Chrysis speculata du Buysson, 1896

Chrysis speculata du Buysson, 1896: 473 . Holotype ♀; India: Maharashtra: Bombay: Poona [= Pune] (MNHN) (succincta group).

Material examined

1♀: Simla 5.[18]97/Col. C.G. Nurse Collection 1920-72/ Chrysis speculata Buyss. var. <handwritten by du Buysson> [NHMUK].

Distribution

India (Himachal Pradesh (!), Maharashtra).

Remarks

The specimen from Simla [= Shimla] has a sparser punctation of the body, which produces a shining reflection. The same punctation was observed in a specimen from Pakistan (Rosa et al. 2021b). Du Buysson identified the Indian specimen from Simla to be a distinct variation of Chrysis speculata, and this case deserves future analyses based on more specimens and both sexes. In Europe a similar case was documented between the common Chrysis germari Wesmael, 1839 and the Alpine endemic species Chrysis lucida Linsenmaier, 1951, in the succincta group. The latter is found only at high altitudes and shows a shallower and sparser punctation, generating a shiny metallic reflection on the body, hence the species name.