Hedychridium frontipunctum Rosa & Proshchalykin, 2025

Rosa, Paolo, Halada, Marek, Fateryga, Alexander V. & Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu., 2025, Contribution to the knowledge of the Uzbek cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae) with the first checklist and descriptions of new species, Zootaxa 5715 (1), pp. 331-399 : 336-339

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5715.1.32
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5C44EFAE-A270-4536-BCF6-B89E6868E714
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17888347
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/95358797-FFA4-784C-FF39-3BFFFE781759
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Hedychridium frontipunctum Rosa & Proshchalykin
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Hedychridium frontipunctum Rosa & Proshchalykin , sp. nov.

( Figs 1A–F View FIGURE 1 , 2A–D View FIGURE 2 )

Material examined. Holotype — ♀; Uzbekistan: Kokand sands, 40°35′49″N 70°48′22″E, 18–19.V.2023, leg. M. Proshchalykin ( ZISP). GoogleMaps

Diagnosis. Hedychridium frontipunctum sp. nov. belongs to the flos group, which includes species originally described in the genus Cyrteuchrum Semenov-Tian-Shanskij, 1954, later synonymised with Hedychridium Abeille de Perrin, 1878 , and assigned to the incrassatum group by Linsenmaier (1968) and to the sericifrons group by Kimsey & Bohart (1991). Species of the flos group share the following diagnostic features: frons sharply defined, sometimes with a transverse frontal carina ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ); scapal basin with tiny punctures and dense silvery setae ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ); fore femur angulate with both a lateral and ventral carina and a flat outer surface ( Kimsey & Bohart 1991); and third tergum with a wide, apical transparent rim ( Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 ). Hedychridium frontipunctum sp. nov. exhibits all the diagnostic characters of the group, except the enlarged and flattened proximal fore femur, which is, however, distinctly ventrally carinate though not angulate ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 ). Among the Central Asian species described by Semenov-Tian-Shanskij (see Rosa et al. 2017a for illustrations of the types), only three species show similarities with H. frontipunctum sp. nov.: (i) Hedychridium znoikoi ( Semenov-Tian-Shanskij, 1967), which shares a similar fore femur structure and general habitus; however, it can be readily distinguished by the dense double punctation on the mesoscutum and scutellum ( Rosa et al. 2017a: Plate 189D), whereas in H. frontipunctum sp. nov., the punctation is larger, even, and sparse, with polished intervals (up to one puncture diameter or more) between punctures and only a few scattered micropunctures ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ). (ii) Hedychridium redikortzevi ( Semenov-Tian-Shanskij, 1967), which shares a similar sculpture but differs in having a clearly V-shaped frontal carina, an enlarged basal fore femur, and dense pubescence covering the entire dorsal body surface ( Rosa et al. 2017a: Plate 185); in contrast, H. frontipunctum sp. nov. has a straight frontal carina ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ), the fore femur is only ventrally carinate ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 ), and the pubescence does not fully cover the dorsal surface ( Figs 1E View FIGURE 1 , 2A View FIGURE 2 ). (iii) Hedychridium pruinifrons ( Semenov-Tian-Shanskij, 1967), which shares a similar colouration but differs markedly in the head sculpture, which is nearly polished with only a few shallow and scattered punctures on the frons, it also has an enlarged fore femur and a finely and densely punctate first tergum ( Rosa et al. 2017a: Plate 184); in contrast, H. frontipunctum sp. nov. has a densely punctate frons with large, subcontiguous punctures lacking polished intervals ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ); the fore femur is only ventrally carinate ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 ); and the first tergum exhibits double punctation laterally ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ), with large punctures and small dots in the intervals.

Description. Holotype ♀. Body length 5.0 mm, wing length 3.0 mm ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ).

Head. Head transverse ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ) (l/w = 1.5; measured from the anterior ocellus to anterior clypeal margin / maximum eye width). Transverse frontal carina medially bulging, otherwise straight. Sculpture on frons, between anterior ocellus and scapal basin, with relatively deep and medium-sized punctures (0.3–0.5× MOD); punctures distinctly smaller on ocellar area (0.1–0.2× MOD), and decreasing in size from anterior ocellus toward temples ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ). Area posterolateral to posterior ocelli widely impunctate, about 1× MOD in width. Posterior ocelli with a deep, narrow lateral fovea along outer margin, as long as the ocellus; no connecting sulcus between posterior ocelli. Face in frontal view entirely micropunctate and covered with short, appressed silvery setae. Clypeus largely polished with only scattered punctures. Subantennal space short, 0.7× MOD. Apex of clypeus medially with broad, brown, triangular truncation; laterally with two narrow, yellowish-hyaline projections. OOL 1.7× MOD; POL 1.6× MOD; MS 0.7× MOD. Relative lengths of P:F1:F2:F3 = 1.0:1.4:1.0:0.8.

Mesosoma. Medial pronotal furrow shallow, as median, wide antero-depression ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ); pronotum with relatively large punctures, as large as those on frons, with scattered dots on interspaces, without large punctures along the posterior margin, only with shallow, undefined punctures, smaller than those on the anterior and lateral part ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ); punctation on mesonotum similar, with smaller punctures anteriorly and laterally, distinctly separated by 1–2 puncture diameter; polished interspaces with scattered dots; notauli formed by deep, thin line, larger basally; parapsidal signum deep and fully developed; mesoscutellum anteromedially largely polished between large punctures; posterior propodeal projections right angled; posterior margin straight, concave for all the length ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ); mesopleuron without sulci, with large punctures, larger than on pronotum, largely subcontiguous along margins ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 ).

Metasoma. Frontal declivity nearly straight, without depressions; first tergum dorsally with even, slightly dense, and small punctures ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ); laterally with double punctation ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ); second tergum with small and dense punctures, becoming smaller, scattered and shallower on second half towards the apical margin ( Figs 2B, C View FIGURE 2 ); third tergum with small, denser punctures; apical margin slightly swollen before dark, hyaline marginal rim ( Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 ); first and second sternum medially metallic golden-red, with scattered, small puncture ( Fig. 2D View FIGURE 2 ); third sternum black without metallic highlights, medially polished, with small dots laterally.

Colouration. Head and mesosoma, including legs, metallic green with metallic rosy colour on vertex and mesosoma; metasoma darker red to violet; likely the species has rosy-red forebody and green metanotum and propodeum in living specimens in nature, metasoma violet, darker medially. Antennae brownish with scape only green metallic ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ); tegula metallic green; fore- and mid-leg basitarsus yellowish; wings hyaline, veins brownish ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ).

Vestiture. Head and mesosoma covered by long (1× MOD), erect silver setae; metasoma laterally and posteriorly with longer, erect setae (1.5× MOD).

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The species name frontipunctum is derived from Latin frons (forehead) and punctum (a dot, puncture), referring to the coarse punctation of the frons, which is a distinguishing morphological character of this species.

Distribution. Uzbekistan.