Chrysis.net Forum

Hi entomologists !
The september 3., I found some Chrysidid on sandy area (first Hedychrum nobile of my region, now we have 4 species), and some Hedychridium of the roseum-group...

Here 2 pictures of the same specimen :

Abdomen red non-metallic except T III (dark red-violet reflects).
The vertex and thorax are greenish, and I wonder what is the species, I don't think it is roseum, maybe caputaureum or chloropygum.

What do you think ?

Jérôme

Hi Jérôme,

oh, it's very tricky with this group, especially by pictures!
This season I saw many specimen of the roseum-group. The pics
I add were taken on the same flowers at the same day and I
think that both belong to Hedychridium rossicum.I would be pleased
to be corrected if I'm wrong. Maybe your specimen belongs to the
same species, but I'm really not sure. I's not H. caputaureum in my opinion
and I guess it's also not H. chloropygum. Probably Paolo can tell us more.
All the best!
Paul

Hi Paul,

Your Hedychridium has red metallic abdomen, but mine has metallic reflects only slightly developped on T III. But my material for photos is a simple compact.
This year I found some Hedychridium sculpturatum/rossicum (with red metallic reflects on abdomen) females and males, and some Hedychridium roseum-other species (no metallic reflect or very slight). in 2017 and before, I found (in natura and by others entomologists) some cf. roseum (roseum for me).

The difference between rossicum and sculpturatum is not easy. For caputaureum/chloropygum/roseum, I think it is the same problem : I find that Arens paper (2004) for this species group is hard to use for separate these species.