A contribution to the knowledge of Ichneumonidae ... - Calodema

Calodema, 166: 1-5 (2011)
A contribution to the knowledge of Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) from
Arasbaran and vicinity, Iran
by Hassan Ghahari*& Reijo Jussila**
*Department of Agriculture, Shahre Rey Branch,, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran (email: hghahari@yahoo.com)
**Zoological Museum, Section of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences, Department of Biology, FI-20014
University of Turku, Finland (email: reijo.jussila@utu.fi)
Ghahari, H. & Jussila, R. (2011). A contribution to the knowledge of Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) from Arasbaran
and vicinity, Iran. Calodema, 166: 1-5.
Abstract: A total of 30 ichneumonid species from 26 genera (viz. Anomalon, Lissonata, Temelucha, Dichrogaster,
Gelis, Ischnus, Absyrtus, Pion, Scolobates, Coelichneumon, Cratichneumon, Diadromus, Diphyus, Ectopius,
Ichneumon, Melanichneumon, Rhexidermus, Phaestacoenitus, Iseropus, Itoplectis, Perithorus, Pimpla, Rhyssa,
Scambus, Strongylopsis and Tromatobia) and 8 subfamilies (viz. Anomaloninae, Banchinae, Cremastinae, Cryptinae,
Ctenopelmatinae, Ichneumoninae, Phuridinae and Pimplinae) were collected from the Arasbaran region and vicinity.
Key words: Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, parasitoid, fauna, Arasbaran, Iran.
Introduction
The Ichneumonidae is one of the most species-rich families of all organisms, with an estimated 60,000 species
in the world (Townes, 1969). Ichneumonids utilize a diverse array of insects and arachnids as their hosts and
play an essential role in the normal functioning of most ecosystems, underlying the need to inventory their
diversity. Ichneumonids have been used successfully as biocontrol agents and given the largely undocumented
fauna, there is a huge potential for their utilization in managed biocontrol programmes (Gupta, 1991).
Ichneumonoids parasitize mainly the larvae and pupae of holometabolous insects, excluding Megaloptera and
Siphonaptera. Ichneumonidae are almost completely restricted to the immature stages of the Holometabola (a
few groups use egg nests of Pseudoscorpionida, egg cocoons of Araneae or adult Araneae). Unlike
microhymenoptera, ichneumonoids rarely parasitize individual eggs, and a few are egg-larval parasitoids, laying
an egg in the host egg but consuming the host in its larval stage (Gauld, 1988; Wahl & Sharkey, 1993).
Parasitism of Symphyta is quite common in Ichneumonidae, having arisen on several separate occasions.
Ectoparasitism is a primitive condition for ichneumonoids. External parasitoids generally parasitize hosts in
concealed locations, such as stem tunnels, pupal cells, leaf rolls, or cocoons. Many species inject venom before
the eggs are laid. The resulting paralysis may be temporary or permanent, or fatal. The egg is sometimes
deposited next to the host, especially when paralysis is permanent. If only temporary paralysis is induced, the
egg is often deposited on the host but where the host cannot reach it (Wahl & Sharkey, 1993). Endoparasitism
evolved independently on several occasions within the ichneumonoids, the exact number of times within each
family being unclear. Although certain advantages are gained by developing inside the host, the ichneumonoid
is subject to attack by the host's immune system. A variety of strategies are used to overcome this, including
the injection of viruses at the time of oviposition. These serve to control the immune reactions of the host
(Austin & Dowton, 2001). Ichneumonids have been used successfully as biocontrol agents and given the largely
undocumented fauna there is a huge potential for their utilization in managed biocontrol programs (Gupta,
1987). Comprehensive quantitative biodiversity surveys will enable the identification of hotspots of species
richness and endemism; essential base line data that will enable informed future conservation management
decisions.
Arasbaran is an important region in the East Azarbayjan province of Iran. This biosphere reserve is situated in
the north of Iran at the border with Armenia and Azerbaijan belonging to the Caucasus Iranian Highlands.
Between the Caspian, Caucasus and Mediterranean regions, this area covers mountains up to 2,200 meters, high
alpine meadows, semi-arid steppes, rangelands and forests, rivers and springs. Arasbaran is a territory comprised
of about 23,500 nomads who are mainly living in the buffer and transition zones. Economic activities in the
biosphere reserve are mainly agriculture, animal husbandry, horticulture, apiculture, handicrafts and tourism, but
business activities can also be found in urbanized areas. The location of Arasbaran is 38°40' to 39°08'N; 46°39'
to 47°02'E and its altitude (meters above sea level) is +250 to +2,887.
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The Iranian Ichneumonidae fauna is rather well known. Since Iran is one of the most interesting places in the
West Palaearctic, due to having an extremely varying topography and various kinds of climates. In the catalogue
of the Iranian Ichneumonidae (Kolarov & Ghahari, 2005) only 144 species were listed. This is not more than
probably 1/10 of the actual number of the species. Recently, 30 Pimplinae and Tryphoninae, 18 Brachycyrtinae
and Cryptinae, and 63 Ichneumoninae species were respectively added to this fauna by Kolarov & Ghahari
(2006, 2007, 2008) and Ghahari et al. (2010a, b).
Materials and Methods
This study is based upon specimens of Ichneumonidae collected from different regions of Arasbaran and many other
areas of north-western Iran. The specimens were collected by sweep nets of 50 cm in diameter and malaise traps.
Additionally many collected specimens by the students of the first author and also many specimens of insect
collection of some universities were checked. Classification, nomenclature and distributional data of Ichneumonidae
suggested by Yu et al. (2005) and Kasparyan (1981) have been followed.
List of Species
A total of 30 ichenumonid species from 26 genera and 8 subfamilies were identified from Arasbaran and
vicinity. The list of species is given below.
Subfamily Anomaloninae
Genus Anomalon Panzer, 1804
Anomalon cruentatum (Geoffroy, 1785)
Material examined: East Azarbayjan province, Khomarloo, 1 female, July 2005.
Subfamily Banchinae
Genus Lissonota Gravenhorst, 1829
Lissonota mediterranea Seyrig, 1927
Material examined: Ardabil province, Pars-Abad, 1 female, June 2002.
Subfamily Cremastinae
Genus Temelucha Förster, 1869
Temelucha arenosa Szépligeti, 1899
Material examined: East Azarbayjan province, Kaleibar, 2 females, August 2005.
Temelucha lucida (Szépligeti, 1899)
Material examined: West Azarbayjan province: Maco, 1 female, June 2004.
Subfamily Cryptinae
Genus Dichrogaster Doumerc, 1855
Dichrogaster aestivalis (Gravenhorst, 1829)
Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Maragheh, 3 females, 1 male, June 2005.
Genus Gelis Thunberg, 1827
Gelis rufipes (Bridgman, 1883)
Material examined: Ardabil province: Ardabil, 2 males, June 2002.
Genus Ischnus Gravenhorst, 1829
Ischnus agitator (Olivier, 1792)
Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Azarshahr, 1 female, 1 male, September 2005.
Subfamily Ctenopelmatinae
Genus Absyrtus Holmgren, 1859
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Absyrtus vernalis Bauer, 1961
Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Azarshahr, 1 female, September 2005.
Genus Pion Schiødte, 1839
Pion fortipes (Gravenhorst, 1829)
Material examined: West Azarbayjan province: Ourmieh, 1 male, August 2004.
Genus Scolobates Gravenhorst, 1829
Scolobates auriculatus (Fabricius, 1804)
Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Ahar, 1 female, July 2005.
Subfamily Ichneumoninae
Genus Coelichneumon Thomson, 1893
Coelichneumon leucocerus Gravenhorst, 1893
Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Khodafarin, 2 females, June 2005, reared from Acronicta
megacephala Den. & Schiffermüller (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). West Azarbayjan province: Ourmieh, 3 females,
August 2006, reared from Mamestra percicariae Linnaeus (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).
Coelichneumon singularis Berthoumieu, 1892
Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Kaleibar, 1 female, September 2005.
Genus Cratichneumon Thomson, 1893
Cratichneumon rufifrons Gravenhorst, 1893
Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Khodafarin, 1 female, August 2005, reared from Electrophaes
corylata Thunberg (Lepidoptera: Geometridae).
Genus Diadromus Wesmael, 1845
Diadromus quadriguttatus Gravenhorst, 1889
Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Tabriz, 2 females, September 2002, reared from Yponomeuta sp.
(Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae).
Genus Diphyus Kriechbaumer, 1890
Diphyus raptorius Linneaus, 1829
Material examined: West Azarbayjan: Ourmieh, 1 female, July 2004, reared from Mythmina sp. (Lepidoptera:
Noctuidae).
Genus Ectopius Wesmael, 1859
Ectopius rubellus Gmelin, 1896
Material examined: West Azarbayjan: Khoy, 1 female, May 2004, larval parasitoid of Parizoma sp.
(Lepidoptera: Geometridae).
Genus Ichneumon Linnaeus, 1758
Ichneumon cessator Müller, 1776
Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Ahar, 1 female, 1 male, June 2005, larval parasitoid of
Nymphalis sp. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).
Genus Melanichneumon Thomson, 1893
Melanichneumon glaucatoriops Heinrich, 1956
Material examined: West Azarbayjan province: Ourmieh (grape garden), 1 female, September 2004, reared from
the pupae of Noctuidae (Lepidoptera).
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Genus Rhexidermus Förster, 1869
Rhexidermus truncator Förster, 1889
Material examined: Ardabil province: Ardabil, 2 females, September 2003, reared from Lasiocampidae
(Lepidoptera). West Azarbayjan province: Ourmieh, 1 female, October 2004, larval parasitoid of Laspeyresia sp.
(Lepidoptera: Tortricidae).
Subfamily Phuridinae
Genus Phaestacoenitus Smits van Burgst, 1913
Phaestacoenitus niger nitidus Kasparyan, 1983
Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Tabriz, 1 female, September 2002.
Subfamily Pimplinae
Genus Iseropus Förster, 1869
Iseropus stercorator (Fabricius, 1793)
Material examined: West Azarbayjan province: Mahabad, 1 male, July 2000.
Genus Itoplectis Förster, 1869
Itoplectis aterrima Jussila, 1965
Material examined: West Azarbayjan province: Ourmieh, 2 females, 1 male, July 2000.
Genus Perithous Holmgren, 1859
Perithous scurra (Panzer, 1804)
Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Marand, 2 females, August 2005.
Genus Pimpla Fabricius, 1804
Pimpla hypochondriaca (Retzius, 1783)
Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Tabriz, 1 male, September 2002.
Genus Rhyssa Gravenhorst, 1829
Rhyssa persuasoria (Linnaeus, 1758)
Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Ahar, 2 females, September 2005.
Genus Scambus Hartig, 1838
Scambus (Endromopoda) detritus (Holm. 1860)
Material examined: Ardabil province: Meshkinshahr, 1male, September 2003.
Scambus (Endromopoda) phragmitidis Perkins, 1957
Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Bostan-Abad, 1 female, June 2001.
Scambus foliae (Cushman, 1938)
Material examined: West Azarbayjan province: Mahabad, 2 females, July 2000.
Genus Strongylopsis Brauns, 1896
Strongylopsis belua Kuzin, 1950
Material examined: Ardabil province: Germy, 1 female, September 2003.
Genus Tromatobia Förster, 1869
Tromatobia oculatoria (Fabricius, 1798)
Material examined: East Azarbayjan province: Azarshahr, 2 females, 1 male, September 2005.
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Discussion
The result of this survey indicates that there ia a diverse fauna of Ichneumonidae in Arasbaran
and its vicinity including two other provinces, West Azarbayjan and Ardabil. As Iran is a large
country, incorporating various geographical regions and climates, it would be expected that a
large number of additional ichneumonid species remain to be discovered. New studies should be
conducted on this important insect group in Iran, because the documentation of several other new
records and even many new species are expected. The ichneumonoid parasitoids can have
efficient and powerful role in biological control programs, if they are conserved in agroecosystems.
Acknowledgements
The authors are indebted to the late Dr. J. Sedivy (Research Institute for Crop Protection, Praha, Czech Republic) and
Dr. T. Finlayson (1804-3737 Bartlett Court, Burnaby BC V3J 7E3, Canada) for identification of the specimens and
sending the necessary resources. We also thank Dr. Trevor J. Hawkeswood of Australia and Dr. D. Makhan of the
Netherlands for editorial assistance. The research was supported by the Islamic Azad University (Shahre Rey Branch)
and the Zoological Museum of Turku University (Finland).
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Date of publication: 15 April 2011
Copyright: Dr H. Ghahari & Dr Reijo Jussila
Editor: Dr T.J. Hawkeswood (www.calodema.com)
(Published as hard paper copy edition as well as electronic pdf)
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