Hedychridium purpurascens (Dahlbom, 1854)

Paukkunen, Juho, Berg, Alexander, Soon, Villu, Odegaard, Frode & Rosa, Paolo, 2015, An illustrated key to the cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae) of the Nordic and Baltic countries, with description of a new species, ZooKeys 548, pp. 1-116 : 38

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Chrysididae

Hedychridium purpurascens (Dahlbom, 1854) Figs 70, 72, 73

Hedychrum purpurascens Dahlbom, 1854: 85.

Hedychridium purpurascens : du Buysson (in André) 1892: 208.

Diagnosis.

Length 5-6 mm. The species closely resembles Hedychridium cupreum , but the colouration of the head and mesosoma are dorsally darker violet (Fig. 70), sometimes nearly black. The punctation of the mesoscutum and mesoscutellum is denser (Fig. 70), the pubescence of the metasoma shorter (Fig. 72) and the fine cross-ridging of the scapal basin is restricted to a smaller area medially. S2 has a round metallic spot medially (Fig. 73).

Distribution.

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 ( Linsenmaier 1959).

Biology.

Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas. Adults often sit on roots of trees and bask in the sun ( Trautmann 1927). Flight period: July to August. Host: unknown.