Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics
Volume:6 Issue: 2, Jun 2020

The hymenopteran family Platygastridae is a large group of parasitic wasps. A survey was carried out on the subfamily Sceliotrachelinae (Hym.: Platygastridae) in East Azerbaijan and Fars provinces of Iran. The genus Fidobia Ashmead and three species, Allotropa conventus Maneval, Fidiobia hofferi Kozlov and Isolia mongolica (Kozlov) are newly recorded from Iran. Illustrations of the morphological characteristics and their geographical distribution are presented.

The aim of this study is to review the faunistic and systematic studies on aquatic and semi-aquatic Heteroptera of Turkey and to make an analysis on the distribution and zoogeographically of the Turkish fauna. In this study, one species of Enicocephalomorpha, one species of Dipsocoromorpha, 51 species in 13 genera of Gerromorpha, four species in three genera of Leptopodomorpha and 55 species in 19 genera of Nepomorpha are reviewed. In total, 112 species belonging to 37 genera of five Infraorders are discussed from Turkey. Besides, all specimens were collected between 2009 and 2018 by the auther and the specimens deposited in the Nazife Tuatay Plant Protection Museum (Ankara) were also included in. It was determined that 94 species are distributed from Mediterranean, 57 species from Europe-Siberia and 90 species from Irano-Turanian. It was determined that nine species and subspecies comprising 8% of Turkish aquatic and semi-aquatic Heteroptera are endemic are located in Turkey. In addition, new locality records are given for the species that have been collected and diagnosed. Species composition, diversity and proportion of endemism varies considerably among the zoogeographic regions of the country.

The genus Latibulus Gistel, 1848 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) is taxonomically reviewed in Iran. Specimens were collected using Malaise traps in the Isfahan province, during 2013–2015. Two species, Latibulus argiolus (Rossi, 1790) (spring form) and Latibulus orientalis (Horstmann, 1987) (summer form) are identified, of which L. orientalis is a new record for the fauna of Iran. In addition, L. argiolus is recorded from central part of Iran (Isfahan) for the first time. The geographical distribution of the recorded species in relation to the overall knowledge in the target area and adjacent regions is also discussed.

The pteromalids fauna (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae) was studied in southern areas of Kerman province. The specimens were collected using Malaise traps and sweeping net during March 2016 to August 2017. Seven species of Pteromalidae collected and identified. Among them, four species viz. Halticoptera andriescui Mitroiu, 2005, Ksenoplata quadrata Bouček, 1965 (Miscogastrinae), Systasis parvula Thomson, 1876 (Ormocerinae) and Spalangia nigroaenea Curtis, 1839 (Spalangiinae) were recorded for the first time from Kerman province. The genus Rhicnocoelia is newly recorded from Iran, represented by a single species, Rhicnocoelia impar (Walker, 1836). A brief discussion is given for the Miscogastrinae, Ormocerinae and Spalangiinae fauna of Kerman province.

During 2015–2017, 28 aphid species belonging to 12 genera were collected and identified on Asteraceae plants in North Khorasan province, Iran. Among these, three aphid species including Macrosiphoniella frigidivora Holman & Szelegiewicz, 1974, Macrosiphoniella szalaymarzsoi Szelegiewicz, 1978 and Protaphis iliensis Kadyrbekov, 2001 (Hemiptera: Aphididae) are new for aphid fauna of Iran. Brief redescriptions of Iranian populations of these three species are given and compared to the original descriptions.

The digger wasps fauna (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of Fars province in southern Iran was partly investigated. Members of three families: Pemphredonidae (5 species of 3 genera), Psenidae (3 species of 2 genera) and Philanthidae (2 species of 2 genera) were collected and documented. The following eight species: Diodontus brevilabris de Beaumont, 1967, D. crassicornis Gribodo, 1894, D. insidiosus Spooner, 1938, Passaloecus corniger Shuckard, 1837, Pemphredon inornata Say, 1824, Mimesa punctipleuris (Gussakovskij, 1937), Psenulus laevigatus (Schenck, 1857) and Cerceris spinifera haladai K. Schmidt, 2000, are new to the Iranian wasp fauna. In addition, two species: Psenulus schencki (Tournier, 1889) and Philanthus variegatus Spinola, 1839, are new records for Fars province. For each species, we include available distributional data as well as comments on its taxonomy and geographical distribution.

During a faunistic study on the springtails (Collembola) of Khuzestan in south-western Iran, eight species including three Hypogastruridae, four Isotomidae and one Sminthuridae were collected and identified. Acherontiella and Acherontiella bougisi Cassagnau et Delamare Deboutteville, 1955 (Hypogastruridae), Ballistura tuberculata (Stach, 1947) (Isotomidae) and Sminthurus wahlgreni Stach, 1920 (Sminthuridae) are new for Iran while Hypogastrura manubrialis (Tullberg, 1869) (Hypogastruridae),  Isotomurus palustris (Müller, 1776) and Parisotoma notabilis (Schäffer, 1896) (Isotomidae) are new for Khuzestan fauna.