Chrysis? - Chrysis conica - BugGuide.Net

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Photo#76226

Copyright © 2006 Ashley Bradford

Chrysis? - Chrysis conica

Herndon, Fairfax County, Virginia, USA
September 9, 2006
Size: 10 mm

I captured this beautiful metallic blue-green flying thing on my living room blinds today, much to my surprise and excitement - 11 days ago I had captured another in the very same place and subsequently released it outside a little too quickly, getting only a couple bad shots. I didn't expect to see another in the same place! I captured this one and made sure to get off some good shots before letting it go outside. Ronald Hennessey managed to see past the bad photo to ID it as a Chrysididae - upon comparison with photos in the Guide, I thought it might be a Chrysis. Am I correct?

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Chrysis? - Chrysis conica

Chrysis? - Chrysis conica

Chrysis? - Chrysis conica

Contributed by Ashley Bradford on 9 September, 2006 - 11:17pm
Last updated 10 September, 2010 - 9:24am

Moved

Moved from Chrysis.
This is new species for Bugguide! Chrysis conica is also pretty unique species and therefore can be recognized even from a good photo. Important characters are the dentate mesopleura, not too dark wings, stright frontal carina and the placement of teeth at the distal end of abdomen (middle ones more closer).

All that is known about the function of these teeth is that one Asian species uses them when biting hole into host's nest. These teeth are then used to fix the body to the surface enabling to push teeth more strongly into host nest's wall. That is all we know, possibly not all cuckoo wasps have same use to the teeth.

… Villu Soon, 10 September, 2010 - 3:31am

That's exciting!

Thanks for the ID and all the information. =)

… Ashley Bradford, 10 September, 2010 - 9:24am

Chrysis.

The genus Chrysis is a safe bet. These images are among the few we have that clearly show the teeth on the hind edge of the abodmen. Nice work!

… Eric R. Eaton, 11 September, 2006 - 5:52pm

Thanks! Is it safe to move it there?

I noticed those "teeth" and wondered what they were for. Do you know?

… Ashley Bradford, 12 September, 2006 - 9:50am

Cuckoo wasp - family Chrysidi

Cuckoo wasp - family Chrysididae

… John Young, 9 September, 2006 - 11:44pm

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