Chrysis fulgida

Chrysis fulgida, the ruby-tailed wasp, is a species of cuckoo wasp in the family Chrysididae.

Distribution

This species has a Palearctic distribution.
In Europe it is present in Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Spain, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Moldova, Germany, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland, Sweden, Ukraine, Hungary, Great Britain, and Italy.

Description

Chrysis fulgida can reach a body length of about in females, while males can reach about. They are brightly colored metallic lustrous cuckoo wasps. Thorax, 1st abdominal tergite, and the head are dark blue or violet-blue; 2nd and 3rd abdominal tergites are golden red. The body is narrow, elongated.

Biology

Flight period extends from May to the end of August. Usually they visit Apiaceae flowers feeding in nectar. They can be found on dead wood in open biotopes.
The larvae are nesting parasitoids. They eat larvae of Symmorphus allobrogus, Symmorphus bifasciatus, Symmorphus crassicornis, Symmorphus murarius and possibly Ancistrocerus parietum.