21. Hedychrum nobile (Scopoli, 1763)

Sphex nobilis Scopoli 1763: 297. Holotype ♀; Austria (lost).

Chrysis lucidula Fabricius 1775: 358. Syntypes ♀♀; Europe (ZMUC) (examined). Dahlbom 1829: 12–13, Dahlbom 1831: 31, Zetterstedt 1840: 434, Nylander 1859a: 111, Thomson 1862: 296.

Chrysis regia Fabricius 1793: 243. Holotype ♂; Germany: Kilia [= Kiel] (lost?). Nylander 1859a: 111, Kawall 1866b: 156.

Chrysis Regia: Dahlbom 1829: 12–13, Dahlbom 1831: 31, Zetterstedt 1840: 434.

Hedychrum lucidulum: Dahlbom 1854: 79, Kawall 1864: 303, Thomson 1870: 104, Woldstedt 1875: 345, Siebke 1880: 74, Strand 1898: 97.

Hedychrum nobile: Borries 1891: 93, Adlerz 1900: 162, 185, Aurivillius 1911: 8, Hellén 1920: 209, Forsius 1923: 55, Bischoff 1925: 306, Trautmann 1927: 73, Krogerus 1932: 124, Jansson 1934: 287, Hellén 1935: 8, Valkeila 1962: 64, Wengris 1962: 9, Tumšs & Maršakovs 1970: 91, Erlandsson 1971: 88, Vikberg 1986b: 67, Hedström 1987: 156, Hedström 1989: 154, Doronin 1996: 18, Söderman & Vikberg 2003: 44, Abenius & Larsson 2004, Soon 2004: 19, 45, Abenius & Larsson 2005, Hallin 2005, Abenius 2006: 57, Hallin 2006: 11, Sörensson 2006, Abenius & Hellqvist 2007: 66, Abenius & Larsson 2007, Hallin 2007: 21, Larsson 2007: 22, Salminen 2007: 143, Karlsson 2008, Sörensson 2008a: 80, Abenius 2009: 59, Franzén & Norén 2009: 40, Hallin 2009: 10, Johansson 2009, Allearter.dk 2010, Artsdatabanken 2010, Fritz & Larsson 2010: 151, Jantunen & Saarinen 2010: 49, Johansson 2010: 118, Orlovskytė et al. 2010: 146, Smissen 2010d: 393, Ivarsson 2011: 43, Larsson 2011: 29, Ødegaard et al. 2011: 64, Franzén et al. 2012: 27, Hallin 2012, Larsson 2012: 13, Ranta 2012: 32, Dyntaxa 2013, Johansson 2013a: 81, Johansson, in press.

Hedychrum nobile var. lepeletieri Buysson 1898: 563. Holotype ♂; locality unknown (MNHN).

Elampus nobilis: Sahlberg 1910: 98.

Hedychrum nobile ab. viridiventris Hellén 1920: 209, invalid name.

Hedychrum nobile ab. lepeletieri: Hellén 1935: 8.

Hedychrum nobile nobile: Rosa & Soon 2012.

Distribution. Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, Russian Fennoscandia.—Transpalearctic: from Europe to Siberia (Linsenmaier 1959).

Remarks. Hedychrum nobile is the most common species of its genus, and has been recorded in all the Nordic and Baltic countries. Records published prior to 1960 represent either H. nobile or the closely related species H. niemelai, which was described in 1959 by Linsenmaier. Hellén (1920) described “ab. viridiventris ” from Finland, but replaced it with “ab. lepeletieri ” in the Finnish checklist (Hellén 1935). This form differs from the typical form by having a greenish abdomen. The difference is not always distinct, and intermediate specimens are common. We do not recommend the use of these infrasubspecific names.