Aulacophilinus rennellensis Lomholdt

Figures 38–46.

Aulacophilinus rennellensis Lomholdt, 1980:28,

♀, ♂. Holotype: ♀, Solomon Islands: Rennell Island: Hutuna (ZMUC), examined .

– Menke, 2016:337 (in key to Aulacophilinus), 338 (discussion of characters). – As Pison rennellense: Antropov, 1999:564 (new combination, analysis of relationships).

RECOGNITION.— Aulacophilinus rennellensis differs from all its congeners in having a conspicuously pedunculate gastral segment I (its length is about 3.0 × maximum width in the female and 3.5 × in the male rather than about equal to width) and also conspicuously swollen apically (Figs. 41, 42). The presence of only two submarginal cells is a subsidiary recognition feature.

DESCRIPTION.— Frons dull, microareolate, finely punctate, punctures averaging more than one diameter apart. Distance between antennal socket and orbit about equal to socket diameter in female, slightly greater in male. Free margin of clypeal lobe roundly arcuate (Figs. 38, 39). Occipital carina not expanded. Width of labrum equal to 0.6 × midocellar diameter. Anteromedian pronotal pit transversely elongate, about as long as midocellar diameter. Scutum foveate along flange, with short longitudinal ridges adjacent to posterior margin; scutal punctures minute, several diameters apart. Tegula impunctate in posterior half. Mesopleural punctures of medium size, several diameters apart. Propodeum without longitudinal carina separating side from dorsum and posterior surface; dorsum obliquely ridged; side punctate, finely, transversely ridged anteriorly in male; posterior surface punctate. Forewing with two submarginal cells, length of posterior margin of second cell equals 1.8–1.9 × its height. Posteroventral forefemoral surface minutely punctate, punctures several diameters apart. Hindcoxal dorsum with outer margin obtusely carinate. Outer surface of hindtibia without spines. Gastral segment I conspicuously pedunculate (its length about 3.0 × maximum width in female and 3.5 × in male), conspicuously swollen apically (Figs. 42). Apical swelling of tergum I with minute punctures several diameters apart.

Setae silvery, subappressed on upper frons, on postocellar area appressed in female, erect in male, on scutum subappressed in female, suberect in male, appressed on tergum I, on lower gena suberect, straight, up to one midocellar diameter long, partly concealing integument on clypeus. Terga without setal, silvery, fasciae.

Body all black, mandible with ferruginous tint.

♀.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.4 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.2× hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 0.5× hindocellar diameter (Fig. 40); eye height equal to 1.6 × distance between eye notches. Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.5 × apical width. Length 9.0 mm; head width 2.0 mm.

♂.– Upper interocular distance equal to 0.48 × lower interocular distance; ocellocular distance equal to 0.4 × hindocellar diameter, distance between hindocelli equal to 0.8 × hindocellar diameter; eye height equal to 1.12 × distance between eye notches. Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.4 × apical width; flagellomeres I-IV with polished, elevated tyli. Sternum VIII and male genitalia missing from the specimens examined, but figured by Lomholdt (1980) and here reproduced as Figs. 43–45); sternum VIII emarginate apically (Fig. 43). Genitalia: (Figs. 44, 45). Length 8.5 mm; head width 1.7 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 46).— Rennell Island ( Solomon Islands archipelago).

RECORDS.— SOLOMON ISLANDS: Rennell Island: Hutuna (1 ♀, 1 ♂, ZMUC, holotype and paratype of Aulacophilinus rennellensis).