Associated eulophids (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) with some Poaceae in the northwestern Iran

Document Type : Paper, English

Authors

1 Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

2 Insects Taxonomy Research Department, Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection (IRIPP), AREEO, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

During a survey conducted in West Azarbaijan Province, northwestern Iran, various grasses (Poaceae) were collected from 2021 to 2023. Plant tissue samples of Bromus tectorum (L.) Nevski, Dactylis glomerata L., Lolium perenne L., Phalaris minor Retzand, and Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. were transferred to the Entomology Laboratory at Urmia University, where chalcidoid wasps were reared. Eleven species of Eulophidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) belonging to five genera and three subfamilies were identified, i.e. Pediobius epigonus (Walker, 1839) and P. metallicus (Nees, 1834) (Entedoninae); Cirrospilus ingenuus (Gahan, 1932); Diglyphus isaea (Walker, 1838) and D. sabulosus (Erdös, 1951) (Eulophinae); Aprostocetus apiculatus (Graham, 1987); A. forsteri (Walker, 1847); A. phragmiticola (Graham, 1987); Aprostocetus sp.; Baryscapus endemus (Walker, 1839), and B. turionum (Hatrig, 1838) (Tetrastichinae). Notably, two species, A. apiculatus and A. phragmiticola, are new records for the Iranian fauna. Except for D. isaea and D. sabulosus, all other species represent new distributional records. Additionally, the associations of these grasses with their corresponding eulophids are reported here for the first time. Furthermore, diagnostic characters of the newly recorded species are provided, accompanied with illustrations.

Graphical Abstract

Associated eulophids (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) with some Poaceae in the northwestern Iran

Keywords

Main Subjects


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