A study on the Braconidae (Hymenoptera ... - Calodema

Calodema, 160: 1-5 (2011)
A <strong>study</strong> on the Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) from Ilam
province, Iran
by Hassan Ghahari*, Maximilian Fischer** & Jenö Papp***
*Department of Agriculture, Shahre Rey Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; email:
hghahari@yahoo.com
**Hofrat i.R. Univ.-Dozent, Naturhistorisches Museum, 2. Zoologische Abteilung, A-1010 Wien, Burgring 7,
Austria; email: maximilian.fischer@chello.at
***Zoological Department, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Baross-u. 13, H-1088 Budapest, Hungary;
email: repasi@zoo.nhmus.hu
Ghahari, H., Fischer, M. & Papp, J. (2011). A <strong>study</strong> on the Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) from Ilam
province, Iran. Calodema, 160: 1-5.
Abstract: The family Braconidae (Hymenoptera) includes several parasitoid species with an efficient role in the
biological control of pests. The fauna of these beneficial insects was studied in Ilam province of Iran. A total of 35
species from 26 genera and subgenera, and 6 subfamilies (Agathidinae, Alysiinae, Braconinae, Doryctinae,
Microgastrinae, Rogadinae) were collected from different regions of Ilam province. Among these species, 2 species,
Leluthia paradoxa (Picard) and Spathius maderi Fahringer are new records for the fauna of Iran.
Key words: Hymenoptera, Ichneumonoidea, Braconidae, fauna, Ilam, Iran.
Introduction
The Braconidae constitute one of the most species-rich families of insects which almost all
taxonomists in this group would agree that a rough, probably highly conservative, estimate of 40-
50,000 species world-wide is reasonable as an extrapolation from the current described number of
roughly 12,000 species (Sharkey & Wahl, 1992; Quicke et al., 1999). Braconidae, together with
its sister group, Ichneumonidae probably ranks first in effectiveness of reducing or holding in
balance numerous phytophagous pests (Godfray, 1994; Ghahari et al., 2006).
Ilam province is located in the south-west of Iran, bordering Iraq, and covers an area of 19,086
square kilometers. It neighbors Khuzestan province in the south, Lurestan province in the east,
Kermanshah province in the north and Iraq in the west with 425 kilometers of common border.
Ilam province is among the warmest regions of Iran, although the mountainous areas of north
and north eastern Ilam are relatively cold. The average annual rainfall within the province is
578 mm. Ilam's highest point is the peak Kabir Kuh at 2790 m, part of the Zagros mountains.
The objective of this research as the part of a larger project (Braconidae of Iran) is the collection
and identification of braconid fauna in Ilam province. Since the braconid wasps have powerful
roles in the biological control of agricultural pests, determination of these natural enemies is
important for the establishment of biological control programs and integrated pest management
(IPM) in sustainable agriculture.
Materials and Methods
Specimens were collected by malaise traps and sweep nets from different regions of Ilam province during 2007
(September and October) and 2008 (March-October). The sampled regions of this research were Abdanan, Arkvaz-e-
Malek Shahi, Darrehshahr, Dehloran, Eyvan, Ilam, Loomar, Mehran, Moosiyan, Pahle and Saleh Abad. Classification
and nomenclature of Braconidae suggested by Yu et al. (2006) have been followed.
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Calodema, 160: 1-5 (2011)
Annotated List of Species
35 braconid species from 26 genera and subgenera, and 6 subfamilies were collected from different
regions of Ilam province. The list of species is given below.
Subfamily Agathidinae
Agathis lugubris (Förster, 1862)
Material examined: Dehloran (290 m), 1 female, August 2008.
Agathis umbellatarum Nees, 1814
Material examined: Ilam (1428 m), 2 males, 2 females, September 2007.
Bassus clausthalianus (Ratzeburg, 1844)
Material examined: Abdanan (897 m), 1 female, May 2008.
Subfamily Alysiinae
Aphaereta difficilis Nixon, 1939
Material examined: Moosiyan (141 m), 1 male, July 2008.
Chorebus (Phaenolexis) femoratus (Tobias, 1962)
Material examined: Ilam (987 m), 1 male, October 2007.
Chorebus (Stiphrocera) mucronatus (Telenga, 1934)
Material examined: Arkvaz-e-Malek Shahi (1337 m), 1 male, May 2008.
Coelinidea gracilis (Curtis, 1829)
Material examined: Dehloran (290 m), 1 male, August 2008.
Dacnusa (Pachysema) alpestris Griffiths, 1967
Material examined: Abdanan (897 m), 3 females, May 2008.
Pseudopezomachus masii Nixon, 1940
Material examined: Ilam (1428 m), 1 male, 2 females, September 2007.
Synaldis maxima Fischer, 1962
Material examined: Darrehshahr (712 m), 2 males, July 2008.
Subfamily Braconinae
Atanycolus sculpturatus (Thomson, 1892)
Material examined: Moosiyan (141 m), 1 female, July 2008.
Bracon (Glabrobracon) delibator Haliday, 1833
Material examined: Mehran (162 m), 2 females, March 2008.
Bracon (Bracon) intercessor var. fallaciosus (Szépligeti, 1901)
Material examined: Ilam (987 m), 1 female, October 2007.
Habrobracon crassicornis Thomson, 1894
Material examined: Dehloran (290 m), 2 males, August 2008.
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Calodema, 160: 1-5 (2011)
Pseudovipio inscriptor (Nees, 1834)
Material examined: Loomar (795 m), 2 males, July 2008.
Vipio humerator A. Costa, 1888
Material examined: Mehran (162 m), 1 female, March 2008.
Subfamily Doryctinae
Doryctes leucogaster (Nees, 1834)
Material examined: Eyvan (1168 m), 2 females, October 2008.
Leluthia paradoxa (Picard, 1938)
Material examined: Saleh Abad (619 m), 1 male, April 2008. New record for Iran.
Ontsira ignea (Ratzeburg, 1852)
Material examined: Abdanan (953 m), 2 females, May 2008. Loomar (795 m), 1 female, July
2008.
Spathius maderi Fahringer, 1930
Material examined: Ilam (987 m), 1 female, October 2007. New record for Iran.
Subfamily Microgastrinae
Apanteles corvinus Reinhard, 1880
Material examined: Arkvaz-e-Malek Shahi (1337 m), 1 female, May 2008.
Apanteles metacarpalis Thomson, 1895
Material examined: Saleh Abad (619 m), 2 females, April 2008.
Cotesia euryale (Nixon, 1974)
Material examined: Loomar (795 m), 1 female, July 2008.
Cotesia risilis (Nixon, 1974)
Material examined: Abdanan (953 m), 1 female, May 2008.
Cotesia telengai (Tobias, 1972)
Material examined: Eyvan (1168 m), 1 male, October 2008.
Cotesia zygaenarum (Marshall, 1885)
Material examined: Moosiyan (141 m), 2 males, July 2008.
Dolichogenidea candidata (Haliday, 1834)
Material examined: Ilam (1428 m), 1 female, September 2007.
Dolichogenidea sicaria (Marshall, 1885)
Material examined: Darrehshahr (712 m), 2 females, July 2008. Eyvan (1168 m), 1 female,
October 2008.
Illidops scutellaris (Muesebeck, 1920)
Material examined: Pahle (715 m), 1 male, June 2008.
Microplitis tuberculifer (Wesmael, 1837)
Material examined: Mehran (162 m), 2 males, March 2008.
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Calodema, 160: 1-5 (2011)
Pholetesor bicolor (Nees, 1834)
Material examined: Arkvaz-e-Malek Shahi (1337 m), 2 males, May 2008.
Subfamily Rogadinae
Aleiodes (Aleiodes) circumscriptus (Nees, 1834)
Material examined: Saleh Abad (619 m), 1 female, 2 males, April 2008. Pahle (715 m), 2
females, 1 male, June 2008. Badreh (1053 m), 2 females, 3 males, July 2008.
Aleiodes (Aleiodes) nigricornis Wesmael, 1838
Material examined: Eyvan (1168 m), 1 female, 1 male, October 2008.
Aleiodes (Chelonorhogas) rufipes (Thomson, 1891)
Material examined: Saleh Abad (619 m), 1 female, April 2008.
Petalodes compressor (Herrich-Schaffer, 1838)
Material examined: Ilam (987 m), 1 male, October 2007. Loomar (795 m), 1 male, July 2008.
Discussion
This paper, which deals with the braconid fauna of Ilam province (south-western Iran),
identifies 35 braconid species. This research indicates that the subfamily Microgastrinae with
11 species, has the highest diversity, and that the Alysiinae, Braconinae, Rogadinae,
Doryctinae and Agathidinae, with 7, 6, 5, 4 and 3 species respectively, display lower levels of
diversity. This research is in fact a partial <strong>study</strong> on the Braconidae fauna of Ilam province and
certainly these faunal surveys must be continued for the determination and further
understanding of these powerful parasitoids. Many publications on Iranian Braconidae
including, Ghahari et al. (2009a, b, c, d, 2010) indicate that the family Braconidae is one of the
hymenopteran families which was/is studied rather well, but however, with attention to the
extent of Iran with 30 provinces incorporate diverse ecosystems, it is expected that several
new records and new species of Braconidae will be collected through scientific sampling
methods. We encourage other Iranian researchers and students to initiate faunistic surveys on
Braconidae in different provinces. Faunal studies are the basis of entomological researches,
and the determination of the insect fauna, especially the important pests and efficient natural
enemies are the main foundation for entomological progress.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to C. van Achterberg (National Natuurhistorisch Museum of the Netherlands), K.J. Hedqvist
(Höstvägen 1, SE-186 31 Vallentuna, Sweden) and V.I. Tobias (Russian Academy of Sciences) for valuable scientific
assistance during progress of the project. We are also thanks to Dr. Trevor J. Hawkeswood of Australia and Dr. D.
Makhan of the Netherlands for editorial assistance. Mr. A. Valizadeh collected many specimens and loaned the authors
kindly. The research was supported by the Islamic Azad University (Shahre Rey Branch) and the Naturhistorisches
Museum.
References
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Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) in Iranian alfalfa fields and surrounding grasslands.
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Calodema, 160: 1-5 (2011)
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Date of publication: 5 April 2011
Copyright: Dr Hassan Ghahari & Dr Maximilian Fischer
Editor: Dr T.J. Hawkeswood (www.calodema.com)
(Published as hard paper copy edition as well as electronic pdf)
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