''Hedychrum rutilans'' 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 primarily in Austria, Italy, Bulgaria, Greece, France, Poland, Portugal, Spain,

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

and in North Africa.Fauna Europaea
/ref>Agnoli, G. L.; Rosa, P. (2011)
Hedychrum rutilans Dahlbom, 1854 - Database of the Italian Chrysididae on Chrysis.net
/ref> The head and thorax are metallic green with red spots, while the abdomen is red. The color is more green and partially golden in the male and more extensively golden-red in the female. The body is somewhat hairy. Chrysididae - Hedychrum rutilans

Biology

''Hedychrum rutilans'' is a cleptoparasite and

parasitoid In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host (biology), host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionarily stable str ...

of larvae of beewolves (''

Philanthus triangulum The European beewolf (''Philanthus triangulum''), also known as the bee-killer wasp or the bee-eating philanthus (from the now obsolete synonym ''Philanthus apivorus''), is a solitary wasp that lives in the Western Palearctic and Afrotropics. Alt ...

'' and '' Philanthus coronatus''). The female cuckoo wasp lays its eggs on the paralyzed honeybee workers serving as provisions for the beewolf larvae, placed by the female beewolf in its brood cells. The cuckoo wasp larvae feed on the honeybees and on the larvae of the beewolf.Biologie.uni
/ref> Adults grow up to long and can be encountered from late June to September, often feeding on flowers of '' Mentha'' species, '' Achillea millefolium'' and '' Euphorbia paralias'', but also on honeydew or various exudates. They prefer sandy and warm habitats.

Subspecies

*''Hedychrum rutilans'' var. ''rutilans'' Dahlbom, 1854 *''Hedychrum rutilans'' var. ''subparvulum'' Linsenmaier, 196 *''Hedychrum rutilans'' var. ''viridiauratum'' Mocsáry, 1889 *''Hedychrum rutilans'' var. ''viridiaureum'' Tournier, 1877

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q293292 Chrysididae Hymenoptera of Europe Insects described in 1854 Taxa named by Anders Gustaf Dahlbom