Hedychrum niemelai

A spectacular species with metallic reds and blue-greens. The female has red thorax, the male thorax is blue-green.

Open sandy localities: lowland heaths, coastal dunes, cliffs with sandy deposits, and other disturbed locations, for exampleÿsandpits, footpaths and railway cuttings.

Mainly to be seen during July and August, but also during June and September and rarely during May. Adults fly in bright sunshine around nesting sites ofÿthe hosts and feed at the nectariesÿand extra floral nectaries of flowering plants.

The hosts of this species are Cerceris ruficornis, Cerceris arenaria, Cerceris rybyensis and Cerceris quinquefasciata. All the host species nest in sandy places. On detecting a host's nest the female enters and lays an egg in a cell. On hatching the chrysidid larva acts as a parasitoid consuming either the mature larva or prepupa of the host.

Recorded from Cornwall to Kent and north to Oxfordshire, Norfolk, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire.

Rare or under recorded in Leicestershire and Rutland. The Asfordby Hill record of 7th August 2015 is the first for VC55.