''Chrysis inaequalis'' is a species of

cuckoo wasp Commonly known as cuckoo wasps or emerald wasps, the hymenopteran family Chrysididae is a very large cosmopolitan group (over 3000 described species) of parasitoid or kleptoparasitic wasps, often highly sculptured, with brilliant metallic colors ...

s (insects in the family Chrysididae). The species occurs in Central and Southern Europe and in the

Near East The ''Near East''; he, המזרח הקרוב; arc, ܕܢܚܐ ܩܪܒ; fa, خاور نزدیک, Xāvar-e nazdik; tr, Yakın Doğu is a geographical term which roughly encompasses a transcontinental region in Western Asia, that was once the hist ...

. The head and the thorax are shiny metallic blue-green, while the abdomen is red. Adults grow up to long and can be encountered from late June to mid September, especially flying on sun-exposed walls, on rocks and on dead wood.

Biology

This species is a parasite of bees and wasps. Main hosts are ''

Osmia Mason bee is a name now commonly used for species of bees in the genus ''Osmia'', of the family Megachilidae. Mason bees are named for their habit of using mud or other "masonry" products in constructing their nests, which are made in naturally ...

'', ''

Eumenes Eumenes (; grc-gre, Εὐμένης; c. 362316 BC) was a Greek general and satrap. He participated in the Wars of Alexander the Great, serving as both Alexander's personal secretary and as a battlefield commander. He later was a participant in t ...

'' and ''

Odynerus ''Odynerus'' is a primarily Holarctic genus of potter wasps. The name of this genus has been widely used as a root to construct many other genus-level names for potter wasps with non-petiolated metasoma, such as ''Euodynerus'', ''Acarodynerus'', ...

'' species. The adults feed on sweet foods such as nectar, honeydew or various exudates.

Subspecies

*''Chrysis inaequalis'' var. ''cypernensis'' Linsenmaier, 1987 *''Chrysis inaequalis'' var. ''inaequalis'' Dahlbom, 1845 *''Chrysis inaequalis'' var. ''sapphirina'' Semenov, 1912

References

* Agnoli G. L. & Rosa P., 2011: ''Chrysis inaequalis'' Dahlbom, 1845
Chrysis.net Database of the Italian Chrysididae

Biolib
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1088540 Chrysidinae Insects described in 1845 Hymenoptera of Europe Taxa named by Anders Gustaf Dahlbom