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From: Kimsey L.S. & Bohart R.M., 1990 (1991) - The chrysidid wasps of the world. Oxford University Press, ix-652 pp.

Synonymy

Hedychridium Abeille 1878:3. Type: Hedychrum minutum Lepeletier 1806:122 (= Chrysis ardens Coquebert 1801:59). Desig. by Ashmead 1902:227.
Buyssonia Mocsáry 1902b:536. Type: Hedychridium dybowskii Buysson 1898b:520. Monobasic.
Acrotoma Mocsáry 1902b:537. Type: Acrotoma braunsii Mocsáry 1902b:537. Monobasic. Nee Boettger 1881. N. synonymy.
Hexachridium Bischoff 1913:16. Type: Hexachridium sexdentatum Buysson 1898b:520. Monobasic. N. synonymy.
Tetrachridium Zimmermann 1952:358. Type: Tetrachridium zavattari Zimmermann 1952:359. Monobasic.
Euchridium Semenov 1954a:96. Type: Eiubridium trossitlum Semenov 1954a. Monobasic.
Cyrteuchridium Semenov 1954a:100. Type: Cyrteuchridium pusio Semenov 1954a:100. Monobasic.
Irenula Semenov and Nikol'skaya 1954:102. Type: Irenula margaritacea Semenov 1954a:102. Orig. desig. and monobasic.
Euchrum Semenov 1954a:103. Type: Chrysis carnea Rossi 1790:75. ( = Hedychridium roseum Rossi 1790). Orig. desig.
Zarudnidium Semenov 1954a:104. Type: Zarudnidium sapphirinum Semenov 1954a:104. Orig. desig.
Zarudnium Semenov 1954a:72. Type: Hedychrum ahenenm Dahlbom 1854:72. Orig. desig. and monobasic.
Cyrteuchrum Semenov 1954a:105. Type: Cyrteuchmm flos Semenov 1954a:105. Orig. desig.
Cladiola Semenov 1954a:107. Type: Cladiola rhodochlora Semenov and Nikol'skaya 1954:107. Orig. desig.
Colpopyga Semenov 1954a:137. Type: Hedychrum flavipes Eversmann 1857:552. Orig. desig.
Actineuchrum Semenov 1954a:141. Type: Actineuchrum soloriens Semenov 1954a:144. Orig. desig. and monobasic.
Homalsuchrum Semenov 1954a:141. Type: Homalsuchrum smaragdinum Semenov 1954a:143. Orig. desig. and monobasic.

Generic diagnosis

Scapal basin flat to shallowly concave, often with dense appressed silvery pubescence and rarely with transverse frontal carina; base of oral fossa somewhat elevated; malar space usually less than 1 MOD; pronotal anterior margin with sublateral carina; mesopleuron usually rounded without omaulus or scrobal carina; scutellar wing fossa without anterior lobe; mid and hind tibia rarely with pits on inner surface; tarsal claws with one submedial, perpendicular tooth; fore wing medial vein straight to strongly arched, arising at cu-a, stigma slender and apically acute; T-III usually evenly rounded, rarely with two to six apical teeth, apicomedially emarginate, or drawn out medially; digitus and cuspis present.

Hosts

Despite the large number of species in Hedychridium little is known about their biology. Part of this lack of information is probably because these wasps are nest parasites of ground-nesting Sphecidae and bees.

Distribution

This genus occurs in all zoogeographic regions except the Australian, with highest diversity in arid parts of the Holarctic and southern Africa.

Discussion

Hedychridium is the second largest genus in the Chrysididae. It contains a diverse assemblage of species and as a result is difficult to characterize. The two features shared by all species in this group are the single perpendicular tooth on the tarsal claw and the transverse pronotal carina. Otherwise Hedychridium is recognized by the general lack of the derived characteristics diagnostic for other genera. Species in this genus lack multiple teeth on the tarsal claws, prehensile tarsomeres, a scutellar tubercle projecting into the wing fossa, modified fore wing venation, female S-III with basolateral sulci, and the oral fossa with a basal tooth.

However, some features characteristic of other genera do occur in a few Hedychridium. The apical rim of T-III may have two (arnoldi, braunsi, dybowskyi, discrepans), four (zavattari), or six (sexdentatum) teeth or angles. Species in the sulcatum group have the propodeal angle apically truncate and deeply emarginate posteriorly, much like the condition in Spintharina. Members of the attentiatum group have mid and hind tibial pits similar to those of Hedychrum. A few Old World species, including dybowskyi, have a TFC like many Chrysidini. Although most Hedychridium are entirely iridescent a few, including semirufum and roseum, have the abdomen largely or entirely, non-metallic red.

In addition to the modifications given above, species distinctions are based on coloration, particularly of T-II, S-II and -III, and the tegula, facial dimensions, relative dimensions of F-I—III and -V, shape of the fore femur and propodeal tooth, and sculpture of the mesopleuron. The majority of species have dense appressed silvery setae in the scapal basin, but there are many exceptions to this, including species related to dimidiatum and monochroum. In chadense and margaritaceum the integument is red with a peculiar silvery blue or green sheen. The fore wing medial vein is usually slightly curved, but in attenuatum, dimidiatum, flavipes, roseum, and sapphirinum it is strongly angled. The male flagellum is considerably broadened in aristinum. The fore femur has a strong sub-basal angle in olene, and species related to sericifrons also have a sharp dorsal and ventral carina. Most species have an acute, triangular, propodeal angle. However a variety of species including sulcatum, have an apically truncate angle, which is deeply emarginate posteriorly, and dybowskyi, ciliatum, and some species in the sericifrons groups, have a small tooth below the propodeal angle.

Hedychridium has been divided into a number of genera by Semenov (1954a, b), and species groups by Linsenmaier (1959a) and Bohart and Kimsey (1978). The majority of the Semenov genera more accurately represent species groupings than genera. Although species groups are far from precise they do make the genus easier to deal with.

We had considered giving species groups for Hedychridium to provide more information about this difficult genus. However, we have only been able to study types or reliably identified specimens of fewer than half the species. We have not been able to locate the repositories of a number of species described by Buysson and Abeille, or most types supposedly placed in the collection at Krakow. To further complicate matters, we have been unable to study any of the large number of types described by Linsenmaier and deposited in his collection. Further, this genus is poorly known and quite a few species are known only from the type. As a result, we feel it would be unrealistic and premature to attempt to formulate species groupings with so little information. Some idea of related species can be gleaned from the above works of Linsenmaier, Semenov, and Bohart and Kimsey.

The ardens group of Linsenmaier (1959a) is characterized by the indistinct brow, scapal basin with a lateral patch of small punctures and some silvery setae, F-I 1.8-2.0 times as long as broad, medial vein strongly curved at least basally, and mesopleuron not obviously carinate. This is a large group of Palearctic species, including: ardens, brevifronte, buyssoni, bytinskii, coriaceum, cupratum, discordum, ehgantulum, etnaense, femoratum, hybridtim, ibericum, interrogatum, israelicum, jordanense, jucundum, krajniki, linsenmaieri, marteni, modestum, perscitum, purpurascens, reticulatum, scintilla, sevillanum, turanicum, verhoeffi, viridisulcatum, and wolfi. Three species, attenuatum, nevadae, and planifrons, bear a superficial resemblance to Hedychrum. They have mid and hind tibial pits, an ecarinate mesopleuron, edentate mandible, large flat pronotum, and an arched medial vein. A number of Old World species have a tooth or angle below the propodeal angle. The Afrotropical species are congoense, kilifiense, laterals, and bidens, and the Palearctic ones are ciliatum and karatavicum. The Nearctic dimidiatum group of Bohart and Kimsey (1982) is characterized by F-I twice as long as broad, and a strongly arched medial vein. This group should probably be merged with the ardens group. Acrotoma was erected for Afrotropical species with two submedial teeth or angles on the apex of T-III. Three of these, arnoldi, braunsii, and dybowskyi, also have a TFC, propodeal angle subtended by a posterior tooth or angle, T-II and -III with strong medial and transverse subapical ridges, F-I less than twice as long as broad, and the tegula and S-II-III green. None of these characteristics are sufficiently unusual to justify the establishment of a separate genus. The other species placed in Acrotoma are discrepant and heymonsi. They have two obtuse apical teeth on T-III but lack the tergal ridges and TFC of the dybowskyi group. The flavipes group of Linsenmaier (1959a) is homologous with the crassum group of Bohart and Kimsey (1982), and includes: auriventris, crassum, elongatum, flavipes, incisum, and purum. They have the medial vein strongly arched, T-III rolled under apically and indented apicomedially, T-II thickened apically, F-I cylindrical and twice as long as broad, or longer, and tegula yellowish. Two unusual North American species, cornutum and frugale, have the integument microreticulate between punctures. In addition, F-I is short, the medial vein straight, and both species are less than 3 mm long. They constitute the frugale group of Bohart and Kimsey (1982). Similar to the frugale group but lacking microreticulation is the Nearctic gemmatum group, which comprises antennatum, argenteum, arietinum, frontis, gemmatum, leucostigma, milleri, and paulum. Three Afrotropical species, capense, maculum, and rhodesiacum, the maculum group, have unusual facial sculpturing. The face is laterally reticulate-punctate and the scapal basin is medially coarsely rugose. Semenov's Irenula constitutes the margaritaceum group, which includes chadense and margaritaceum. The most distinctive feature of this group is the unusual coloration. The body is non-metallic red, with an odd overlying silver sheen. Also, Rs is less than half as long as M, the pronotum deeply indented laterally, T-III rolled under laterally and produced apically, and the propodeal angle broadly digitate. The monochroum group of Linsenmaier (1959a) includes part of the species in the amabile group of Bohart and Kimsey (1982). In these the brow is large and bulging, scapal basin is very short and cross-ridged with large lateral punctures, flagellum long, slender, and tapering apically, F-I is long, medial vein straight, and T-III somewhat rolled under laterally. Included are: adventicum, atratum, breviceps, carmelitanum, dismor-phum, fulvago, minutissimum, monochroum, parkanense, rasile, senegaleme, and solierellae. The Afrotropical obscuratum group includes africanum, eardteyi, erythema, and obscuratum. They have a broadly triangular propodeal angle, blue tegula and S-II, long clypeus (more than 1.5 MOD), T-III swollen subapically and without rim, F-I short, and malar space at least 0.5 MOD. Linsenmaier's roseum group includes 12 Palearctic species: chloropygum, hofferi, houskai, luteum, pseudoroseum, rhodojanthinum, roseum, semiluteum, subroseum, susterae, and tsuneki. In these F-I is about 3 times as long as broad, mesopleuron and fore femur carinate, medial vein strongly arched, and scapal basin coarsely sculptured. H. clarum and sapphirinum form a group characterized by the bulging brow, strongly carinate mesopleuron, carinate and angulate fore femur, arched medial vein, F-I twice as long as broad, and T-III subapically thickened. The Palearctic and Afrotropical sericifrons group is one of the most distinctive. Diagnostic features are: brow sharply defined (often with a TFC), scapal basin with tiny punctures and dense silvery setae, fore femur angulate with a lateral and ventral carina and the outer surface between flat, T-III with a wide transparent rim, and mesopleuron carinate. The fore femur is uniquely modified in these species. Included are: bidens, facialis, flos, garianum, prunifrons, semirufum, sericifrons, sexdentatum, smaragdinum, soloriens, tyro, xanthum, zavattari, zimmermanni, and znoikoi. This peculiar group also includes species with a multidentate T-III. Finally, the Afrotropical sulcatum group can be immediately identified by the flag-like propodeal angle. Instead of being triangular the angle is truncate apically and deeply emarginate or notched posteriorly. Other features include a well developed brow, scapal basin with abruptly fine punctation, T-III thickened and coarsely punctate before rim, S-II and -III green in males, but only S-II in females, and the hind tibia somewhat broadened with a dark convex inner surface. This group includes: angulatum, biquetrum, chrysochlorum, coloratum, gessi, namibianum, robustum, sinuatum, ultimum, uncinatum, and vulgare.

Unidentified material from arid parts of the Palearctic and Nearctic Regions and southern Africa indicates that a large number of species remain to be described from these areas. Hedychridium are not as commonly collected as the other large chrysidine genera, apparently because most Hedychridium are tiny (less than 4 mm long). Also, they tend to stay close to the ground, particularly in the vicinity of small shrubs or other plants that offer food or cover. Even when startled they will often run rather than fly. All of which makes Hedychridium a difficult group to collect.

Due to this large diversity there has been relatively little synonymy in Hedychridium, except in a few of the commonest European species like ardens, flavipes, and roseum. We have been unable to provide much new synonymy in this genus partly because of the relatively few types that we have seen.

Species distinctions are based on both structural features and coloration. General body colour is used as well as the colour of the wing veins, flagellum, tegula, and tarsomeres. The colour of S-II and-III is particularly important. Facial dimensions, the length to breadth ratios of F-I-II and-V, and the shape of the fore femur, mesopleuron, propodeal angle, and T-III are all valuable diagnostic characteristics.

Hedychridium has never been revised on a world basis, only in a series of regional treatments including: Bohart and Kimsey (1978, 1982) for the Americas, Linsenmaier (1951, 1959a, b, 1987) for Europe, and Edney (1940) for southern Africa.

European species

1.  Hedychridium adventicium Zimmermann, 1961
2.  Hedychridium aereolum Buysson, 1893
3.  Hedychridium aheneum (Dahlbom, 1854)
4.  Hedychridium albanicum Trautmann, 1922
5.  Hedychridium anale (Dahlbom, 1854)
6.  Hedychridium andalusicum Trautmann, 1920
7.  Hedychridium ardens (Coquebert, 1801)
8.  Hedychridium ardens homeopathicum Abeille, 1878
9.  Hedychridium aroanium Arens, 2004
10.  Hedychridium atratum Linsenmaier, 1968
11.  Hedychridium auriventris Mercet, 1904
12.  Hedychridium buyssoni Abeille, 1887
13.  Hedychridium buyssoni interrogatum Linsenmaier, 1959
14.  Hedychridium bytinskii Linsenmaier, 1959
15.  Hedychridium canarianum Linsenmaier, 1987
16.  Hedychridium canariense Linsenmaier, 1968
17.  Hedychridium caputaureum Trautmann & Trautmann, 1919
18.  Hedychridium carmelitanum Mercet, 1915
19.  Hedychridium caucasium irregulare Linsenmaier, 1959
20.  Hedychridium chloropygum Buysson, 1888
21.  Hedychridium chloropygum densum Linsenmaier, 1959
22.  Hedychridium chloropygum spatium Linsenmaier, 1959
23.  Hedychridium coriaceum (Dahlbom, 1854)
24.  Hedychridium creetense Linsenmaier, 1959
25.  Hedychridium cupratum (Dahlbom, 1854)
26.  Hedychridium cupreum (Dahlbom, 1845)
27.  Hedychridium cupritibiale Linsenmaier, 1987
28.  Hedychridium dismorphum Linsenmaier, 1959
29.  Hedychridium dubium Mercet, 1904
30.  Hedychridium elegantulum Buysson, 1887
31.  Hedychridium elegantulum peloponnense Linsenmaier, 1968
32.  Hedychridium etnaense Linsenmaier, 1968
33.  Hedychridium etruscum Strumia, 2003
34.  Hedychridium extraneum Linsenmaier, 1993
35.  Hedychridium femoratum (Dahlbom, 1854)
36.  Hedychridium foveofaciale Arens, 2010
37.  Hedychridium franciscanum Linsenmaier, 1987
38.  Hedychridium gratiosum Abeille, 1878
39.  Hedychridium heliophium Buysson, 1887
40.  Hedychridium homeopathicum Abeille, 1879
41.  Hedychridium hungaricum Móczár, 1964
42.  Hedychridium hyalitarse Perraudin, 1978
43.  Hedychridium hybridum Linsenmaier, 1959
44.  Hedychridium ibericum Linsenmaier, 1959
45.  Hedychridium incrassatum (Dahlbom, 1854)
46.  Hedychridium incrassatum mavromoustakisi Enslin, 1950
47.  Hedychridium infans Abeille, 1879
48.  Hedychridium infans santschii Trautmann, 1927
49.  Hedychridium infantum Linsenmaier, 1987
50.  Hedychridium insequosum Linsenmaier, 1959
51.  Hedychridium insulare Balthasar, 1952
52.  Hedychridium irregulare Linsenmaier, 1959
53.  Hedychridium jazygicum Móczár, 1964
54.  Hedychridium jucundum Mocsáry, 1889
55.  Hedychridium krajniki Balthasar, 1946
56.  Hedychridium lampas Christ, 1790
57.  Hedychridium lampas austeritatum Linsenmaier, 1997
58.  Hedychridium lampas cypriacum Balthasar, 1953
59.  Hedychridium maculisternum Arens, 2011
60.  Hedychridium maculiventre Linsenmaier, 1959
61.  Hedychridium marteni Linsenmaier, 1951
62.  Hedychridium mediocrum Linsenmaier, 1987
63.  Hedychridium minutissimum Mercet, 1915
64.  Hedychridium monochroum Buysson, 1888
65.  Hedychridium moricei Buysson, 1904
66.  Hedychridium moricei davydovi Semenov, 1967
67.  Hedychridium mosadunense Lefeber, 1986
68.  Hedychridium palestinense Balthasar, 1953
69.  Hedychridium parkanense Balthasar, 1946
70.  Hedychridium perpunctatum Balthasar, 1953
71.  Hedychridium perraudini Linsenmaier, 1968
72.  Hedychridium perscitum Linsenmaier, 1959
73.  Hedychridium placare Linsenmaier, 1968
74.  Hedychridium plagiatum (Mocsáry, 1883)
75.  Hedychridium pseudoroseum Linsenmaier, 1959
76.  Hedychridium purpurascens (Dahlbom, 1854)
77.  Hedychridium reticulatum Abeille, 1879
78.  Hedychridium rhodojanthinum Enslin, 1939
79.  Hedychridium roseum (Rossi, 1790)
80.  Hedychridium roseum caputaureum Trautmann, 1919
81.  Hedychridium roseum nanum Chevrier, 1870
82.  Hedychridium rossicum Semenov-Tian-Shanskij
83.  Hedychridium sardinum Linsenmaier, 1997
84.  Hedychridium sculpturatissimum Linsenmaier, 1959
85.  Hedychridium sculpturatum (Abeille, 1877)
86.  Hedychridium scutellare (Tournier, 1878)
87.  Hedychridium scutellare sardiniense Linsenmaier, 1959
88.  Hedychridium semiluteum Linsenmaier, 1959
89.  Hedychridium sevillanum Linsenmaier, 1968
90.  Hedychridium subroseum Linsenmaier, 1959
91.  Hedychridium subroseum prochloropygum Linsenmaier, 1959
92.  Hedychridium tenerifense Linsenmaier, 1968
93.  Hedychridium tricavatum Linsenmaier, 1993
94.  Hedychridium tyrrhenicum Strumia, 2003
95.  Hedychridium urfanum Linsenmaier, 1968
96.  Hedychridium vachali Mercet, 1915
97.  Hedychridium valesianum Linsenmaier, 1959
98.  Hedychridium verhoeffi Linsenmaier, 1959
99.  Hedychridium verhoeffi yermasoiense Linsenmaier, 1959
100.  Hedychridium viridicupreum Linsenmaier, 1993
101.  Hedychridium viridiscutellare Arens, 2004
102.  Hedychridium viridisulcatum Linsenmaier, 1968
103.  Hedychridium wahisi Niehuis, 1998
104.  Hedychridium wolfi Linsenmaier, 1959
105.  Hedychridium zelleri (Dahlbom, 1845)

For citation purposes

From: Kimsey L.S. & Bohart R.M., 1990 (1991) - The chrysidid wasps of the world. Oxford University Press, ix-652 pp.

Synonymy

Elampus Spinola 1806:10. Type: Chrysis panzeri Fabricius 1804:172. Desig. by Latreille 1810:437.
Ellampus Agassiz 1846:135. Incorrect emendation for Elampus Spinola 1806.
Notozus Förster 1853:351. Type Notozus frivaldszkii Förster 1853:332 (= Chrysis panzeri Fabricius 1804). Desig. by Ashmead 1902:228.

Generic diagnosis

Facial setae scattered and erect; scapal basin nearly flat; malar space less than 1 MOD long; female with erect dense fringe of setae along gena; head generally lenticular, carinate, and angulate behind eyes; scutum and scutellum regularly and generally densely punctate; metanotum with large flat medial projection or mucro; mesopleuron strongly projecting anterolaterally, with well-developed omaulus and scrobal carina forming sharp ventral angle; fore femur with ventral carina and often sub-basally angulate; tarsal claws with 1-5 subsidiary teeth; fore wing medial vein strongly arched, arising at or slightly before cu-a, stigma short, broad, and apically rounded; T-III produced into apical, more or less membrane-filled, snout, and lateral margin sinuate; digitus and cuspis long and slender.

Distribution

This genus is found in most zoogeographic areas except the Australian and Oriental Regions. There are 8 species in North America, 3 neotropical ones, 5 African and 41 in the Palearctic Region.

Hosts

Elampus apparently parasitize ground-nesting Sphecidae. Krombein (1967) reported E. viridicyaneus on Hoplisoides costalis (Cresson). Mimesa has also been given as the host of E. panzeri by Spooner (1948), Mocsáry (1889), and Móczár (196la). Rosenheim and

Grace (1987) reared viridicyaneus from cells of Mimumesa mixta (W. Fox).

Discussion

Elampus can be distinguished by the mucronate metanotum, T-III produced into an apical snout-like structure, scutum evenly and often densely punctate, female with a short and even genal fringe, the fore wing with medial vein strongly arched, and stigma short and apically rounded.

Most closely related to the Omalus line, both have the same wing venation, the medial cell asetose, a strongly carinate mesopleuron, and posteriorly angulate head. In many species the head is almost lenticular. There are several Philoctetes that resemble Elampus, having an apical snout on T-III and a mucronate metanotum.

Elampus consists of 63 closely related species. Species distinctions are based on facial and flagellar dimensions, shape of the fore femur, and modifications of T-III. The shape of the apical snout on T-III and the extent of the apical membrane is particularly useful. Colour is important but must be used with some caution. It is not uncommon to see both green and brassy or coppery individuals in the same species. In several species, including viridis, the snout membrane is nearly circular without emargination. One species, bidens, lacks a true snout, and the apex of T-III is bent under with two submedial teeth. Several species, including guillarmodi, bidens, and scutellaris, have the fore femur strongly elbowed. Many Palearctic species tend to be bicoloured, with the head and thorax blue, green, or purple and the abdomen brassy or coppery red. In a few species, including versicolor and namibiensis, the snout membrane is red.

There is a certain amount of sexual dimorphism in this group. The most obvious difference is the genal fringe always found in females. Males only have a few long irregularly spaced setae in the same position. Females also tend to be more extremely modified than males. If the male fore femur is sub-basally elbowed in a species, the female fore femur probably has an elongate sub-basal tooth. This dimorphism has resulted in a certain amount of synonymy, with conspecific males and females given different names.

There has been no overall treatment of Elampus, only a number of regional revisions, including: North America (Bohart and Kimsey, 1982, Huber and Pengelly, 1978), Afrotropical species (Kimsey 1988a), and those of Europe (Linsenmaier 1959a, b, 1987).

European species

1.  Elampus albipennis (Mocsáry, 1889)
2.  Elampus ambiguus Dahlbom, 1845
3.  Elampus bidens (Förster, 1853)
4.  Elampus cecchiniae (Semenov, 1967)
5.  Elampus constrictus (Förster, 1853)
6.  Elampus foveatus (Mocsáry, 1914)
7.  Elampus konowi (Buysson, 1892)
8.  Elampus panzeri (Fabricius, 1804)
9.  Elampus panzeri coeruleus (Dahlbom, 1854)
10.  Elampus petri (Semenov, 1967)
11.  Elampus pyrosomus (Förster, 1853)
12.  Elampus sanzii Gogorza, 1887
13.  Elampus soror Mocsáry, 1889
14.  Elampus spina (Lepeletier, 1806)

For citation purposes

From: Kimsey L.S. & Bohart R.M., 1990 (1991) - The chrysidid wasps of the world. Oxford University Press, ix-652 pp.

Synonymy

Cleptes Latreille 1802:316. Type: Sphex semiaurata Linnaeus 1761. Monobasic.
Lustrina Kurian 1955:86. Type: Lustrina assamensis Kurian 1955:87. Monobasic. New synonymy.
Cleptes (Holcocleptes) Móczár 1962:118. Type: Cleptes aerosus Förster 1853. Monobasic and orig. desig.
Cleptes (Leiocleptes) Móczár 1962:118. Type: Cleptes nitidulus Fabricius 1793. Orig. desig.
Cleptes (Zimmermannia) Móczár 1962:120. Type: Cleptes ignitus Fabricius 1787. Orig. desig.
Cleptes (Melanocleptes) Móczár 1962:122. Type: Cleptes morawitzi Radoszkowsky 1877. Orig. desig.
Cleptes (Chrysocleptes) Móczár 1962:122. Type: Cleptes putoni Buysson 1886. Orig. desig.
Cleptes (Oxycleptes) Móczár 1962:124. Type: Cleptes orientalis Dahlbom 1854. Monobasic and orig. desig.
Cleptes (Neocleptes) Kimsey 1981:816. Type: Cleptes fritzi Kimsey 1981. Monobasic and orig. desig.

Generic diagnosis

Head as wide as long or longer; eyes small, following head contour, not bulging; mid ocellus equal to or smaller than antennal socket; malar space usually more than 1 MOD; mandibles generally robust, with three or more apical teeth; mesopleuron with scrobe, scrobal sulcus, and omaulus present in some species; metanotum weakly obtuse or flat in profile; propodeal tooth triangular and generally shorter than broad; tarsal claws with one perpendicular submedial tooth fore wing discoidal cell indicated by stained vein remnants.

Hosts

These wasps are parasites of tenthredinid sawflies. In North America Smith (1962) reared specious (as provancheri) from Neodiprion sp., Dahlsten (1961, 1967) reared purpuratus from Neodiprion sp., and Darling and Smith (1985) reared semiauratus from Nematus hispidae Smith. In Europe Gauss (1964) reared semiauratus from Nematus sp. and Pristophora sp. Mocsary (1889) listed Nematus ribesii Scopoli as the host of nitidulus and semiauratus.

Distribution

Cleptes is primarily a Holarctic genus, with 46 species in Europe and 8 in North America. One European species, semiauratus, has become established in the north-eastern United States. In addition, there is one species in Argentina and eight in Asia, occurring as far south as Vietnam.

Discussion

Since the time of Dahlbom, Cleptes was thought to consist of two major groups; species with metallic coloration, Cleptes s. s. and non-metallic species, Heterocoelia-types (Dalla Torre 1892; Mocsáry 1889; Linsenmaier 1959a). Móczár (1951, 1962) did not mention Heterocoelia nigriventris Dahlbom. Obviously, none of the first three authors ever examined the type of this genus. However, Móczár did see the type. This species is not a chrysidid, but belongs in the bethylid subfamily Mesitiinae, as discussed by Móczár (1971).

Cleptes is the largest and most widespread of the cleptine genera, including 69 species. Móczár (1962) and Kimsey (1981) divided the genus into eight subgenera. Re-examination of Cleptes on a world basis indicates that these subgeneric groupings are far from discrete, particularly when the Asian species are considered. For this reason we synonymize the subgenera and, instead, divide Cleptes into species groups.

These groupings are based to a large extent on the descriptions of Móczár (1951, 1962), Tsuneki (1959), and Linsenmaier (1959a, 1968) as we have not been able to see many of the types. As a result, further study may indicate the need for more species groups than given here, and some groupings may also prove to be artificial.

European species

1.  Cleptes aerosus Förster, 1853
2.  Cleptes afer Lucas, 1849
3.  Cleptes cavernalis Móczár, 1968
4.  Cleptes femoralis Mocsáry, 1889
5.  Cleptes graecus Móczár, 2001
6.  Cleptes hungaricus Móczár, 2009
7.  Cleptes ignitus (Fabricius, 1787)
8.  Cleptes jungeri Linsenmaier, 1994
9.  Cleptes maculatus Linsenmaier, 1968
10.  Cleptes mocsaryi Semenow, 1891
11.  Cleptes Móczári Linsenmaier, 1968
12.  Cleptes nigritus Mercet, 1904
13.  Cleptes nigritus rhodosensis Móczár, 2000
14.  Cleptes nitidulus (Fabricius, 1793)
15.  Cleptes nyonensis Móczár, 1997
16.  Cleptes obsoletus Semenov, 1891
17.  Cleptes orientalis Dahlbom, 1854
18.  Cleptes pallipes Lepeletier, 1806
19.  Cleptes parnassicus Mocsáry, 1902
20.  Cleptes pseudosulcatus Móczár, 1968
21.  Cleptes putoni Buysson, 1886
22.  Cleptes schmidti Linsenmaier, 1986
23.  Cleptes scutellaris Mocsáry, 1889
24.  Cleptes semiauratus (Linnaeus, 1761)
25.  Cleptes semicyaneus Tournier, 1879
26.  Cleptes splendidus (Fabricius, 1794)
27.  Cleptes triestensis Móczár, 2000

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