Hedychrum difficile Spinola, 1851

Rosa, Paolo & Xu, Zai-fu, 2015, Annotated type catalogue of the Chrysididae (Insecta, Hymenoptera) deposited in the collection of Maximilian Spinola (1780 - 1857), Turin, ZooKeys 471, pp. 1-96 : 42-43

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Chrysididae

Hedychrum difficile Spinola, 1851 Plate 40

Hedychrum difficile : Spinola 1851: 410.

Type locality.

Chile.

Material.

Lectotype (here designated) ♀. Hedychrum difficile , Spin. D. Gay, Chili. // Paralectotype Hedychrum difficile ♂ Spinola det. L. D. French.

Paralectotype (sex unknown): idem // Paralectotype 1 ♂. Hedychrum difficile Spinola, det. L. D. French.

Catalogue Casolari & Casolari Moreno. Hedychrum difficile , 1, 52, 32, 2 (box 50).

Remarks.

Spinola (1851: 411) described Hedychrum difficile on various female specimens, and at least one specimen considered as a possible male ("Macho dudoso", "Uno solo de los individuis cojidos por M. Gay está en este caso."). In the Spinola collection there are two specimens collected in Chile by Gay matching the original description and bearing French’s paralectotype labels. The lectotype designation has not been published, however. French (1985: 622) wrote that he examined the female holotype in MNHN; this information was later reported in Kimsey and Bohart (1991: 174). Hedychrum difficile is a common species in Chile and the specimen found at MNHN (box number 16 of the general collection) is a syntype as well. Du Buysson (1899: 161, sub Hedychridium ) listed the specimen in MNHN without any type status.

We designate a lectotype of Hedychrum difficile . It is a female (not male, as reported on the label) in perfect condition; the second specimen, the paralectotype, is badly damaged, being without metasoma, legs and two wings. We prefer to designate the specimen in MRSN because it is based on a specimen housed in the collection of the describing author (Recommendation 74D of the Code).

Current status.

Exallopyga difficile (Spinola, 1851) (transferred by French 1985: 622).