| Hedychrum nobile (Scopoli, 1763) |
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Scientific name: Hedychrum nobile (Scopoli, 1763) Common name: French name: Order: Hymenoptera Family: Chrysididae Wingspan : 8-10 mm. Biotope: Sunny areas with flowers, sandy areas where the nests of the victim species are located. Geographic area: Palaearctic region. Observation period : June to early September. |
Chrysididae are small hymenopteran wasps with beautiful metallic colours. They are parasitoids of other insects. As they are used to laying their eggs in the nest of these other insects, they are called cuckoo wasps. Hedychrum nobile belongs to the Chrysidinae subfamily. The members of the other subfamily, Cleptinae, only show metallic colours on the front parts of the body. The abdomen has only three visible segments. The four last ones are folded inside. Telling species apart is very difficult. There are about 60 Chrysididae species in the Paris Basin. The Hedychrum genus is characterized by a wide and flattened body, two small lateral teeth on the third tergite and by the bifid tarsi tip. Hedychrum nobile has metallic green and red thorax and a metallic golden red abdomen. There is a possible confusion with Hedychrum niemelai which is similar in colour and shape, though it is a smaller size. Over a body size of 8 mm you can decide for Hedychrum nobile, a doubt remains if the size is lower. With females you have to examine the under size of the last visible sternite with binocular lenses. Hedychrum nobile is known as a parasitoid of Cerceris arenaria. |
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I have observed Hedychrum nobile next to a colony of Dasypoda hirtipes thanks to my friend Gérard. This does not mean that it is sure that Hedychrum nobile is a parasitoid of Dasypoda hirtipes. But there is a high suspicion because of this observation. |
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The abdomen is wide and flattened, the tarsi tip are bifid. I have not been able to see the third tergite's lateral teeth on my pictures. Again, my friend Gérard shown them to me with a picture shot on a captured specimen. There is still a doubt with Hedychrum niemelai as it is not easy to evaluate the exact size on pictures. |
André Bon December 2011