Chrysis viridula
Chrysis viridula | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Chrysididae |
Genus: | Chrysis |
Species: | C. viridula
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Binomial name | |
Chrysis viridula |
Chrysis viridula is a
Distribution
It is found throughout southern England and the Channel Islands, and north to northeast Yorkshire. In Wales, it is restricted to coastal areas only and has not been found in Scotland or Ireland. It is also found in many parts of mainland Europe (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Poland, Hungary and Romania) and extending eastwards to the Caucasus, and southwards to North Africa.[2]
Appearance
Chrysis viridula has a total length of about six to nine millimetres (0.24 to 0.35 in). The color of the head ranges from green to turquoise, and the thorax has a flame-like color. The main body of the insect has also been described to be colorful.[3]
Genetics
In Hymenoptera, the super-families of Ichnuemonidae and Chrysididae have the greatest number of chromosomes, each corresponding to about n=21. Thus, Chrysis viridula has a chromosome count which is equal to about 42 in its karyotype.[4]
Biology
In Britain Chrysis viridula is a
This species has a thick exoskeleton which protects it from the defensive stinging attacks of the host females, to enhance this defence the female C. viridula has a concave underside and it can curl itself into a defensive ball. If she finds an undefended nest she will reverse down the nest chimney to lay her egg on the host wasp's egg. The host wasp does not normally detect the cuckoo wasp egg and seals the nest up for the winter for the new adult parasitoid to emerge in the following summer.[6]
Gallery
References
- ^ Mingo, Elvira (1994). Hymenoptera, Chrysididae. Editorial CSIC - CSIC Press. p. 214.
- ^ a b M E Archer (1998). "Chrysis viridula Linnaeus,1761". Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ Mingo, Elvira (1994). Hymenoptera, Chrysididae. Editorial CSIC - CSIC Press. p. 129.
- ^ Gokhman, Vladimir (2009). Karyotypes of Parasitic Hymenoptera (illustrated, revised ed.). Springer Science & Business Media. p. 49.
- ^ "Chrysis viridula Linnaeus, 1761". chrysis.net. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ Will HAwkes (7 September 2016). "The Potter wasps and Chrysis viridula". Biome Ecology. Retrieved 13 September 2018.