Genus
Hedychridium Abeille de Perrin, 1878
Hedychridium Abeille de Perrin, 1878: 3
. Type species
Hedychrum minutum Lepeletier, 1806
[=
Hedychridium ardens (Coquebert, 1801)
], by subsequent designation of Ashmead, 1902: 227.
Actineuchrum Semenov, 1954b: 141
. Type species
Actineuchrum soloriens Semenov 1954b: 144
, by monotypy and original designation. Junior subjective synonym of
Hedychridium Abeille de Perrin, 1878
according to Kimsey & Bohart (1991).
Claudiola Semenov, 1954a: 107
. Type species
Claudiola rhodochlora Semenov
and Nikol’skaya, 1954a, by original designation. Junior subjective synonym of
Hedychridium Abeille de Perrin, 1878
according to Linsenmaier (1968).
Cyrteuchridium Semenov, 1954a: 100
. Type species
Cyrteuchridium pusio Semenov, 1954a
, by original designation. Junior subjective synonym of
Hedychridium Abeille de Perrin, 1878
according to Linsenmaier (1968).
Cyrteuchrum Semenov, 1954a: 105
. Type species
Cyrteuchrum flos Semenov, 1954a
, by original designation. Junior subjective synonym of
Hedychridium Abeille de Perrin, 1878
according to Linsenmaier (1968).
Euchrum Semenov, 1954a: 103
. Type species
Chrysis carnea var. rosea Rossi, 1790
[=
Hedychridium roseum (Rossi, 1790)
], by original designation. Junior subjective synonym of
Hedychridium Abeille de Perrin, 1878
according to Linsenmaier (1968).
Euchridium Semenov, 1954a: 96
. Type species
Euchridium trossulum Semenov, 1954a
, by monotypy and original designation. Junior subjective synonym of
Hedychridium Abeille de Perrin, 1878
according to Kimsey & Bohart (1991).
Homaleuchrum Semenov, 1954b: 141
. Type species
Homaleuchrum smaragdinum Semenov 1954b
, by monotypy and original designation. Junior subjective synonym of
Hedychridium Abeille de Perrin, 1878
according to Kimsey & Bohart (1991).
Irenula Semenov
and Nikol’skaya, 1954: 102. Type species
Irenula margaritacea Semenov, 1954a: 102
, by original designation. Junior subjective synonym of
Hedychridium Abeille de Perrin, 1878
according to Linsenmaier (1968).
Zarudnium Semenov, 1954a: 72
. Type species
Hedychrum aheneum Dahlbom, 1854
, by monotypy and original designation. Junior subjective synonym of
Hedychridium Abeille de Perrin, 1878
according to Linsenmaier (1968).
Zarudnidium Semenov, 1954a: 104
. Type species
Zarudnidium sapphirinum Semenov, 1954a
, by original designation. Junior subjective synonym of
Hedychridium Abeille de Perrin, 1878
according to Linsenmaier (1968).
Description.
Hedychridium
is a quite heterogeneous genus of small colourful species ranging from 2.0 to 7.5 mm in length. Diagnostic morphological features include the single perpendicular tooth of the tarsal claw, the posterior margin of the third metasomal tergite evenly rounded, without notches, teeth or angular projections [excluding a very few species, such as the Central Asian
Hedychridium soloriens (Semenov, 1954)
with four sharp teeth]. Some species have a transverse and sharp frontal carina (
Hedychridium flos
group) or metasoma entirely or largely non-metallic red to orange, sometimes with more or less obvious iridescent or metallic reflections (
Hedychridium roseum
group).
Hosts. The biology of most Hedychridium species is poorly known, and available data are recorded only on a few European species; however, as far as we know, the larvae develop as nest parasites of ground-nesting wasps of the family
Crabronidae (Hymenoptera)
.
Distribution.
Hedychridium
from Central Asia are scarcely known, and only the fauna of Tajikistan (27 species) has been properly studied by Semenov & Nikol’skaya (1954). Kazakhstan (19 species), Turkmenistan (13) and Uzbekistan (13) have been less investigated, yet the number of unidentified species in museum collection is considerably high. The fauna of Kyrgyzstan (6 species) is almost unknown; this is true not only for
Hedychridium
, but even for the tribe
Elampini
in a whole, because the most active chrysidologist of Kyrgyzstan, Yuri S. Tarbinsky, published articles related to the tribe
Chrysidini
only and could not complete his research on the rest of the family.
