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Chrysis sp? N Italy

PostPosted: 07 Jul 2020 12:23
by briang
4 July 2020, N Italy. First I must apologise for the horrible image! Just one very short opportunity for a photo. This chrysidid was running about at the base of short grass and herb vegetation, with an occasional quick flight to another patch. Halictis and other hymenoptera nesting in shaley soil. It was distinctly elongated compared to the chrysidids I’m more familiar with. This one was also distinct for me because of the mainly red colour. I would love to know the correct genus, and would be surprised, and delighted, if a species identification was possible. That seems unlikely because the image shows almost no structural detail - sorry. Near Morfasso, c 700 m, Apennines foothills, Piacenza Prov., Italy.

Re: Chrysis sp? N Italy

PostPosted: 07 Jul 2020 16:24
by Alex
It's not a terrible picture, sadly slightly out of focus, which isn't strange - "simply" getting a shot of a live chrysidid in nature is hard enough, getting a somewhat good one is very hard!

It's a female Chrysura sp., in the cuprea-group, while it is usually C. cuprea in Europe, tergite 3 on this individual looks extremely pointed (although the shape of T3 varies quite a lot in some species), and the date (late summer, as opposed to early spring that's usual for C. cuprea) is quite strange. I wonder if this could be Chrysura oraniensis porphyrea? But these characters I mentioned are not discussed as any distinguishing features by Linsenmaier 1959, so perhaps it's a simply a late observation of cuprea?

I'm sure Paolo will be able to tell you more, he is from Italy after all :)

Re: Chrysis sp? N Italy

PostPosted: 07 Jul 2020 18:33
by briang
Alex, thanks so much for your reply. Great to get to genus, and I’m still hoping to find her again, so perhaps some chance of deciding the species eventually! There’s a location where I’ve seen four species on each of the three times this week I have visited, but I’ve been back to her location several times without any luck. C’est la vie. Probably I will be posting ID requests for 2-3 more soon, happily with better photos. OK, I’ve seen worse than my one, at least it gives an idea of the wasp, but I much prefer them in focus! I’ll check back and hope Paolo will have the last word...Many thanks again.

Re: Chrysis sp? N Italy

PostPosted: 11 Jul 2020 21:57
by briang
Alex commented above on the pointed appearance of the abdomen. I found another partial image and, just for completeness, thought I’d post it. Again, a poor image, but has some information on shape.

Re: Chrysis sp? N Italy

PostPosted: 30 Aug 2020 22:13
by Euchroeus
Alex wrote:It's not a terrible picture, sadly slightly out of focus, which isn't strange - "simply" getting a shot of a live chrysidid in nature is hard enough, getting a somewhat good one is very hard!

It's a female Chrysura sp., in the cuprea-group, while it is usually C. cuprea in Europe, tergite 3 on this individual looks extremely pointed (although the shape of T3 varies quite a lot in some species), and the date (late summer, as opposed to early spring that's usual for C. cuprea) is quite strange. I wonder if this could be Chrysura oraniensis porphyrea? But these characters I mentioned are not discussed as any distinguishing features by Linsenmaier 1959, so perhaps it's a simply a late observation of cuprea?

I'm sure Paolo will be able to tell you more, he is from Italy after all :)


No doubt, it's Chrysura cuprea.
It's one of the most common species in this area of Piacenza, where I collected for some years.
Although this species is on wings from early spring (usually from the beginning of April), I collected specimens until end of June, beginning of July.

Chrysura oraniensis porphyrea is distributed only in the most southern part of Italy (unfortunately ... it's a beautiful cuckoo wasp)

Ciao

Re: Chrysis sp? N Italy

PostPosted: 30 Aug 2020 23:20
by briang
Ciao Paolo, sorry for this late reply (internet connection is erratic). Thanks a lot for this confirmation and additional information. So, one of my goals for next spring will be to get a nice photo! Saluti, Brian.