Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics
Volume:3 Issue: 1, Mar 2017

The distribution of Dendrothrips aspersus Bhatti, a leaf-feeding thrips species, has so far been confined to India and Iran. Both sexes of the species were collected from olive suckers from Fars province, south of Iran. The male sex of Dendrothrips aspersus is recorded and described. The females had been previously collected on grasses in the same place, so the host association for this species is discussed briefly.

In a taxonomic study of the subfamily Phasiinae (Diptera: Tachinidae), seven species and the three genera Opesia Robineau-Desvoidy, Subclytia Pandellé and Xysta Meigen are recorded for the first time from Iran. The diagnostic characters, distributional data along with the photographs of species are presented. Taxonomical positions of the genera and species are discussed.

In this study, two aphid species i.e. Macrosiphoniella vallesiacae Jörg & Lample, 1988 on Artemisia aucheri and A. sieberi and Uroleucon pilosellae (Börner, 1933) (Hem.: Aphididae) on Scorzonera sp. were collected which are reported here for the first time from Iran. The biometric data of the Iranian populations of these two aphid species are given. An identification key to the apterous viviparous female aphids of the genus Macrosiphoniella living on Artemisia in Iran is provided.

The fauna of the braconid subfamilies Euphorinae, Homolobinae, Macrocentrinae and Rogadinae were studied in Kerman province. Specimens were collected using Malaise traps and sweeping net during 2013–2014. A total of 14 species and eight genera were collected and identified. Among the collected material, Aleiodes (Chelonorhogas) ruficornis (Herrich-Schaffer, 1838) is a new record for the fauna of Iran. All species are new for the fauna of Kerman province.

Two species of Cleonyminae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea, Pteromalidae), Chalcedectus sinaiticus (Masi, 1936) and Notanisus vanharteni Gibson, 2015 were found for the first time in Iran. These species were collected from south of Iran. Notanisus vanharteni was reared on Dorema ammoniacum (D. Don.) and C. sinaiticus was collected by a Malaise trap.

Butterflies of the Inani Reserve Forest were studied between May 2014 and May 2015. One hundred twenty five species of butterflies belonging to 84 genera and six families (Hesperiidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae, Riodinidae and Nymphalidae) were recorded during this study. The highest number of species comprised Family Nymphalidae (38 species, 30.4%) followed by Lycaenidae (35 species, 20.8%), Hesperiidae (26 species, 20.16%), Pieridae (16 species, 12.8%), Papilionidae (9 species, 7.2%) and the Family Riodinidae comprised the lowest (one species, 0.8%). The abundance of recorded butterflies was calculated in term of Very Common (20 species), Common (29 species), Uncommon (32 species), Rare (23 species) and Very Rare (21 species). The butterflies preferred different types of habitat (viz., Grass Land, Crop Land, Open Forest, Scrub Forest, Dense Forest and Bamboo Patches). Thirty species of butterflies were regularly observed in all kind of habitats, 69 species preferred multiple habitats (8 in 4 types, 24 in 3 types and 38 in 2 types of habitat) and 25 species were recorded only in a single type of habitats. Mud-puddling of 36 species were also observed. During this study, Zinaspa todara (Family: Lycaenidae) was the first time record in Bangladesh and Euploea doubledayi (Family: Danaidae) was recorded after 150 year later.

The inventory of tabanids of Ivory Coast includes both a review of historical datasets as well as the results of recent targeted field investigations in the North of Ivory Coast from 2000 to 2002 and Banco forest in 2012. The family Tabanidae known as horse flies has been estimated to consist of 4,500 existing species throughout the world. Four genera are known to be of medico-veterinary importance and include: Haematopota, Tabanus, Atylotus and Chrysops. The documented results of 28 sites provide significant information to update on the Tabanidae list of Ivory Coast. 70 species and 14 genera have been identified till date such as genus Tabanus with 40 species (57.14 %), genus Haematopota with 10 species (14.29 %), genera Atylotus, Chrysops and Hippocentrum with three species (4.29 %), genera Ancala, Rhigioglossa with two species (2.86%). Seven genera with only one species identified. T. taeniola, T. besti, T. secedens, T. thoracinus, H. decora, H. griseicoxa and H. torquens were captured in at least five regions.