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Hedychridium fletcheri Bodenstein
Life   Insecta   Hymenoptera   Chrysidoidea   Chrysididae   Hedychridium

Hedychridium fletcheri, tail
Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab; Photographer: Josh · 9
Hedychridium fletcheri, tail

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Hedychridium fletcheri
R. M. Bohart and L. S. Kimsey, 1982 · 9
Hedychridium fletcheri
Hedychridium fletcheri, male genitalia
R. M. Bohart and L. S. Kimsey, 1982 · 1
Hedychridium fletcheri, male genitalia
Overview
Taken from: R. M. Bohart and L. S. Kimsey. 1982. A Synopsis of the Chrysididae in America North of Mexico.


Hedychridium fletcheri Bodenstein

(Fig. 131)
Hedychrum viride Cresson 1865:306. Lectotype female, “Colorado Territory” (ANSP). Nec Guerin 1842.
Hedychridium fletcheri Bodenstein 1951:720. New name for viride Cresson.

Discussion: The most abundant species of Hedychridium north of Mexico, fletcheri is found throughout North America. This species is quite variable in size, coloration and structure, a problem typical of widespread, abundant chrysidids. Large specimens can be recognized by: F-I 1.7 to 1.9 times as long as wide and less than 1.5 times as long as pedicel, F-V as long as wide, medial vein curved and meeting MCu at an obtuse angle, a well developed brow overhanging a lower frontal area of fine punctation, male scapal basin covered with dense silvery pubescence and an unusually long face (the subantennal distance is subequal to pedicel length). In smaller specimens these characters may be much less pronounced. The most noticeable differences are the shorter length of F-I, (1.5 times width) and shorter subantennal distance (0.5 pedicel length in extreme cases). Specimens range in length from 3.0 to 7.5 mm and in color from green to blue or even purple. No differences can be found in the male genitalia among these variant specimens (fig. 131). A wide host range may account for most of the variation, but unfortunately only a single host has been reported. The male face was illustrated by Bohart and Kimsey (1978:fig. 10).

Host: Tachysphex similis Rohwer (Sphecidae) was reported as a probable host by Kurczewski (1967) who observed female fletcheri entering Tachysphex nests and ovipositing in the cells.

Material examined: 600 males, 1, 179 females including type.

Distribution: Most records are from the United States and Canada west of the 100th meridian, as far south as Chihuahua and Baja California, and as far north as Saskatchewan. Additional specimens have been seen from Texas, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Kansas, Florida, Iowa, Georgia, Minnesota and Manitoba. Collection dates are May through September.



Hedychridium Abeille de Perrin
Hedychridium Abeille de Perrin 18:78:3. Generotype: Hedychrum minutum Lepeletier 1806 ( Chrysis ardens Coquebert 1801). designated by Ashmead 1902. Hedychrum, Holopyga and Chrysis in part of authors.
Diagnosis: Frons with close, almost contiguous punctation along inner ocular margins; scutellum not anteriorly carinate; metanotum rounded, simple; mesopleuron rounded; forewing RS stub usually longer than stigma (fig. 107); hindtibia without a pit on inner surface; hind- tarsal claw long and slender, with medial and almost perpendicular tooth (fig. 106); T-III apical rim thin, evenly rounded; male genitalia with well developed digitus (bare) and cuspis (setose) (figs. 129-133).
Discussion: Hedychridium is the second largest chrysidid genus in North America. There are 31 described species in this region and more will undoubtedly be found with further study. The majority of species occur west of the 100th meridian; only four species are found east of this “limit”, and there are only four neotropical species. This distribution may have resulted from several factors: the New World fauna may have a palearctlc origin, and the proliferation of potential hosts in the more arid southwest may have stimulated extensive species radiation in Hedychridium. Palearctic species have been reported as parasites of Sphecidae (Tachysphex, Astata, Liris, Psen, Solierella, Oxybelus, Lindenius, Dinetus), Halictidae (Halictus) and Megachilidae (Osmia). Relatively little is known about hosts of New World species. Twig nest studies have revealed only Solierella as a host for H. solierellae. This suggests that most species of Hedychridium probably attack ground-nesting wasps.
Hedychridium can be confused with Hedychreides. Hedychrum and some Holopyga. However, the perpendicular subsidiary tooth on the tarsal claws will immediately distinguish Hedychridium. The genus was recently revised and the male genitalia figured for each species by Bohart and Kimsey (1978).

Key to Hedychridium

1. F-I over twice as long as wide (figs. 107 112) ……………………………………….2
F-I twice as long as wide or less (figs. 110, 111, 117) ……………………………….16
2. F-I at least twice as long as pedicel and/or medial (basal) vein reaching MCu at a 90 angle or less ………………………………………………………………………………3
F-I less than twice as long as pedicel and medial vein reaching MCu at an obtuse angle (fig. 120) …………………………………………………………………………..10
3. Forefemur strongly grooved and carinate beneath (fig. 108) or strongly angulate subbasally (fig. 109) ………………………………………………………………………4
Forefemur at most weakly carinate and not angulate subbasally ……………………...5
4. S-II green or blue, F-I 3 times as long as wide ……………………….dimidiatum (Say)
S-II brown, F-I less than 3 times as long as wide ………………………...olene Kimsey
5. T-II mediobasally with a large black area, S-III brown ……………………………….6
T-II mediobasally without a large black area (at most a small dark area), S-III at least partly green or blue……………………………………………………………………… 7
6. Lower frons with cross ridging separated from ocular margin by a single row of punctures (fig. 115). T-II with large, indistinctly edged dark area, usually covering more than half of tergum (fig. 125); tegula usually brown ………………………menkei Bohart
Lower frons with cross ridging separated from ocular margin by 3 or more rows of punctures; T-II with a smaller, distinctly edged, triangular or bilobate black area covering less than half of tergum (fig. 126); tegula green ……………………..….bilobatum Bohart
7. T-III punctures about as large as pronotal punctures, T-II strongly thickened toward apical margin or T-III drawn out apicomedially into a rounded point………………….. 8
T-III punctures much smaller than pronotal punctures, T-II and III simple and unmodified……………………………………………………………………………….. 9
8. T-II strongly thickened toward apical margin (fig. 127), F-I more than twice as long as pedicel ……………………………………………………………………..crassum Bohart
T-II not thickened toward apical margin, F-I length about 1.8 times as long as pedicel …………………………………………………………………………….crebrum Kimsey
9. T-III apicomedially incurved (fig. 128) or obtusely notched; S-II evenly punctate, punctures about 1.0 PD apart ……………………………………………...incisum Bohart
T-III apically evenly rounded; S-II medially impunctate, lateral punctures 2 to 6 or more PD apart ……………………………………………………………...politum Bohart
10. Malar space less than 0.75 MOD long ……………………………………………11
Malar space over 0. 90 MOD long…………………………………………………12
11. Lower frons with dense whitish or silvery pubescence, mesopleuron and sides of pronotum not microridged ………………………………………………maricopae Bohart
Lower frons without whitish or silvery pubescence, mesopleuron and sides of pronotum extensively microridged. .. . ……………………………………rasile Bohart
12. T-II with large basomedial or central black or contrasting dark area, or integument extensively microreticulate ……………………………………………………………...13
T-II without basomedial or central black or dark area and integument not micro- reticulate …………………………………………………………………………………14
13. Integument of entire body microreticulate, sparsely punctate, F-I less than 2. 4 times as long as wide ……………………………………………………………...frugale Bohart
Integument of entire body smooth, not microreticulate, densely punctate; F-I 2.4 times as long as wide or longer …………………………...solierellaeBohart and Brumley
14. Malar space about 2.0 MOD long, S-II-III brown ………………...cockerelli Buysson
Malar space 1.0 to 1.5 MOD, S-II (females) or S-II-III (males) at least partly blue or green …………………………………………………………………………………….15
15. RS stub shorter than medial vein …………………………………….coruscum Bohart
RS stub as long as or longer than medial vein ……………………...amabile Cockerell
16. Head and thorax densely microreticulate; flagellum short and broad (fig. 113), F-V wider than long (at least 1.4 times wider) ……………………………….cornutum Bohart
Head and thorax not microreticulate; flagellum long and slender, F-V as long as wide or longer ………………………………………………………………………………..17
17. Subantennal distance about 2.0 MOD long (fig. 117), pronotum laterally with dense longitudinal ridging, mandible long and slender with indistinct dentition …………………………………………………………………………….nevadae Kimsey
Subantennal distance 1.0 MOD long (fig. 116) or shorter, if longer, pronotum laterally irregularly punctate; mandible short and stout with several well developed teeth ………………………………………………………………………………………….18
18. Face with brow indistinct, lower frons punctures not abruptly smaller than those of upper frons (brow area), and not covered with silvery pubescence (fig. 114) ………….19
Face usually with distinct brow, lower frons punctures abruptly smaller and denser than those of brow, covered with dense silvery pubescence (fig. 116) ……………..…..22
19. T-II with large basomedial black or dark purple area, tegula and S-III brown ……………………………………………………………………………...lividum Bohart
T-II without basomedial dark area, tegula (in paulum) and S-III blue or green …….20
20. Metanotum pointed posteriorly, propodeum with well developed central carina (fig. 123), S-II appearing dull with punctures almost contiguous …………caeruleum (Norton)
Metanotum rounded posteriorly, propodeum without central carina (fig. 124), S-II shiny with punctures 1.0 PD apart or more ……………………………………………..21
21. Pedicel half or less as long as F-I, RS stub extending as far as apex of stigma (fig. 119) ………………………………………………………………………...purum Kimsey
Pedicel over half as long as F-I, RS stub extending beyond apex of stigma ………………………………………………………………………………paulum Bohart
22. F-V longer than wide ………………………………………………………………..23
F-V as wide as long or wider……………………………………………………….. 25
23. Wing membrane hyaline and venation yellow, body covered with silvery appressed pubescence ……………………………………………………………..argenteum Kimsey
Wing membrane whitish to lightly infuscate and venation brown, body with sparse whitish hairs ……………………………………………………………………………..24
24. Tegula blue or green, face with prominent brow and dense silvery, appressed pubescence on concave lower frons (fig. 116) …………………………...mirabile Kimsey
Tegula brown, face with indistinct brown and sparse silvery, appressed pubescence on flat lower frons ………………………………………………………….milleri Kimsey
25. Subantennal distance equal to or longer than 1.0 MOD, F-I usually longer than pedicel (occasionally equal in length), tegula completely green or blue………………………………………………………………….. fletcheri Bodenstein
Subantennal distance less than 1.0 MOD, F-I shorter than or as long as pedicel, tegula brown or yellowish (except frontis, arietinum and gemmatum) may have strong blue or green highlights …………………………………………………………………25
25. Abdomen, hindcoxa and hindfemur light red without green or blue ……………………………………………………………………….semirufum Cockerell
Abdomen, hindcoxa and hindfemur blue or green ………………………………….26
26. Wing membrane hyaline or yellowish, venation pale yellow; body covered with long erect, whitish setae averaging 1.5 to 2.0 MOD long ………………….leucostigma Bohart
Wing membrane lightly infuscate, venation brown; body covered with shorter, erect, whitish setae usually averaging 0.5 to 1.5 MOD long ………………………………….27
27. Brow with a strong median, V-shaped swelling, punctures across brow much finer toward ocular margins ……………………………………………………...frontis Kimsey
Brow not well developed, without a V-shaped swelling, punctures across brow not much finer toward ocular margins ……………………………………………………..28
28. F-V about as wide as long (fig. 110) ……………………………..gemmatum Kimsey
F-V much wider than long (1.5 to 2.0 times, fig. 111) ……………………………..29
29. Tegula brown, flagellum reddish, male F-V less than twice as wide as long ………………………………………………………………………..antennatum Kimsey
Tegula with blue or green highlights, flagellum dark brown, male F-V twice as wide as long (fig. 111) …………………………………………………………arietinum Bohart

Identification
*** ID note: Head, frons texture, with small to tiny PITS, NO distinct ridges - Thorax, tegula color, metallic GREEN - Abdomen, S3 color, BROWN

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Updated: 2024-03-29 01:17:25 gmt
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