Chrysis heimi Rosa, 2024

Chrysis heimi Rosa , sp. nov. ( Fig. 19A–F)

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Material examined. Holotype ♀; IRAN, Hormozgan province: Zakin , 27.vi.2011, leg. A. Ameri ( TMUC).

Diagnosis. Chrysis heimi sp. nov. belongs to the maculicornis species group for the shape of the head with round profile; with very short malar space; transverse frontal carina with long branches downwards directed along inner margin of compound eyes; proximal flagellomeres short; apical teeth of third metasomal tergum well defined. Its particular colour pattern, one of the most spectacular in this family, is shared with the females of Chrysis blanchardi Lucas, 1849 , which is distributed from the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco to Egypt, where two varieties were described, var. rubescens du Buysson, 1895 and var. abbreviaticornis du Buysson, 1895 . At the moment, all these taxa, including Chrysis superba Tournier, 1879 (likely originated from Morocco) and C. fertoni du Buysson, 1895 are all considered synonyms of C. blanchardi ( Kimsey & Bohart, 1991) . Compared to these forms, Chrysis heimi sp. nov. can be immediately recognised by the black spots on the second sternum, which are differently shaped, being large, subtrapezoidal and connected to lateral margins ( Fig. 19F), whereas in taxa related to C. blanchardi they are very small and elongate, never connected to lateral margins. Moreover, it is diagnostic the combination of following characters: profile of the head sub-rectangular, with wider face (l/w = 0.7, ratio measured from margin of anterior ocellus to clypeus and the shortest distance between eyes) ( vs. round profile with subsquare face, l/w = 0.6 in C. blanchardi ); transverse frontal carina shallow, M-like, with two sinuosities ( Fig. 19B), medially curved downwards ( vs. frontal carina sharp with three angles and three branches directed upwards in C. blanchardi , medially right angled upwards); apical metasomal margin with median teeth largely separate ( vs. separated by narrow space in C. blanchardi ); finally, body colour not exactly the same, as all vivid red parts in C. blanchardi are golden-greenish in C. heimi sp. nov.

Description. Holotype ♀ ( Fig. 19A–F). Body length 6.4 mm, anterior wing length 3.4 mm ( Fig. 19A).

Head. Brow and ocellar area with dense and small punctures (0.2–0.3× MOD), without interspaces on brow, more spaced on ocellar area medially; punctures on vertex slightly larger and sparser between ocelli and eye, with occasional dots on interspaces; head posteriorly and temples densely punctate to contiguous with small punctures in between punctures; fovea lateral to posterior ocelli deep, as long as ocellus itself ( Fig. 19C); with scapal basin densely micropunctate at sides, each puncture bearing a short white seta, altogether covering facial sculpture ( Fig. 19B); medial longitudinal line with 1× MOD width, without hairs, finely, transversally wrinkled; micropunctation at sides continuing on supraclypeal area and malar spaces; clypeus with sparser, shallower punctures, not covered by setae, apically with triangular, brown rim; transverse frontal carina vaguely M-shaped ( Fig. 19B); weak but still well visible on upper part and slightly contrasting with more vivid, golden colour; lateral ending going downwards at sides of scapal basin, but slightly visible; genal carina sharp, gently curved, fully developed from occiput to mandibular insertion; malar space short (0.4× MOD), convergent; subantennal space short, 0.6× MOD; distance between anterior ocellus and upper margin of frontal carina 1.6× MOD; OOL 1.7× MOD; POL 2.3× MOD; MS 0.4× MOD; relative length of P:F1:F2:F3 = 1.0:1.2:0.8:0.8.

Mesosoma . Medial pronotal furrow as shallow, slightly depressed area; pronotum with deep and dense punctures variable in size from small dots to 0.4× MOD; punctation on mesoscutum deep and dense anteriorly, more spaced basally with slightly larger punctures (0.5× MOD) separated by polished interspaces; notauli formed by deep, metallic, sub-rectangular foveae, smaller or as large as surrounding punctures, decreasing towards apical margin ( Fig. 19C); parapsidal signum as deep line; even punctures on lateral area of mesoscutum; scutellum with punctation similar to that of mesoscutum, with punctures becoming larger towards margins; metanotum antero-medially with deep and wide fovea, punctures larger than those on mesoscutum, with dotted interspaces; posterior propodeal projections triangular, slightly divergent; mesopleuron with deep sulci formed by large subsquare foveae, larger than punctures on the segment ( Fig. 19D).

Metasoma. First tergum with deep and even punctures equally spaced becoming smaller and denser along margins, interspaces dotted; similar even and dotted punctation on second tergum, with more small punctures, besides dots, on interspaces; longitudinal median carina distinct, continuing on third tergum ( Fig. 19E); third tergum similarly sculptured as second; pits of pit row round, deep as large as two punctures together; post pit row area short, as long as pit of pit row; apical margin with four short teeth equally spaced, interval as long as 3–4 pits of pit row; black spots on second sternum large, subtrapezoidal, connected to lateral margins ( Fig. 19F).

Colouration. Body multicoloured ( Fig. 19A), predominantly golden-red (likely red in nature) with green and blue head (green on vertex laterally and face); blue median area of mesoscutum (medially with green reflections), tegulae blue; metanotum and propodeum greenish; metasoma golden-red, with apical margin blue; legs and sterna green; scape, pedicel green, the rest of flagellum brownish; wings hyaline, with light brown veins.

Vestiture. Body dorsally and laterally covered with short (1× MOD) white setae, distinctly erect on mesoleg.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet heimi (masculine noun in genitive) is dedicated to René Heim ( Luzern, Switzerland), for his generosity and unconditional help in the study of the Chrysididae collection of Walter Linsenmaier, friendly hosting PR in Luzern for twenty years of continuous research. The choice of this species is motivated by the colour pattern, similar to that of Chrysis gertiana Rosa, 2018 , named after his wife Gerti, who prematurely passed away, and who also supported PR for several years.

Distribution. * Iran ( Hormozgan).