First record of the genus Aulacophilus Smith, 1869 (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae) in Panama

The genus Aulacophilus Smith, 1869 (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae) is recorded for the first time in Panama based on examination of female specimen of Aulacophilus chrysotrichus Antropov, 1999.

Host larvae records for Aulacophilus are scarce and are limited to a single report of A. eumenoides Ducke from Ecuador, with the cell containing juvenile spiders of 3 species of the family Thomisidae (Cooper 1986).Like the other genera of the Trypoxylini, the members of the genus Aulacophilus are predators of Araneae (Amarante 2006).
According to Antropov (1999), Aulacophilus are rare in collections, with only by occasional specimens.Here, we report the first record of A. chrysotrichus Antropov, 1999 in Panama, which is now known from 9 specimens.

Methods
The specimen was collected using a single Malaise trap for eight days.The specimen of A. chrysotrichus was identified using Antropov's (1999) key to species of the genus Aulacophilus.Posteriorly, 7 photos of the specimen captured in Panama were sent to Alexander Antropov, who concluded that this specimen and a paratype are conspecific.The specimen was pinned and deposited in the Museum of Invertebrates Graham Bell Fairchild, University of Panama (MIUP), Panama City, and assigned the code MIUPCA1.Antropov, 1999 ( Diagnosis.Aulacophilus chrysotrichus resembles A. vespoides F. Smith, 1869.Both species differ from other species in the genus by the golden pubescence of the body, the largely pale coloration of the mandibles and humeri, the mesopleura with more than 12 longitudinal carinae below scrobe, the postscutellum without coarse longitudinal carinae, the pronotal ridge without posterior median depression, the propodeum with a short preapical depression, and the non-outlined dorsal field (Antropov  1999).Aulacophilus chrysotrichus differs from A. vespoides (judging from females) by the following: antennae entirely black, lateral ocelli larger than median one, propodeum with exclusively golden pubescence, side of propodeum without oblique striation, and without carinae laterally to preapical depression, while A. vespoides has antennae reddish brown basally, all ocelli equally sized, dorsal field of propodeum with narrow median carina, propodeum with golden and white pubescence, and side of propodeum densely striate, separated by clear carinae laterally to preapical depression (Antropov 1999).

Aulacophilus chrysotrichus
The only difference between them is that the paratype has somewhat lighter mandibles, pronotal lobes, and legs (A.Antropov, pers. comm.).

Discussion
Here, we report the first record of the genus Aulacophilus and A. chrysotrichus from Panama, and we extend the known range of this species, previously recorded only from Colombia and Venezuela (Antropov 1999), to Panama (Fig. 2).The new record is approximately 650 km northwest from the nearest known occurrence in Armero, Colombia.
Nothing is known about its biology.The specimen from Panama was caught in a secondary forest, modified by human activities.Antropov (1999) indicated that specimens of the genus Aulacophilus are rare in collections, with 22 specimens examined by him in his review of the genus.However, A. chrysotrichus is the most abundant species with 8 specimens.To date, we have examined about 20,000 crabronid specimens collected in many localities and various habitats in Panama, but can confirm the presence of only a single specimen from Panama.

Figure 2 .
Figure 2. Map showing the known distribution of the Aulacophilus chrysotrichus Antropov, 1999, including first record from Panama.