Aulacus is a genus of aulacids, ensigns, and gasteruptiids in the family
Aulacidae. There are 77 species of Aulacus.[3][4]
Taxonomy and phylogeny
This genus was originally described in 1807 by Louis Jurine.[5] It is currently one of two extant genera within the family Aulacidae along with its sister genus, Pristaulacus.[6]
As presently defined, the genus Aulacus has been noted by Turrisi et al. in 2009 as not representing a
monophyletic group, instead being a paraphyletic assemblage of species with respect to Pristaulacus. Their research also concluded the need for further studies to split the genus into several monophyletic genera.[7]
Description and identification
Aulacus are generally small auladic wasps. The head lacks an occipital carina, and the tarsal claws are simple.[8] The forewing has vein 2r-m present in contrast to the genus Pristaulacus, which lacks this vein.[9]
Distribution
The genus Aulacus has a nearly worldwide distribution apart from the Afrotropics and Antarctica.[1][4]
Behavior
While little is known about the biology of the genus as a whole, many species are known to be koinobiont parasitoids of
beetles or
wood wasps.[6]
Species
The following are 72 of the described species belong to the genus Aulacus:
Data sources: i = ITIS,[10] c = Catalogue of Life,[11] g = GBIF,[12] b = Bugguide.net,[13] z = Revision of Chinese Aulacidae,[4] j = Revisional Study of Japan,[6] r = Aulacidae in the Russian Far East[14]
Nomina nuda
There are additionally 4 species names that are considered nomina nuda in Smith's catalog of species.[1]
^Poole, R.W. & P. Gentili, 1996. Hymenoptera, Mecoptera, Megaloptera, Neuroptera, Raphidioptera, Trichoptera. Nomina Insecta Nearctica: A Check List of the Insects of North America. Vol 2.
ISBN1-889002-02-X
^
abcKuroda, Keita; Konishi, Kazuhiko; Turrisi, Giuseppe Fabrizio; Yamasako, Junsuke (2020). "A revisional study of the genus Aulacus Jurine (Hymenoptera: Aulacidae) of Japan". Zootaxa. 4830 (1): 161–185.
doi:
10.11646/zootaxa.4830.1.7.
PMID33056256.
S2CID222835969.