Hedychridium chloropygum ?

[Frank_Canon]

Hello I found this specimen late July, in Southern France (Aix en Provence).
Instead of H. roseum, could it be Hedychridium chloropygum ?
Thanks !

[jeromec]

Hi Frank,

Why not !
But I never found any Hedychridium with this colour (as your gratiosum ) and I have not the description of H. roseum nanum.
H. caputaureum has a reddish pronotum (more red than in roseum).

As usual, very nice photos (but I repeat myself) !!

[Frank_Canon]

Ah yes, Hedychridium are complex ! Maybe Paolo can tell more about it...?

[Euchroeus]

Hi everyone,

I'm not 100% sure that this is H. chloropygum. Females with this colouration are relatively common and many varieties have been described with violet metallic areas on abdomen, for example H. roseum bohemicum, H. roseum sudeticum, H. roseum spaceki, H. roseum nanum, H. lampadum austeritatum, but it is common also in H. sculpturatum females and H. choloropygum females.

I can't see very well the shape of the head in dorsal view, however my guess is Hedychridium sculpturatum for the dense punctation on the abdomen and thorax colouration (in H. chloropygum it is more golden as in H. caputaureum).

[Frank_Canon]

Thank you Paolo, much appreciated ! I found some other pictures of the head in dorsal view, maybe it can help...?

[Frank_Canon]

I just realized that I found another specimen of Hedychridium at the same place. So it might be the same species as I thought about H. sculpturatum for this one...

[Euchroeus]

Dear Frank,

yes,
it's Hedychridium sculpturatum
and in the latest two pictures you have the male, which is chromatic dimorphic.

[Frank_Canon]

Perfect ! Thanks again Paolo