An illustrated key to the cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae) of the Nordic and Baltic countries, with description of a new species
Author
Paukkunen, Juho
Author
Berg, Alexander
Author
Soon, Villu
Author
Odegaard, Frode
Author
Rosa, Paolo
text
ZooKeys
2015
548
1
116
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.548.6164
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.548.6164
1313-2970-548-1
D5D7B51E5AC6460D9B3C7584E46F9B3F
Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Chrysididae
Cleptes nitidulus (Fabricius, 1793)
Figs 13, 14, 16
Ichneumon
nitidulus
Fabricius, 1793: 184.
Cleptes nitidula
:
Fabricius 1804
: 154.
Diagnosis.
Length 5-7 mm. Both sexes differ from
Cleptes semiauratus
by not having a foveate furrow posteriorly on the pronotum (Fig. 13). The female also differs from
Cleptes semiauratus
by its black head and mesoscutum, non-metallic yellow or orange pronotum, mostly metallic blue mesoscutellum, metanotum and propodeum, and non-metallic black apex of the metasoma. As opposed to the female, the head and mesosoma of the male are entirely metallic green and the apex of the metasoma has faint metallic reflections laterally (Fig. 16). Both sexes differ from
Cleptes semicyaneus
by having pale brown or yellow (not dark brown) legs, denser punctation on the tergites (Fig. 16) and deep postocellar foveae on the vertex (Fig. 14).
Distribution.
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Sweden. Rare. - West Palearctic: Europe and Turkey (
Linsenmaier 1959
), records from China are erroneous (
Rosa et al. 2014
).
Biology.
Habitat: sparsely vegetated sandy areas, such as dry meadows and dunes (
Morgan 1984
). Occasionally found on flowers of
Apiaceae
(
Heinrich 1964
). Flight period: June to August. Host:
Caliroa cerasi
(Linnaeus) and
Euura ribesii
(Scopoli) (
Tenthredinidae
) (
Dahlbom 1854
,
Morgan 1984
).