; occipital groove deep, U-shaped ( Fig. 14A ); occipital carina lamelliform, 0.6 × diameter of an ocellus; pronotum, in lateral view, with one acute projecting tooth-like process; mesoscutum in lateral view slightly protruding above pronotum; V-shaped antero-median depression of mesoscutum shallow and crenulate; fore wing vein 2-Rs+M long; discal cell nearly parallel-sided ( Fig. 14J ); wing membrane hyaline, with large brown substigmal spot; hind femur 0.6 × length of hind tibia; tarsal claws with three (3+) tooth-like processes ( Fig. 14G ); petiole slender, broadly widened apically, 3.3 × its apical width ( Fig. 14I ); ovipositor 1.2 × fore wing length. FIGURE 14. Pristaulacus simulatus Long, Jennings & Turrisi , sp. nov . , holotype, female. A Head, dorsal, arrow indicates Ushaped medial occipital groove, B Head, frontal, C Head, lateral, D Mesonotum, dorsal, E Mesosoma , lateral, arrow indicates anterior tooth-like process F Hind tarsus G Hind tarsal claw, H Propodeum, dorsal, arrow indicates metapostnotum, I Metasoma, dorsal, J Fore wing. Description. ( holotype , ♀ ), body length: 11.5 mm ; antenna length: 7.9 mm ; fore wing length: 8.8 mm ; ovipositor length: 10.4 mm ( Fig. 13A ). Colour . Head black; scape yellow, brown dorsally; pedicel and flagellum dark brown to black; palpi dark brown; mandible yellow, brown at apex; mesosoma black; fore leg yellow, except coxa dark brown; mid coxa black; mid trochanter, trochantellus and femur dorsally pale brown; hind femur ventrally, tibia brownish-yellow; apical one third of hind tibia and tarsus yellow, except fifth tarsus pale brown; fore wing vein pale brown; wing membrane hyaline, with large brown substigmal spot ( Fig. 14J ); metasoma black, pale yellow laterally; ovipositor sheath brown; ovipositor yellow. Head . From above 1.2 × wider than long; scape 0.9 × length pedicel; first flagellomere 1.4 × as long as scape, and 0.6 × length of second flagellomere; frons densely punctate, pubescence long and sparse ( Fig. 14B ); malar space 0.3 × eye length dorsally; clypeus 1.9 × as wide as high; mandible with dense and short setae basally, long and sparse setae at apex; frons finely and evenly punctate; temple 0.7 × eye length dorsally (excluding occipital carina); occipital carina lamelliform, incomplete, interrupted along median groove, moderately broad, lamelliform, 0.6 × diameter of an ocellus; POL: OOL = 12: 13 ( Fig. 14A ); vertex and temple shiny with fine scattered punctures; distance between punctures 2.0–3.0 × puncture diameters. Mesosoma . Pronotum, in lateral view, with one robust projecting tooth-like process ( Fig. 14E ); propleuron crenulate medially, pubescence long and dense; mesoscutum in lateral view slightly protruding above pronotum; notauli crenulate; V-shaped antero-median depression of mesoscutum shallow and crenulate ( Fig. 14D ); lateral lobes transverse rugose ( Fig. 14D ); scutellum entirely and densely transverse-carinate; mesepisternum with short pubescence; metapostnotum wide, sparsely crenulate ( Fig. 14H ); metapleuron and propodeum areolate-rugose with sparse long setae; fore wing with vein 2-Ma nearly straight, and vein 2-Rs distinctly curved basally ( Fig. 14J ); r: 3-RS = 15: 23; discal cell nearly parallel-sided; 2-Rs+M long, 2-Rs+M: 2-Ma: 3-Ma: 3-Mb = 5: 25: 11: 13 ( Fig. 14J ); hind coxa slender, with dense transverse striae ventrally on inner margin ( Fig. 13B ), subapical groove (ovipositor guide) deep, smooth ( Fig. 13C ); apical trochanteral groove deep; trochantellus distinct ( Fig. 13B ); hind femur 0.6 × length of hind tibia; inner spur: outer spur = 10: 7; hind basitarsus 1.2 × length of tarsomeres 2–5 combined ( Fig. 14F ); hind basitarsus 3.3 × length of second tarsomere; second tarsomere 1.4 × length of third; third tarsomere 2.2 × length of fourth; fourth tarsomere 0.4 × length of fifth; tarsal claw with three tooth-like processes ( Fig. 14G ). Metasoma . Pyriform (lateral view), weakly compressed laterally; petiole slender, broadly widened apically, 3.3 × its apical width ( Fig. 14I ); petiole and tergite 2 mostly polished and shiny; remaining tergites with fine dense superficial punctures, and pubescence short and dense; ovipositor 1.2 × fore wing length. Male . Unknown. Intraspecific variation . Examined 2♀ . The colour pattern is not variable: in the paratype , the sole difference is represented by the darker reddish orange of scape and mandibles. Body length: 11.3–11.5 mm ; antenna length: 7.7–7.9 mm ; fore wing length: 8.7–8.8 mm ; ovipositor length: 10.4–11.7 mm ; ovipositor length 1.2–1.3 × fore wing length. Taxonomic remarks . Pristaulacus simulatus , sp. nov. differs from P. calidus Chen, Turrisi & Xu, 2016 , from China ( Yunnan ), by the following characters: 1) Temple sharply convergent behind eye ( vs parallel behind eye in P. calidus ); 2) Occipital medial groove about as long as broad ( vs longer than broad in P. calidus ); 3) Head shiny with punctures fine and scattered ( vs head dull with coarse and moderately dense punctures in P. calidus ); 4) Occipital carina lamelliform, 0.6 × diameter of an ocellus ( vs 0.5 × in P. calidus ); 5) Hind tarsal claws with three tooth-like processes ( vs five in P. calidus ); 6) Scutellum entirely densely transverse-carinate (transverse-carinate medially, areolate-rugose anteriorly and posteriorly in P. calidus ). Biology . Unknown. Distribution . Northwestern Vietnam ( Son La province ); Northeastern Laos ( Phongsali province ) ( Fig. 23 ).