Primer registro de Chalybion californicum (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) en Chile

The genus Chalybion, consisting of potter wasps belonging to the family Sphecidae, exhibits a cosmopolitan distribution. This genus tends to utilize pre-existing cavities or reuse the nests of other wasps for nesting, provisioning these nests with small spiders that will serve as food for their larvae. It has been documented that Chalybion californicum (de Saussure, 1867) shows a preference for reusing the nests of Sceliphron caementarium (Drury, 1773), which is also a Nearctic species. Both species have colonized Peru, and until now, only the presence of S. caementarium was known in Chile. This study reports for the first time the presence of C. californicum in Chile and suggests the possibility of its establishment in this region, thereby illustrating the species and describing its distribution in South America. It discusses the possible distribution area in relation to its behavior of reusing mud nests of other species.