Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics
Volume:8 Issue: 1, Mar 2022

Based on materials recently collected in Iran and Armenia, jewel-beetle Sphenoptera (Chrysoblemma) orichalcea (Pallas, 1781) is reported for the first time for Iranian fauna, and occurrence of the species in Armenia is also reconfirmed. Some diagnostic characters, ecological and biological notes along with photographs are provided.

The Sri Lankan species, Methocha ubiquita Krombein, 1982 is newly reported for the fauna of India. Differential characters, figures, distribution map and comparisons of the newly recorded species with original description of type material are provided.

A checklist of the bees of the genus Hylaeus Fabricius, 1793 of Iran, based on the literature data and also field surveys in northeastern Iran (North Khorasan and Khorasan-e Razavi provinces) is presented. The resulting checklist comprises nine subgenera and 63 species. Four species of the genus Hylaeus, including H. (Lambdopsis) rinki (Gorski, 1852), H. (Spatulariella) hyalinatus Smith, 1842, H. (Spatulariella) punctatus (Brullé, 1832) and H. (Prosopis) lionotus (Alfken, 1909), are newly recorded for the fauna of Iran. The later species is considered as ″ very rare″ , has only known in Kazakhstan. A re-description of the male of H. (Prosopis) lionotus together with the illustrations of morphological characters is given.

A study was conducted to determine the braconinae (Hym., Braconidae) parasitoid wasps, associated with Asteraceae in the northwest of Iran during 2013-2015. Ten species were reared from flower-heads of Asteraceae: Bracon bipartitus Wesmael, 1838; B. leptus Marshall, 1897; B. luteator Spinola, 1808; B. mariae Dalla Torre, 1898; B. pectoralis Wesmael, 1838; B. subrugosus Szépligeti, 1901; B. talyshicus Tobias, 1976; B. trucidator Marshall, 1888; B. tschitscherini Kokujev, 1904 and B. urinator (Fabricius, 1798), of which one species (i.e., B. talyshicus) is recorded for the first time from Iran. We also reared some non-frugivorous Tephritidae feeding on the collected flower-heads that can be possible host of these braconids. General distribution and biological associations for all species that have been collected in this study are compiled.

The fauna of the family Tachinidae (Diptera) was studied in the Haftad-Qolleh Protected Area, Markazi province, Iran. A total of 86 species belonging to 67 genera have been collected of which 46 species within 19 genera are newly recorded from Iran. The species Magripa persica Gilasian & Ziegler sp. nov. is described as new to science. Diagnostic characters for the newly recorded taxa are provided. Illustrations of the male terminalia and head of the new species as well as habitus images of the new records are presented.

The fauna of the Ophioniformes group (Hym.: Ichneumonidae) was studied in the southern part of Kerman province, Iran during 2014–2015. Four localities (Faryab, Jiroft, Maskoon and Sarbijan) have been surveyed using eight Malaise traps. Two traps were operated in each location. A total of 135 specimens of the Ophioniformes group have been collected and identified representing 27 species into seven subfamilies and 17 genera. One genus (i.e. Meloboris Holmgren, 1859) and six species are reported from Iran for the first time: Diadegma kyffhusanae Horstmann, 1973, Hyposoter barretti (Bridgman, 1881), Hyposoter caudator Horstmann, 2008, Meloboris collector (Thunberg, 1822), Sinophorus pleuralis (Thomson, 1887) and Mesochorus arenarius (Haliday, 1838). Fifteen species are newly recorded from Kerman province. The biographical and altitudinal range distribution, as well as adult flight period of the identified species, are also discussed.

The crabronid wasp, Solierella turneri Dutt, 1917 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) is newly recorded from various regions of India and female is described. Hitherto, the S. turneri Dutt has been only reported from northern India (Pusa of Bihar), the current record extends its range to southern India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka).

Gorgan, is a city in northern Iran where its moderate and humid climate and fertile soil provides an appropriate condition for various arthropods and crops. Although, species diversity is relatively lower in agricultural systems than pristine ecosystems, several soil mite populations are successfully adapted to both tilled and untilled lands. Following a faunistic study of heterostigmatic mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Heterostigmatina) in dry rice cultivations in some areas of Gorgan, eight species from six genera of five families were collected and identified. For the first time we report six species for Iranian arthropod fauna as well as several new host associations. Finally, we reviewed the world distribution of the recovered mites and further provided a key to Heterostigmatina of dry rice cultivations in Gorgan city.

In this study the biodiversity and relative abundance of Collembola was evaluated in two different ecosystems, citrus field and forest in Mazandaran province, Iran. Samples were carried out during 2016 and 2017. In each site, soil was sampled by a collecting core from 5×5 cm in surface area and a depth of 10 cm. Species richness, biodiversity and the indices of similarity were calculated. The results of T-Test showed that in two years (2016 and 2017), the values of Shannon-Wiener diversity and Simpson species diversity index were significantly different between sampling areas (Pvalue<0.05), but the values of Margalef richness and Pielou evenness index were not significantly (Pvalue˃0.05). In the year 2016, Shannon-Wiener index, Simpson index, Pielou evenness and Margalef species richness in Dasht-e Naz forest were 1.92 ± 0.1, 0.83 ± 0.03, 2.01 ± 0.2 and 0.94 ± 0.04 respectively, and in citrus field were 1.44 ± 0.11, 0.73 ± 0.02, 1.46 ± 0.37 and 0.9 ± 0.03 respectively. Also, in the year 2017, Shannon-Wiener index, Simpson index, Pielou evenness and Margalef species richness in Dasht-e Naz forest were 1.79 ± 0.05, 0.81 ± 0.08, 1.38 ± 0.25 and 0.94 ± 0.09 respectively, and in citrus field were 0.98 ± 0.22, 0.58 ± 0.08, 1.02 ± 0.35 and 0.95 ± 0.05 respectively. In general, the results showed that the abundance and biodiversity of Collembola in Dasht-e Naz forest was higher than in citrus field.

During 2018–2020, several field surveys have been conducted to collect thrips in different parts of India. Five thrips species: Dolichothrips reuteri (Karny), Hydatothrips haschemi Girault, Litotetothrips pasaniae Kurosawa, Mesothrips annamensis Priesner, and Stenchaetothrips bambusicola Mound have been identified as new to Indian subcontinent.