C. bicolor or illigeri?

[Paul]

Hi,
here I have a specimen I can't label.
Unfortunately the pic isn't the best quality (obviously ).
But I guess that I can see a line on the last tergit.
What do you think?
Best regards!
Paul

[Paul]

Not one any idea?

[jeromec]

Hello,

I think it is a Chrysis of succincta group (bicolor or illigeri) but for ID, we need a good view of head (of profil, for the malar space : big in illigeri, smaller in bicolor) and the 2nd sternite (for the females).

I find that illigeri is commoner than bicolor : I often found illigeri in some habitats : dry calcareous grasslands, sandy area (even smal surfaces), grassland (with area without vegetation).

I have seen only 2-3 bicolor, only in sandy area (big areas) : south-west of France ; Auvergne (a very nice area, with 60 spheciformes species, 40 Pompilidae, nice bees species as Coelioxys brevis... ), and Ile-de-France (Rambouillet, acid sandy area and heathlands).

Jérôme

[Euchroeus]

Hi Paul,

I would say that this is a male of Chrysis illigeri, because of the thoracic colour.
In C. bicolor, the red mesoscutum is usually not so contrasting see the pictures attached.

[Paul]

Hi Paolo,
Thanks a lot!
I was thinking that the shown specimen could belong to C. bicolor,
cause Linsenmaier wrote in his book "Die Goldwespen der Schweiz" Page 90,
that males of C. illigeri don't show this middle-line on the last tergit.
Anyway, I've added some pics in low quality from another specimen of the same location.
I hope the colouration comes through.
And I've added another animal of a different locality. Here I think that this might be a
C. illigeri male too?

All the best Paul