Corresponding author: Juho Paukkunen (
Academic editor: M. S. Engel
The
Paukkunen J, Berg A, Soon V, Ødegaard F, Rosa P (2015) An illustrated key to the cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae) of the Nordic and Baltic countries, with description of a new species. ZooKeys 548: 1–116. doi:
Chrysidid wasps, also known as cuckoo wasps, represent one of the largest families of aculeate
A detailed history of cuckoo wasp research in the Nordic and Baltic countries was presented recently by
Scattered notes on the biology of European cuckoo wasps have been published by several authors in numerous articles and reports, and these data have been compiled by e.g.
As most publications with information on the identification and biology of the Nordic and Baltic cuckoo wasps are scattered, outdated and/or difficult to find or use, there is a need for a new comprehensive key for the North European species including biological information. Cuckoo wasps include an exceptionally large number of red-listed and endangered species in the Nordic countries, which also highlights the importance of their reliable identification (
The aim of this study is to present a simple dichotomous identification key for the Nordic and Baltic species, and to compile all relevant and reliable information on their distribution, abundance and biology, including phenology and host species from publications and collections. The key will hopefully arouse more interest in chrysidids among entomologists, and provide a basis for further, more detailed studies on the distribution, biology and morphology of North European species.
The geographic area covered by the study includes the Nordic and Baltic countries, which are located in northern Europe (Fig.
The species treatments consist of the following information: name, synonymy, diagnosis, distribution and biology. Only the more common synonyms and erroneously interpreted names, which have been used in connection with cited records from the study area, are presented below the valid name of the taxon. If the currently used name differs from the original combination, it is added to the synonymic list with a citation of the study, in which the rearrangement was made. The abundance of each species is estimated using the scale 1) very common (more than 5000 records), 2) common (ca 1000–5000 records), 3) relatively common (ca 500–1000 records), 4) relatively rare (ca 200–500 records), 5) rare (ca 10–200 records), 6) very rare (less than 10 records). This estimation is mainly based on collected material and therefore it essentially shows how commonly a species is collected, but might not accurately indicate its actual abundance in nature. A summary of the distribution of chrysidid species in the Nordic and Baltic countries is presented in Table
The biology section includes information on the habitat, flight season and host species. The presented information on the distribution, abundance and biology has been compiled from published literature, entomological databases and several public and private collections, as well as our own observations. Host species, plants and habitats that are not found in the Nordic and Baltic countries are usually not mentioned. The most important studied collections are listed below:
Lists of examined material have not been included in the species treatments due to the large number of studied specimens. Accurate data is given only if a species is recorded for the first time from a country. Some information about the examined material has been published earlier by
Morphological measurements were prepared using an ocular micrometer on a Wild M5 and a Leica MZ75 stereomicroscope. All pictures were prepared by Alexander Berg, if not otherwise specified. The photos were taken with a Canon6D camera, using a Schneider-Kreuznach Componon-S 50 mm f2.8 and Schneider-Kreuznach Componon 28 mm f1.4 enlarger lenses extended on Pentacon M42 bellows. A Proxxon KT-70 microstage was used for photo stepping and Zerene Stacker v1.04 for stacking the photos.
In order to use the key successfully, specimens should be properly mounted or pinned with both the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the metasoma visible. In the
Distinguishing the sexes of chrysidids can be difficult if the telescope-like ovipositor of the female is not exserted, or the genital capsule of the male has not been extracted. In males, the third metasomal sternite is completely flat and the semitransparent membranous posterior margin of the fourth sternite is usually visible. In females, the third sternite is generally thicker posteriorly and the posterior margin of the fourth sternite is opaque. Additionally, a slender needle-like structure (formed by the first valvulae) can be seen on the tip of the ovipositor in females. This structure is visible even if the ovipositor is not fully exerted.
Map of the study area.
Tarsal claw:
1 | Metasoma with four (female) or five (male) external tergites, ventral surface convex, colour anteriorly non-metallic red, posteriorly black, often with blue-green metallic reflections (Figs |
|
– | Metasoma with three (or four in |
|
2 | Metasoma with three (female) or four (male) external tergites (Fig. |
|
– | Metasoma with three external tergites in both sexes. All tergites usually with metallic colour, and if non-metallic, then T1 also without metallic reflections. Posterior margin of metasoma without small irregular teeth. Mouthparts short. Tegula small, covering only base of forewing |
|
3 | Tarsal claw with one or more subapical teeth (Figs |
|
– | Tarsal claw simple, without subapical teeth (Fig. |
|
4 | Tarsal claw with single subapical tooth (Figs |
|
– | Tarsal claw with more than one subapical tooth (Figs |
|
5 | Subapical tooth of tarsal claw almost as large as apex, so that tip appears forked (Fig. |
|
– | Tarsal claw with very small submedial tooth, remote from apex (Fig. |
|
6 | Medial cell of forewing with setae. Medial vein of forewing strongly curved (Fig. |
|
– | Medial cell of forewing without setae. Medial vein of forewing only slightly curved (Fig. |
|
7 | Metascutellum dorsally with large tongue-like projection (Fig. |
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– | Metascutellum without projection. Gena without row of short setae |
|
8 | Mesoscutum with large punctures concentrated postero-medially between notauli (Fig. |
|
– | Mesoscutum without punctures, with irregularly scattered punctures (Figs |
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9 | Apical notch of T3 with thickened margin (Fig. |
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– | Apical notch of T3 without thickened margin (Figs |
|
10 | Radial sector vein of forewing ending before wing margin, at a distance approximately equal to the length of the pterostigma (Fig. |
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– | Radial sector vein of forewing extending to wing margin, or nearly so (Fig. |
|
11. | Body entirely blue (Fig. |
|
– | Body bicoloured, head and mesosoma blue-green, metasoma red (Fig. |
|
12 | Posterior margin of T3 without apical teeth or angular prominences (Figs |
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– | Posterior margin of T3 with apical teeth or angular prominences (Figs |
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13 | Posterior margin of T3 with three apical teeth, lateral teeth may be angular projections (Fig. |
|
– | Posterior margin of T3 with different number of teeth (Figs |
|
This subfamily represents the most basally arising lineage of
1 | Pronotum posteriorly with furrow of foveae (Figs |
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– | Pronotum without furrow of foveae (Fig. |
|
2 | Vertex with deep postocellar foveae (Fig. |
|
– | Vertex without postocellar foveae (Fig. |
|
Length 5–7 mm. Both sexes differ from
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Sweden. Rare. – West Palearctic: Europe and Turkey (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas, such as dry meadows and dunes (
Length 4–7 mm. Both sexes resemble
Denmark, Norway, Sweden. Very rare. – Trans-Palearctic: from western Europe to Siberia (Irkutsk) (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated coastal sandy areas (
Pronotum, dorsal view:
Length 5–8 mm. Both sexes differ from
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Relatively rare. – Trans-Palearctic/Holarctic? The general distribution is poorly known due to confusion of
Habitat: forest margins and clearings, gardens and parks. Flight period: June to August. Host:
The majority of all chrysidids, about 80%, belong to this subfamily (
Chrysidid wasps of this tribe are characterised by three external metasomal tergites, the absence of a pit row or sublateral foveae on T3, and the usually dentate tarsal claw. The tribe has a worldwide distribution, though most of the genera and species occur in arid areas of the Holarctic Region. A total of 21 genera are recognised, seven of which are found in North Europe.
Many authors have treated this genus in the broad sense and divide it into several subgenera (see summary by
1 | Mesoscutum wrinkled and dull, without punctures (Fig. |
|
– | Mesoscutum smooth and shining, without punctures or with evenly distributed punctures (Figs |
|
2 | Mesoscutum mostly with tiny punctures or impunctate (Fig. |
|
– | Mesoscutum with relatively coarse punctures (Fig. |
|
Length 3–5 mm. Both sexes differ from
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden. Relatively rare. – West Palearctic: from western Europe to western Asia (
Habitat: pine forest margins and clearings, semi-open sandy areas. Occasionally found on flowers of
Mesosoma, lateral view (arrow indicating mesopleuron):
Length 3–6 mm. The species resembles closely
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Common. – Trans-Palearctic/Holarctic: from western Europe and northern Africa to Japan, China and Taiwan. Possibly accidentally introduced to North America (
Habitat: forest margins and clearings,
Mitochondrial DNA studies indicate that the Nordic and Baltic specimens of
Length 3–6 mm. The species is easily confused with
Norway, Sweden. Rare. – West Palearctic (?): Europe, Turkey and northern Africa (
Habitat: forest margins and clearings,
Mitochondrial DNA studies support the recognition of
This taxon was raised to generic rank by
1 | Body entirely green to greenish-golden, violet-blue or blackish-green |
|
– | Body bicoloured with greenish to bluish head and mesosoma and at least laterally red metasoma |
|
2 | Body entirely green or green-golden, usually with golden reflections on mesoscutum and mesoscutellum. Metascutellum sharply convex (Fig. |
|
– | Body uniformly violet-blue or black-green. Metascutellum rounded (Fig. |
|
3 | Antenna long and slender, medial flagellomeres longer than broad (Fig. |
|
– | Antenna shorter, medial flagellomeres approximately as long as broad (Fig. |
|
Length 3–5 mm. The species differs from other
Denmark, Latvia and Lithuania. Very rare. – Trans-Palearctic: from western Europe and northern Africa to Russian Far East (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas, such as river banks and dunes. Adults are attracted to honeydew of aphids (
Pronotum and mesoscutum, dorsal view:
Length 3–6 mm. Both sexes have a bicoloured body with a blue-green or violet head and mesosoma, and a red (or rarely entirely greenish) metasoma with green reflections (Fig.
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Common. – Trans-Palearctic/Holarctic: from western Europe and northern Africa to China, Korea and Japan. Introduced accidentally to North America (
Habitat: forest margins and clearings, gardens and parks. Often found on sun-exposed leaves of deciduous trees and bushes. Adults are attracted to honeydew of aphids and occasionally visit flowers of
Length 6–7 mm. The species resembles closely
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Relatively rare. – Trans-Palearctic: from Europe and Turkey to China (
Habitat: forest margins and clearings, gardens and parks. Often collected from sun-exposed leaves of trees and bushes. Adults are attracted to honeydew of aphids and occasionally also to flowers of
Length 5–8 mm. The species differs from other species of the genus by its completely violet-blue (female) or black-green to black-blue (male) body, and a wide and shallow apical notch on T3. The scapal basin is also higher and dorsally deeply angled. Exceptionally small and worn specimens can be confused with
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Relatively rare. – Trans-Palearctic (?). Europe, Middle East, Siberia, Manchuria (
Habitat: forest margins and clearings. Often found on leaves of sun-exposed deciduous trees and bushes. Flight period: June to August. Adults are attracted to honeydew of aphids (
The taxonomic rank and delineation of
Length 3–5 mm. The species resembles
Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Sweden. Rare. New to Latvia (1 ♀, Jekabpils, Avotu iela, 7.–30.VI.2006, leg. P.N. Buhl). – Trans-Palearctic: from western Europe and northern Africa to Russian Far East (Kurzenko and Lelej 2012).
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas, sandstone and loess banks (
This genus has been treated as a subgenus of
1 | Lateral margin of T3 with a narrow notch between apical truncation and semitransparent lateral protrusion (Fig. |
|
– | Lateral margin of T3 slightly convex or almost straight between apical truncation and |
|
2 | Apical truncation falcate with pointed margins ventrally (Fig. |
|
– | Apical truncation horseshoe-shaped with rounded margins ventrally (Fig. |
|
Length 4–7 mm. The species differs from
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden. Relatively rare. – Trans-Palearctic: widely distributed in the Palearctic Region, from Europe to China (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas, heaths. Adults occasionally visit flowers of
Metascutellum, propodeum and T1, lateral view (arrow indicating metascutellar projection):
Length 5–8 mm. The species can be confused with
Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden. Rare. – Trans-Palearctic: from the Netherlands to Siberia (Usolye-Sibirskoye). The distribution is still poorly known, because many authors have confused
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas. In Germany, specimens have been found on
Length 4–8 mm. The species resembles
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Common. – Trans-Palearctic: Europe, western Asia, Manchuria (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas, heaths. Adults are occasionally found on flowers of
The names
This genus consists mainly of broad-bodied wasps, with a body length of 4–9 mm. Morphological characters of the genus include the strongly curved medial vein of the forewing (Fig.
1 | Head and mesosoma entirely green-bluish, metasoma dorsally red (Fig. |
|
– | Mesosoma dorsally red, or if green-bluish or golden green, then metasoma of the same colour |
|
2 | Head entirely blue, pronotum, mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and metascutellum dorsally red, rest of mesosoma blue, metasoma dorsally red |
|
– | Head dorsally red, or if green or blue, then whole body green-blue or golden green |
|
3 | Head and mesosoma partially dorsally red-purple, metasoma red-purple | |
– | Body concolorous green-blue or golden greenish |
|
4 | Punctation of T2 coarse and dense, interstices smaller than puncture diameter (Fig. |
|
– | Punctation of T2 fine and sparse, interstices larger than puncture diameter at least in the middle (Fig. |
|
Length 4–7 mm. The female and the male are entirely differently coloured. The female is mainly shiny red-purple, but the legs, mesopleuron, metanotum, propodeum, lower part of head and lateral corners of pronotum are blue. The male is entirely green or blue-green, sometimes with golden reflections or a completely golden metasoma. The colouration of the male is similar to
Denmark. Very rare. Only two records are known from the island of Lolland (1 ♀, Bremersvold, 20.VII.1904, and 1 ♀, Røgebølle, 5.VII.1912, both leg. L. Jørgensen). – West Palearctic: Europe, northern Africa, Turkey, Iran (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas, loess and clay banks (
Head, dorsal view (arrows indicating temples):
Length 5–6 mm. The female is entirely blue or blue-green with golden green reflections on the pronotum, mesoscutum and metasoma. The male is golden green with blue on the metanotum and propodeum. Both sexes resemble the male of
Finland. Rare. – West Palearctic: only known from Finland and Russian Fennoscandia (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated coastal dune areas. Most of the specimens have been collected by sweep nets from grasses and by yellow pan traps. Flight period: June to July. Host:
Length 7–9 mm. Both sexes are similarly bicoloured with a green or blue head and mesosoma, and a dorsally red metasoma (Fig.
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden. Common. – Trans-Palearctic: Europe, Asia Minor, northern Africa, China (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas, dry meadows. Adults visit flowers of
Length 5–7 mm. Both sexes have similar colouration: the head, propleuron, mesopleuron, propodeum and legs are blue or blue-violet, whereas the pronotum, mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and metascutellum are red. The colouration is relatively similar to the female of
Finland, Lithuania. Very rare. In Finland, more than 30 specimens were collected in the south-eastern part of the country (Joutseno) in 1957–1960, but currently the species is classified as regionally extinct (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas. Adults visit flowers of
The genus consists of robust species with a body length ranging from 4 to 10 mm. Characteristic morphological features include the meso- and metatibial pits (Figs
Left hindleg, ventral view:
1 | Male. Anterior surface of metafemur non-metallic black or brown, covered entirely by short adpressed pubescence (Fig. |
|
– | Female. Anterior surface of metafemur metallic shiny, not entirely covered by short adpressed pubescence (Fig. |
|
2 | Head and mesosoma dorsally on pronotum, mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with coppery to greenish colour, contrasting with remaining part of the mesosoma, and light brown setae |
|
– | Head and mesosoma completely green-bluish, with dark setae |
|
3 | Entire body green-blue |
|
– | Head and mesosoma green-blue, metasoma dorsally metallic red or golden |
|
4 | Groove on inner surface of mesotibia at least half of tibial length (Fig. |
|
– | Groove on inner surface of mesotibia shorter or indistinct (Figs |
|
5 | Groove on inner surface of mesotibia shallow and narrow, indistinctly delimited (Fig. |
|
– | Groove on inner surface of mesotibia deep and oval, distinctly delimited (Fig. |
|
6 | S3 with apicomedial tubercle (Figs |
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– | S3 without apicomedial tubercle |
|
7 | Head dorsally, pronotum, mesoscutum and mesoscutellum anteriorly bright red |
|
– | Head and mesoscutellum blue-green, pronotum and mesoscutum reddish or golden |
|
8 | Tubercle of S3 larger, apically slightly rounded, not divided (Fig. |
|
– | Tubercle of S3 smaller, apically divided in the middle (Fig. |
|
9 | Head and mesosoma dorsally with coppery red colour. Head with light brown pubescence |
|
– | Head and mesosoma entirely blue-green or blue-violet. Head with dark brown pubescence |
|
Length 4–8 mm. The female differs from the females of other
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania. Relatively common. – Trans-Palearctic: from western Europe to Japan, China and Taiwan (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas, dry meadows. Adults often visit flowers of
Length 4–10 mm. The species is usually easy to differentiate from other
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania. Relatively common. – Trans-Palearctic: Europe, northern Africa, Turkey, southwestern Russia, Siberia (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas, dry meadows. Adults often visit flowers of
Length 6–10 mm. The male and female are differently coloured. In the male, the head and mesosoma are completely green-blue and the metasoma is golden red (rarely greenish golden). In the female, the pronotum and mesoscutum are bright red (as in Fig.
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Very common. – Trans-Palearctic: from Europe to Siberia (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas, dunes. Adults are often found on flowers of
Length 5–8 mm. The colouration is similar to
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Common. – Trans-Palearctic: from Europe to China (Heilongjiang) (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas. Adults are often found on flowers of
Length 4–6 mm. The male is easy to differentiate from other
Latvia, Lithuania. Very rare. The species has been recorded in one locality in Latvia (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sand and loess areas (
This genus comprises a heterogeneous group of small colourful species ranging from 2 to 7 mm in length. Characteristic morphological features include the single perpendicular tooth of the tarsal claw and the transverse pronotal carina (
Pronotum, mesoscutum and mesoscutellum, dorsal view:
1 | Body entirely green or blue-green. Very small species, body length 2–4 mm |
|
– | Body partially red, golden red or orange. Mostly larger species |
|
2 | Metasoma non-metallic red or orange, sometimes with weak purple reflections |
|
– | Metasoma with strong metallic shine |
|
3 | Head and pronotum dorsally with coppery red colour. T3 posteriorly with coarse punctures in the male |
|
– | Head and pronotum entirely blue-green or dark blue. T3 posteriorly with fine punctures in the male |
|
4 | Punctation of mesoscutum and mesoscutellum sparse, punctures separated with broad smooth interstices (Figs |
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– | Punctation of mesoscutum and mesoscutellum denser, punctures not separated with broad smooth interstices (Figs |
|
5 | S2 medially with greenish-golden metallic spot (Fig. |
|
– | S2 without metallic spot (occasionally with slight metallic sheen). Body with long, erect, whitish pubescence. Setae on metasoma as long as or longer than the third antennal segment (Fig. |
|
6 | Pronotum and mesoscutum dull with dense coriaceous punctation (Fig. |
|
– | Pronotum and mesoscutum shiny with sparser punctation (Fig. |
|
Length 2–4 mm. The species differs from other species of
Finland. Rare. – West Palearctic: northern and central Europe (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas, usually near seashore. Adults are occasionally found on flowers. Flight period: late June to early August. Host: species of
Length 3–5 mm. Both sexes have coppery red colour dorsally on the head, pronotum, mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and metasoma, whereas the frons, anterior corners of pronotum, metanotum, tibiae and apex of the metasoma are mainly greenish (Fig.
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Common. – Trans-Palearctic: Europe, Mongolia, Russian Far East (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas, dunes, dry meadows. Adults visit flowers of
Length 3–5 mm. The species is characterised by the very dense and fine punctation of the pronotum and mesoscutum, whereby the surface appears completely dull (Fig.
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden. Relatively rare. – Trans-Palearctic: from Europe and northern Africa to China (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas. Adults visit flowers of
Length 4–5 mm. The species differs from other species of the genus by having very sparse punctation and smooth interstices between punctures on the mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (Fig.
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Relatively common. – Trans-Palearctic: from western Europe to Japan, Mongolia and China (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas. Adults occasionally visit flowers of
Length 5–6 mm. The species closely resembles
Estonia. Very rare. Nine specimens were collected in 2013 from Kauksi, northern shore of Lake Peipus. No other records are known from the Nordic and Baltic countries. – West Palearctic: central Europe (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas. Adults often sit on roots of trees and bask in the sun (
Length 5–7 mm. Together with
Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden. Rare. – West Palearctic: Europe and western Asia (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas, dry meadows. Adults visit flowers of
Length 5–8 mm. The species differs from
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Common. – Trans-Palearctic: from western Europe to Siberia, China and Russian Far East (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas, dry meadows. Adults visit flowers of
Members of this tribe are characterised by the simple untoothed tarsal claw, the transverse subapical pit row on T3, and the transverse preoccipital welt or carina (
This taxon has been treated as a subgenus of
Length 5–9 mm. Both sexes are bicoloured with a green or blue head and mesosoma, and a golden red metasoma (Fig.
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Relatively rare. – Trans-Palearctic/Holarctic? Europe, Asia, Russian Far East, China, USA, Canada (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated areas with clay or sandy soil, gardens with clay structures, such as barn walls. Adults occasionally visit flowers of
Members of this genus are characterised by the broadly open marginal cell, the U-shaped projection on the lower mesopleuron, the dentate segments of the ovipositor, and the frons with two rounded, flattened and usually striate areas particularly in the male (
Length 4–6 mm. The species is characterised by the entirely blue, greenish or violet-blue body, and the forewing radial sector vein, which ends remote from the wing margin (Fig.
Denmark, Latvia, Sweden. Very rare. – Trans-Palearctic: from western Europe to Mongolia (
Habitat: xerothermic sparsely vegetated sandy areas, often close to the seashore. Adults occasionally visit flowers of
With more than a thousand currently recognised species,
T3, dorsal view:
Metasoma, dorsal view:
Metasoma, dorsal view:
Metasoma, ventral view:
Metasoma, ventral view:
Head, lateral view:
Head, lateral view:
Head, frontal view (arrow indicating frontal carina):
1 | Posterior margin of T3 medially pointed or rounded without teeth (Fig. |
|
– | Posterior margin of T3 with distinct teeth or angular prominences (Figs |
|
2 | Posterior margin of T3 almost evenly rounded, medially not pointed. Mesoscutum medially dark blue or blackish and laterally green or blue with golden reflections |
|
– | Posterior margin of T3 medially somewhat pointed (Fig. |
|
3 | Scapal basin largely smooth (female) or finely punctured (male) without fine cross-ridging. Mesoscutellum blue. Larger species, 4–8 mm |
|
– | Scapal basin medially with fine cross-ridging in both sexes (Fig. |
|
4 | Medial teeth on the posterior margin of T3 extending distinctly further posteriorly than lateral teeth, and usually located in close proximity (Fig. |
|
– | Medial teeth on the posterior margin of T3 not extending distinctly further posteriorly than lateral teeth, and/or not located in close proximity (Fig. |
|
5 | Mesoscutum blue or blackish. Second metatarsomere at least 3.5 times as long as broad (Fig. |
|
– | Mesoscutum golden red or golden green. Second metatarsomere at most 2.5 times as long as broad |
|
6 | Malar space shorter, at most 0.75 times basal width of mandible (Fig. |
|
– | Malar space longer, in profile equal to basal width of mandible (Fig. |
|
7 | Posterior margin of T3 with six teeth (Figs |
|
– | Posterior margin of T3 with four teeth, these sometimes only shallow projections (Figs |
|
8 | Metasoma dorsally purple red. Lateral teeth of T3 sharp (Fig. |
|
– | Metasoma multicoloured, T1 and T2 dark blue or black with golden green or golden red bands posteriorly. Lateral teeth of T3 rounded (Fig. |
|
9 | Black spots of S2 fused and short, not or only slightly extending to lateral margins of sternite (Fig. |
|
– | Black spots of S2 fused and broad, widely extending to the lateral margins of the sternite (Fig. |
|
10 | Metasoma completely blue or blue-green, without red colour |
|
– | Metasoma not completely blue or blue-green, always with red or golden colour |
|
11 | Mesoscutum medially not darker than laterally. Black spots of S2 large and long, almost extending to middle of sternite. T3 of female with distinct transverse bulge anterior to pit row. Male with short triangular apical teeth separated by wide intervals (Fig. |
|
– | Mesoscutum distinctly darker medially than laterally (Fig. |
|
12 | T1 blue, T2 entirely golden red (female) or with large dark blue dorsal spot (male) (Fig. |
|
– | Both T1 and T2 golden red or reddish |
|
13 | T3 completely green, blue or violet, in contrast with colour of T1 and T2 |
|
– | T3 golden red or reddish, at most with blue or violet apical rim |
|
14 | Mesosoma dorsally bright red |
|
– | Mesosoma dorsally blue-green or blue-violet |
|
15 | Setae medially on metatibia longer than width of tibia (Fig. |
|
– | Setae medially on metatibia shorter than width of tibia (Fig. |
|
16 | Body slender, metasoma narrower (Fig. |
|
– | Body robust, metasoma broader (Fig. |
|
17 | Apical rim of T3 blue or violet, remaining tergite red |
|
– | Apical rim of T3 golden red, of same colour as remaining tergite |
|
18 | Meso- and metascutellum golden red |
|
– | Mesosoma entirely blue-violet |
|
19 | Spurs of metatibia approximately equal in length (Fig. |
|
– | Spurs of metatibia distinctly unequal in length (Fig. |
|
20 | Mandible with subapical tooth (Fig. |
|
– | Mandible without subapical tooth. Female mesoscutum laterally with dense punctation |
|
21 | Pronotum short, length less than one fourth of its width (Fig. |
|
– | Pronotum longer, length at least one fourth of its width (Figs |
|
22 | Punctation of tergites very fine and dense throughout, punctures of uniform size, surface dull (Fig. |
|
– | Punctation of tergites coarser and sparser, punctures of variable size, surface shiny (Fig. |
|
23 | Frontal carina with four tooth-like tubercles medially (Figs |
|
– | Frontal carina without four tooth-like tubercles. Punctation of tergites, colour of pubescence and shape of apical teeth variable |
|
24 | Pronotum and mesoscutellum uniformly greenish (Fig. |
|
– | Pronotum blue or violet framed by lighter colour, mesoscutellum medially darker than laterally (Figs |
|
25 | Female. With ovipositor. Posterior margin of S4 opaque and angled (Figs |
|
– | Male. Without ovipositor. Posterior margin of S4 semitransparent and almost straight (Figs |
|
26 | T2 and T3 laterally completely dull, with dense coriaceous microsculpture between punctures (Fig. |
|
– | T2 and T3 laterally with shiny surface between punctures (as in Fig. |
|
27 | Mandible extremely thin (in lateral view, medially as broad as apical segment of labial palp) (Fig. |
|
– | Mandible thicker (in lateral view, medially broader than apical segment of labial palp), dorsally always punctate. Shape of body, colouration of S2 and punctation of mesoscutum variable |
|
28 | Body slender and elongate, metasoma with almost parallel sides (Fig. |
|
– | Body not as slender and elongate (Figs |
|
29 | Ovipositor broad (T5 broader than long) (Fig. |
|
– | Ovipositor narrow (T5 longer than broad) (Fig. |
|
30 | Metasoma broader, with slightly convex sides (Fig. |
|
– | Metasoma more elongate, with more parallel sides (Fig. |
|
31 | Metasoma elongate with almost parallel sides (Figs |
|
– | Metasoma with more convex sides (Figs |
|
32 | T2 anteriorly with dense, deep and coarse punctation, punctures becoming much sparser and finer posteriorly (Fig. |
|
– | T2 anteriorly with somewhat sparser and finer punctation, punctures becoming slightly sparser and finer posteriorly (Fig. |
|
33 | Apical teeth of T3 sharply produced and apical rim with almost parallel lateral margins (Fig. |
|
– | Apical teeth of T3 not as sharply produced and apical rim with more angled lateral margins (Figs |
|
34 | Mandible very thin (medial width of mandible not more than one third of its basal width), basally strongly narrowing in lateral view (Fig. |
|
– | Mandible thicker (medial width of mandible more than one third of its basal width), gradually narrowing towards the apex (Fig. |
|
35 | Mesoscutum laterally with green or blue punctures and black interstices (Fig. |
|
– | Mesoscutum entirely blue, violet or black, punctures and interstices generally of same colour (Figs |
|
36 | (Males.) Mandible thin (medial width of mandible about one third of its basal width) (Fig. |
|
– | Mandible thicker (medial width of mandible more than one third of its basal width), its dorsal surface always with small punctures. Body size and shape variable. Colouration of S2 variable (Figs |
|
37 | Colour of S2 golden or reddish, with long rectangular black spots (Fig. |
|
– | Colour of S2 variable, black spots usually not rectangular (Figs |
|
38 | Inner margin of paramere angled (Fig. |
|
– | Inner margin of paramere rounded (Fig. |
|
39 | The following two species are not always separable. Metasoma with slightly convex sides (approximately as in Fig. |
|
– | Metasoma with more parallel sides (approximately as in Fig. |
|
40 | Mandible thick (medial width of mandible more than half of its basal width), its margins basally straight in lateral view (Fig. |
|
– | Mandible thinner (medial width of mandible not more than half of its basal width), its margins basally more or less concave in lateral view (Figs |
|
41 | S2 mainly green, its pubescence dense and long (Fig. |
|
– | S2 mainly red or golden, its pubescence variable (Fig. |
|
42 | Pronotum without sharply contrasting border between the darker middle part and the lighter margins (Fig. |
|
– | Pronotum usually with sharply contrasting border between the darker middle part and the lighter margins (Fig. |
|
43 | F1 approximately as long as or slightly (not more than 1.2×) longer than F2 (Fig. |
|
– | F1 1.2–1.5 times as long as F2 (Figs |
|
44 | The following three species are not always separable. Mandible thinner, its margins basally concave in lateral view (Fig. |
|
– | Mandible thicker, its margins basally almost straight in lateral view (Fig. |
|
45 | F1 1.2–1.4 times as long as F2 (Fig. |
|
– | F1 1.3–1.5 times as long as F2 (Fig. |
|
Length 4–7 mm. The species is easy to recognise by the edentate posterior margin of T3 and the narrow, elongate body shape. Species of
Estonia. Very rare. One female was collected on 14.VII.2015 in Reinu, southwestern Estonia (
Habitat: various biotopes with sun-exposed dead wood (
Length 5–8 mm. The species resembles
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden. Relatively rare. – Trans-Palearctic: Europe, northern Africa, Russian Far East (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas. Adults occasionally visit flowers of
Length 7–9 mm. The species differs from other North European species of the
Finland. Very rare, only eight specimens (6 females and 2 males) are known. – West Palearctic: the species has been found only from Finland and Russian Fennoscandia (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas. One specimen was caught with a Malaise trap in a bog. Flight period: mid-June to early August. Host: unknown.
The species might be conspecific with the Far Eastern species
Metatibia:
Length 5–8 mm. The species resembles
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Common. – West Palearctic: Europe (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas. Adults occasionally visit flowers of
Length 4–8 mm. The species can be differentiated from other Nordic and Baltic species of the
Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania. Rare. – Trans-Palearctic: Europe, northern Africa, Russian Far East (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas. In central Europe typical habitats include e.g. embankments, wastelands and margins of pine forests (
Length 3–6 mm. The species is similar to
Denmark. Very rare. Only one male and one female are known, recorded from the island of Funen (Helnæs, 19.VIII.1918, leg. L. Jørgensen). – West Palearctic: Europe, northern Africa, Asia Minor (
Habitat: steep sand and loess slopes and stone walls (
Length 6–9 mm. The species is easily recognised due to its unique colouration among North European chrysidids. The head and the mesosoma are mainly blue or green, but the meso- and metascutellum are red or golden. Usually also the frons, the anterior margin of the pronotum and the lateral sections of the mesoscutum have golden or coppery reflections. The metasoma is dorsally red, but the apical rim of T3 is contrastingly blue. The apical teeth are shallow and indistinct, whereby the apical rim may appear nearly rounded.
Denmark, Lithuania, Sweden. Rare. Only a few records from Denmark and Sweden (Scania) and one record from Lithuania are known (
Habitat: xerothermic sparsely vegetated sandy areas, often close to seashore. Adults often bask on sun-exposed pieces of wood or logs on the sand, and spend nights inside hollow plant stems (
Mitochondrial DNA sequences available at the Barcode of Life Data System (
Length 5–8 mm. The colouration is similar to
Latvia. Very rare. Only three records are known from eastern and central Latvia. – Trans-Palearctic: Europe, central Asia, Japan and Korea (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas, such as sand pits (
Length 5–9 mm. The species resembles
Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden. Relatively rare. – Trans-Palearctic: from Europe and northern Africa to China and Japan (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas, forest margins. Flight period: early June to late August. Adults are occasionally found on flowers of
The status of the closely related species
Length 6–8 mm. The species resembles
Denmark. Very rare. Only one female specimen is known from the island of Lolland (Strandby, 2.VIII.1919, leg. L. Jørgensen). – West Palearctic: southern Europe (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas. Flowers of
Length 6–9 mm. The species is easy to recognise due to its distinctive colouration: the head, lateral and ventral parts of the mesosoma (including legs) and T3 are green, blue or violet, whereas the dorsal parts of the mesosoma, most of T1 and the entire T2 are red. The setae medially on the metatibia are longer than the tibial width (shorter in
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Common. – Trans-Palearctic: from western Europe to Russian Far East, Korea, China and Japan (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated areas with clay or sandy soil, gardens. Adults occasionally visit flowers of
Length 7–9 mm. The colouration is unique among North European chrysidids. The head and mesosoma are blue or greenish, and the mesoscutum is medially often dark blue or nearly black. The metasoma is dorsally red, but the apical rim of T3 is contrastingly blue.
Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania. Relatively rare. – West Palearctic: Europe and Asia Minor (
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood. Adults are occasionally found on flowers of
Length 6–9 mm. The body is entirely dark blue or violet with greenish reflections. Usually the male is more greenish or lighter blue than the female. The species can be confused with
Sweden. Very rare. Only one specimen is known from Östergötland, collected probably in the late 1840s or early 1850s (leg. A.G. Dahlbom). – West Palearctic: central and southern Europe, northern Africa, Asia Minor (
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood (
Length 7–12 mm. The species differs from other North European chrysidids by its unique colouration. The head, mesosoma and T1 are dark blue or violet blue, whereas T2 and T3 are bright red (or rarely greenish) in the female. T1 often has golden reflections laterally. The male resembles the female in colouration, but T2 has a large dark blue or nearly black patch antero-dorsally with greenish margins (Fig.
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Common. – Trans-Palearctic: from western Europe to central Asia, Russian Far East and China (
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood. Adults are usually found flying near walls of wooden buildings, dead tree trunks (e.g.
Length 7–13 mm. The body is mostly blue or blue-green, resembling
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden. Relatively rare. – West Palearctic: Europe (
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood. Adults are usually found on walls of old log buildings (barns, sheds etc.), log piles, poles and dead tree trunks (e.g.
Length 7–10 mm. As in most other species of the
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Relatively common. – West Palearctic: Europe, Asia Minor (
Habitat: dry meadows, rocky outcrops, cliffs, clay banks, forest margins. Adults occasionally visit flowers of
Length 7–9 mm. Both sexes are easily confused with e.g.
Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Relatively rare. – West Palearctic: central and northern Europe, Iran (
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood. Rarely also sandy banks and clay structures, such as old barn walls. Flight period: early June to early August. Host:
Length 6–10 mm. The species is characterised by a uniformly green or blue-green pronotum and mesoscutellum, and a contrastingly darker blue or violet mesoscutum (Fig.
Estonia. Very rare. Only four records are known from Estonia, all from the western part of the country (Ahu, Manilaid, Tuudi, Väike-Pakri; 2001–2009). – West Palearctic: southern and central Europe, northern Africa (
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood. Usually observed on dead tree trunks and on walls of abandoned houses (
Length 7–10 mm. The species is easily confused with other similarly coloured species of the
Denmark, Norway, Sweden. Rare. Only one confirmed record is known from Denmark, four from southern Sweden (Scania, Bohuslän and Stockholm archipelago) and ten from southern Norway. – West Palearctic: from central and northern Europe to southwestern Asia (
Habitat: all Nordic specimens have been found in coastal localities. Adults are usually found flying near rocks and log walls (
Length 9–13 mm. Females are usually easy to recognise by the laterally coriaceous and dull T2 and T3 (Fig.
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden. Relatively rare. – Trans-Palearctic: from Europe to central Asia and Japan (
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood. Adults often fly near dead tree trunks (
Length 6–9 mm. The species can be confused with several other similarly coloured species of the
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Very common. – Trans-Palearctic. Europe, southwestern Asia, Siberia, China (
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood. Adults are often found on walls of wooden buildings, poles, log piles and dead tree trunks. Occasionally they also visit flowers of
Length 10–13 mm. The body is elongate with parallel sides (Fig.
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Relatively rare. – Trans-Palearctic: from western Europe to central Asia, Siberia and China (
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood. Adults can be found on walls of old log buildings (barns, sheds etc.), log piles, poles and dead tree trunks (e.g.
Eastern Palearctic populations of
Length 7–10 mm. The species is characterised by its subapically toothed mandible (Fig.
Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Sweden. Rare. – West Palearctic: northern and central Europe (
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood (usually
Length 6–10 mm. The colouration and habitus are similar to
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Relatively rare. – Trans-Palearctic: from western Europe to Mongolia (
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood. Adults occasionally visit flowers of
Length 6–10 mm.
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden. Relatively rare. – West Palearctic? Reliable distributional data from the eastern Palaearctic are not available. Records from Japan have been found to be erroneous (
Habitat: sun-exposed clay and loess walls and banks, sand pits, road verges and meadows. Adults have been found on flowers of
Length 5–9 mm. The species is closely related to
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Common. – Trans-Palearctic: from western Europe to Japan (
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood. Adults fly near walls of buildings (log barns, sheds etc.), dead tree trunks (e.g.
Length 5–8 mm. The size and shape of the body are similarly slender and elongate as in
Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway. Rare. Only one old record is known from Finland. New to Norway (1 ♀, Østfold, Aremark, Teigen,
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood. Adults have occasionally been found on flowers of
Length 6–10 mm. The head and mesosoma are dorsally dark blue, violet or nearly black, and the punctures of the mesoscutum are usually of the same colour as the interstices. The tergites are golden red and the sternites variably golden or greenish (Fig.
Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Common. – Trans-Palearctic: from western Europe to central Asia, Siberia and Japan (
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood. Adults fly near sun-exposed dead tree trunks (e.g.
Recent mitochondrial DNA studies have shown that
Length 5–10 mm.
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Relatively rare. – West Palearctic: from western Europe to central Asia and China (
Habitat: gardens, parks and forest margins. Adults are usually collected from walls of old buildings (both wooden and stone), dead tree trunks, poles and log piles. They rarely visit flowers of
A few studied specimens from Norway, Finland and Lithuania differ significantly from other North European
Length 6–11 mm. The species is easily confused with other similarly coloured species of the
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Very common. – West Palearctic: from western Europe to central Asia (
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood. Adults are mainly observed flying and running on walls of wooden buildings (e.g. log barns), dead tree trunks (e.g.
11 ♀♀ and 15 ♂♂. DNA barcode sequences of all type specimens are available at GenBank or Barcode of Life Data System (
Length 6–11 mm. The species is very similar to
Body length 7.8–10.3 mm, forewing length 5.1–6.6 mm (n = 12).
Head. Height 1.8–2.1 mm, width 2.3–2.6 mm, length 1.0–1.1 mm, shortest interocular distance 9.4–11.0 mm. Scapal basin green or greenish blue, usually becoming darker blue or violet dorsally below frontal carina. Punctation of scapal basin very dense and fine, partially coriaceous with rugae formed by the puncture margins. Transverse frontal carina well developed, usually relatively evenly arcuate or slightly notched medially. Vertex dark blue, dark violet or black. Pubescence on vertex light brownish. Malar space 1.4 times broader than high. Mandible blackish brown, apically and in inner margin light brown, without subapical tooth. In lateral view, mandible relatively thick (similar to
Mesosoma. Length 3.0–3.8 mm, width anterior to tegulae 2.0–2.7 mm. Length of pronotum medially 0.5–0.6 mm and width at anterior margin 1.8–2.2 mm. Colour of pronotum medially black, dark violet or dark blue, on the margins lighter green, blue or violet, only rarely with golden reflections (Figs
Metasoma. Length 3.8–4.9 mm, maximum width 2.4–2.9 mm. Colour of tergites golden red or reddish, T1 anteriorly often greenish (Fig.
Body length 6.7–9.0 mm, forewing length 4.7–6.0 mm (n = 15).
Head. Height 1.5–2.0 mm, width 1.9–2.4 mm, length 0.8–1.1 mm, shortest interocular distance 0.3–0.4 mm. Structure and colouration as in female, but scapal basin often slightly paler, shape of transverse frontal carina more variable, pubescence longer and mandible thicker. Sides of mandible basally slightly concave, gradually converging towards apex in lateral view. Relative lengths of P/F1/F2/F3 are 1/1.8/1.3/1.2 (Fig.
Mesosoma. Length 2.5–3.5 mm, width anterior to tegulae 1.7–2.4 mm. Length of pronotum medially 0.3–0.6 mm and width at anterior margin 1.5–2.1 mm. Structure as in female, but colouration usually somewhat lighter and pubescence longer. Margins of pronotum more often with golden reflections, and mesoscutum sometimes entirely blue. Mesoscutellum often medially violet, not always black, whereas mesoscutellum laterally, metanotum and propodeum violet, blue or golden green. Legs green, golden green or bluish with dark brown tibiae.
Metasoma. Length 3.3–4.4 mm, maximum width 2.1–2.8 mm. Colour of tergites as in female, but punctation of T1 and T2 usually denser and finer. T3 with very dense and homogenous punctation. Interstices shining without distinct microsculpture. T3 convex, not medially depressed as in female. Shape of apical teeth of T3 relatively variable. Medial interval narrower than or as wide as lateral intervals. Subapical pit row with 12–20 black pits. Subapical lateral swellings weak or nearly missing. Sternites with green, golden and reddish colour (Fig.
Southern specimens from Estonia, Öland and Gotland are more uniform in colour than specimens from Finland, Norway and the Swedish mainland. The mesosoma of southern specimens is uniformly bright blue or violet with some greenish reflections, whereas in northern specimens, the mesoscutum and central part of the pronotum are commonly black or dark violet, and the margins of the pronotum and mesoscutellum are, in contrast, greenish or even golden green, especially in the males.
Variable positions of the DNA barcode sequences of
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden. Rare. – West Palearctic (?), general distribution poorly known. So far only known from the Nordic and Baltic countries and north-western Russia (Leningrad Oblast, Republic of Karelia, Murmansk Oblast) (
Habitat: rocky outcrops, cliffs, alpine meadows, forest margins. Often found on islands of the Baltic Sea and in Lapland, where other species of the
The species epithet
Several authors have earlier identified specimens of
Holotype of
Length ratio of the first and second flagellomere in
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male | 16 | 1.38 | 0.07 | 1.52 | 1.25 | - | - | - | |
|
male | 10 | 1.17 | 0.05 | 1.25 | 1.12 | <0.0001 | - | - |
|
male | 18 | 1.27 | 0.07 | 1.41 | 1.14 | <0.0001 | 0.0001 | - |
|
male | 10 | 1.26 | 0.09 | 1.39 | 1.11 | 0.0008 | 0.0078 | 0.3314 |
female | 9 | 1.58 | 0.11 | 1.73 | 1.42 | - | - | - | |
|
female | 10 | 1.41 | 0.07 | 1.50 | 1.29 | 0.0005 | - | - |
|
female | 13 | 1.44 | 0.11 | 1.63 | 1.25 | 0.0045 | 0.1582 | - |
|
female | 10 | 1.48 | 0.07 | 1.58 | 1.38 | 0.0128 | 0.0165 | 0.1916 |
Internal tergites and sternites of
Internal tergites and sternites of
Variable positions in DNA barcode sequences of
1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
3 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 6 | |
G | T | G | G | A | G | C | A | G | T | T | A | C | T | T | A | T | T | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | - | - | - | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | - | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | - | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | C | . | . | . | C | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | T | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | C | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | T | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | C | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | T | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | C | |
. | C | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | T | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | T | . | . | . | . | - | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | T | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | A | . | . | . | . | T | . | . | . | . | T | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | A | . | . | . | . | T | . | . | . | . | T | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | A | . | . | . | . | T | . | C | . | . | T | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | A | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | T | . | C | . | . | . | |
. | . | A | . | . | . | T | . | . | . | . | T | . | . | . | . | C | . | |
A | . | A | . | . | A | T | . | A | . | C | . | T | . | . | G | . | . | |
. | . | A | A | G | . | T | . | A | . | C | . | T | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | A | . | G | . | T | . | A | . | C | . | T | . | . | . | . | . |
Kimura-2-parameter neighbour joining tree of all
Length 6–10 mm. The species resembles closely
Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Relatively common (especially in south-eastern Sweden, Öland and Gotland). – West Palearctic: from western Europe to central Asia (
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood, but also sparsely vegetated sandy areas. Flight period: late April to early August. The flight begins earlier than in other species of the
Length 7–11 mm. The species is easily recognised due to its unique combination of a red metasoma and six apical teeth. The head and the mesosoma are greenish, dark blue or nearly black with coppery reflections, whereas the metasoma is dorsally purple-red or coppery red. The tergites are coarsely punctured, and the posterior margin of T3 has six sharp teeth (Fig.
Latvia. Very rare. Only one male specimen is known from central Latvia (Ropaži, 1.VI.1961, leg. V. Tumšs) (
Habitat: gardens with dead wood, old brick walls, old fences and/or stones (
Length 7–10 mm. Both sexes have a mostly dark blue or black, partially violet, body with green reflections on the frons, margins of the pronotum, mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and mesopleuron. The tergites have contrasting golden red or golden green bands posteriorly (except on the apical rim), which are especially wide laterally on T1 and T2. The colour and form of the bands is quite variable, usually they are wider and more reddish in the female than in the male. The species closely resembles
Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Rare. – Trans-Palearctic: from western Europe to Russian Far East (Sakhalin).
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood. Adults are usually found on sun-exposed dead tree trunks and stumps, most often of
Length 6–9 mm. The species resembles
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden. Rare. – Trans-Palearctic: from North Europe to Siberia. Records from the East Palearctic Region refer to
Habitat: forest margins and clearings with sun-exposed dead tree trunks and stumps (e.g.
Several authors have considered
In Europe, this genus is characterised by the tridentate posterior margin of T3 (Figs
Length 4–8 mm. The species is characterised by its completely green, blue or violet body (Fig.
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Very common. – Trans-Palearctic: from Europe and northern Africa to central Asia, Siberia, Korea, China and Japan (
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood (e.g. dead tree trunks, log and branch piles, walls of wooden buildings or poles). Adults occasionally visit flowers of
Diagnostic characters of this genus include the nearly flat and densely punctate frons, the lack of a transverse frontal carina (Figs
Head, frontal view:
1 | Mesosoma dorsally bright red |
|
– | Mesosoma entirely blue-green with golden (or rarely coppery) reflections, without red colour |
|
2 | Head broad ventrally, with nearly parallel malar spaces, width between mandible bases about 1.5 times as long as compound eye (Fig. |
|
– | Head narrow ventrally, with convergent malar spaces, width between the mandible bases equivalent or slightly longer than length of compound eye (Figs |
|
3 | T3 of female long and ovoid, posterior pit row very weakly developed (Fig. |
|
– | T3 of female short and wide, with distinct pit row posteriorly (Figs |
|
4 | Punctation of tergites heterogeneous, consisting of large punctures and interspersed small punctures (Fig. |
|
– | Punctation of tergites homogeneous, consisting of only small punctures (Fig. |
|
Length 8–12 mm. The species differs from other similarly coloured species of
Lithuania. Very rare. The species is known from three localities in Lithuania (Puvočiai, Trakai, Vilnius) (
Habitat: forest margins and gardens. Often found from wooden poles, walls, fence posts, loess, clay or old brick walls or rocks (
Length 5–9 mm. The species is easy to differentiate from other North European
Sweden. Very rare. Only one female specimen is known from Västergötland, southern Sweden, collected probably in the 1830s (leg. L. Gyllenhal). – West Palearctic: southern and central Europe, south-eastern Asia (
Habitat: rock mounds, scree formations, rocky outcrops, rock walls and dry meadows, usually in areas with calcareous bedrock (
Length 7–11 mm. The species resembles other similarly coloured species of
Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Relatively rare. – Trans-Palearctic: from western Europe to China, Korea and Japan (
Habitat: dry meadows, forest margins and clearings. Adults are often found flying near the ground, rocks or dead wood (
Length 8–11 mm. The species differs from other similarly coloured species of the genus by its heterogeneous tergal punctation, which consists of large punctures and interspersed small punctures (Figs
Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden. Relatively rare. – Trans-Palearctic: from western Europe and northern Africa to western Asia and Siberia (
Habitat: forest margins, clearings and gardens with sun-exposed dead wood. Occasionally also found on brick walls, clay walls or rocky outcrops (
Length 9–11 mm. Compared to other similarly coloured species of
Sweden. Rare. Only found on the islands of Öland and Gotland. – West Palearctic: southern and central Europe, Asia Minor (
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas. Adults occasionally visit flowers of
This tribe has been treated as a valid subfamily,
The genus can be distinguished from other genera of
Length 8–12 mm. The species is easy to differentiate from other North European cuckoo wasps by its unique structure and colouration. The head, mesosoma and most of T1 are green or green-blue, with golden or coppery reflections, especially in the female. The metasoma behind T1, tegulae and tibiae are usually non-metallic red (Fig.
Lithuania. Very rare. The species has been recorded from five localities in southern Lithuania (
Habitat: xerothermic sparsely vegetated sandy areas. Adults often visit flowers of several different families (
Distribution of chrysidid species in the Nordic and Baltic countries. DK = Denmark, EE = Estonia, FI = Finland, LV = Latvia, LT = Lithuania, NO = Norway, SE = Sweden. 1 = recorded before 2000, 2 = recorded from 2000 onwards.
Species | DK | EE | FI | LV | LT | NO | SE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1, 2 | 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1, 2 | |||
1 | 2 | 2 | |||||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 2 | 1, 2 | ||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
2 | 2 | ||||||
1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |||||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1 | 1, 2 | 2 | 1 | ||||
1 | 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |||
2 | 1, 2 | 2 | 1, 2 | ||||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1 | |||||||
1, 2 | |||||||
1 | 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | ||
1 | 1 | ||||||
1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1 | 1 | ||||||
1, 2 | |||||||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1 | 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | ||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
2 | |||||||
2 | 1, 2 | 2 | 2 | 1, 2 | |||
1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1, 2 | |
1 | 1 | 1, 2 | |||||
2 | |||||||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1, 2 | ||
1, 2 | |||||||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1 | 1, 2 | 1 | |||||
1 | |||||||
1 | 1 | 1, 2 | |||||
1, 2 | |||||||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1 | 1, 2 | |||
1 | |||||||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | ||||
1 | |||||||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | ||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1, 2 | 2 | 1 | 1, 2 | 2 | 1, 2 | ||
2 | |||||||
1, 2 | 2 | 1, 2 | |||||
1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | ||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1, 2 | ||||
1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1, 2 | 2 | 1, 2 | |
2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |||
1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1, 2 | 1 | 1 | 1, 2 | 2 | |||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |||
1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | ||||
1 | |||||||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |||
1, 2 | 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | ||||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | |
1, 2 | |||||||
1 | |||||||
1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | ||||
1 | 1, 2 | 1 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | 1, 2 | ||
1, 2 | |||||||
1, 2 | |||||||
Number of species | 47 | 51 | 48 | 49 | 48 | 38 | 53 |
We thank Johan Abenius (Sweden), Niklas Johansson (Sweden), Kent Runge Poulsen (Denmark) and Hans Th. Schmidt (Denmark) for providing important information and help for this study. Pekka Malinen (Finland) and Arnstein Staverløkk (Norway) gave permission to use their photographs. We also thank Mattias Forshage (Sweden) and Lauri Kaila (Finland) and the reviewers for their helpful comments on the manuscript and Stephen Venn (Finland) and Robert Davis (Estonia) for checking the English language. This research was supported by the Finnish Ministry of the Environment through the research programme of deficiently known and threatened forest species (PUTTE II), the institutional grant IUT20-33 from the Estonian Research Council, the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (Center of Excellence FIBIR) and the project ACUNOR as a part of the Taxonomy Initiative of the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre. DNA barcode data used in this publication was generated in collaboration with the Finnish Barcode of Life project (FinBOL) funded by the Kone Foundation and the University of Oulu, and the Norwegian Barcode of Life Network (NorBOL) funded by the Research Council of Norway and the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre. Societas Entomologica Helsingforsiensis also gave support for DNA barcoding, and the Entomological Society of Lund (ESIL) gave funds for acquiring the imaging system.