Australia, Japan, Taiwan and Europe (Mirmoayedi 2002a). The suborder
Myrmeleontiformia contains five families, namely Myrmeleontidae, Ascalaphidae,
Nemopteridae, Psychopsidae, and Nymphidae. It is a well-defined group of lacewings
with soil-dwelling or arboreal larvae. The suborder Hemerobiiformia contains 11 families including Ithonidae, Rapismatidae, Polystoechotidae, Osmylidae, Chrysopidae,
Hemerobiidae, Coniopterygidae, Mantispidae, Rachiberothidae, Dilaridae, and
Berothidae, many of which have highly specialized life cycles (New 1985; Monserrat
2002; Cannings and Cannings 2006).
5.3 Reports on Chrysopidae Species from Iran
Studies have been conducted to identify the Iranian green lacewings from early
1970s. The first checklist of Iranian fauna of Chrysopidae was published by
Farahbakhsh in 1961 (Mirmoayedi 2008), in which the major agricultural pests of
Iran have been listed.
The Chrysopidae fauna of Iran was studied by Hölzel (1966, 1967, 1982) who was
the first European neuropterologist to study Iranian Chrysopidae fauna in detail. He
never visited Iran and the specimens he studied were collected mainly by A. Vartian
and E. Vartian, an Austrian-Armenian couple and amateur insect collectors visiting
Iran as tourists. The total number of Chrysopidae from Iran reported by them and
others were 45 species (Mirmoayedi 2002a). Mirmoayedi (1993) investigated Chrysopidae fauna from different regions of Kermanshah province and identified six species, including C. carnea, Chrysopa septempunctata Linnaeus,
Chrysopa viridana Schneider, Chrysopa dubitans McLachlan, Suarius nanus
(McLachlan), and S. fedtschenkoi (McLachlan). Later, he reported three previously
unrecorded species from this province, namely Mallada derbendica Hölzel, Suarius
paghmana Hölzel and Suarius vartianae (Hölzel) (Mirmoayedi 1995). Mirmoayedi
and Yassayie (1998) studied the fauna of Neuroptera in Golestan National Park
located in northeastern Iran and reported seven species of Chrysopidae, namely
Anisochrysa amseli Brauer, Anisochrysa flavifrons (Brauer), Anisochrysa prasina
Burmeister, C. dubitans, C. viridana, S. nanus, and C. carnea. Mirmoayedi (1998)
published a checklist of Neuroptera in Iran comprising 39 species collected and
identified between 1991 to 1996 from different regions such as Tehran, Guilan,
Hormozgan, Markazi, Kermanshah, Khuzestan, and Ilam provinces. Among
them, 11 species were belong to Chrysopidae (C. dubitans, C. septempunctata,
C. viridana, Chrysopa iranica (Hölzel), C. carnea, M. derbendica, Mallada prasina
(Hölzel), S. fedtschenkoi, S. nanus, S. paghmana and S. vartianae (Mirmoayedi
1998)). One year later, he published a list of seven species of Chrysopidae from
Kermanshah and Kurdistan provinces (Mirmoayedi 1999a). In the same year,
Mirmoayedi studied the Neuroptera fauna in Shiraz (Fars province) and identified
seven species (Mirmoayedi 1999b).
5 Lacewings: Research and Applied Aspects
177
Myrmeleontiformia contains five families, namely Myrmeleontidae, Ascalaphidae,
Nemopteridae, Psychopsidae, and Nymphidae. It is a well-defined group of lacewings
with soil-dwelling or arboreal larvae. The suborder Hemerobiiformia contains 11 families including Ithonidae, Rapismatidae, Polystoechotidae, Osmylidae, Chrysopidae,
Hemerobiidae, Coniopterygidae, Mantispidae, Rachiberothidae, Dilaridae, and
Berothidae, many of which have highly specialized life cycles (New 1985; Monserrat
2002; Cannings and Cannings 2006).
5.3 Reports on Chrysopidae Species from Iran
Studies have been conducted to identify the Iranian green lacewings from early
1970s. The first checklist of Iranian fauna of Chrysopidae was published by
Farahbakhsh in 1961 (Mirmoayedi 2008), in which the major agricultural pests of
Iran have been listed.
The Chrysopidae fauna of Iran was studied by Hölzel (1966, 1967, 1982) who was
the first European neuropterologist to study Iranian Chrysopidae fauna in detail. He
never visited Iran and the specimens he studied were collected mainly by A. Vartian
and E. Vartian, an Austrian-Armenian couple and amateur insect collectors visiting
Iran as tourists. The total number of Chrysopidae from Iran reported by them and
others were 45 species (Mirmoayedi 2002a). Mirmoayedi (1993) investigated Chrysopidae fauna from different regions of Kermanshah province and identified six species, including C. carnea, Chrysopa septempunctata Linnaeus,
Chrysopa viridana Schneider, Chrysopa dubitans McLachlan, Suarius nanus
(McLachlan), and S. fedtschenkoi (McLachlan). Later, he reported three previously
unrecorded species from this province, namely Mallada derbendica Hölzel, Suarius
paghmana Hölzel and Suarius vartianae (Hölzel) (Mirmoayedi 1995). Mirmoayedi
and Yassayie (1998) studied the fauna of Neuroptera in Golestan National Park
located in northeastern Iran and reported seven species of Chrysopidae, namely
Anisochrysa amseli Brauer, Anisochrysa flavifrons (Brauer), Anisochrysa prasina
Burmeister, C. dubitans, C. viridana, S. nanus, and C. carnea. Mirmoayedi (1998)
published a checklist of Neuroptera in Iran comprising 39 species collected and
identified between 1991 to 1996 from different regions such as Tehran, Guilan,
Hormozgan, Markazi, Kermanshah, Khuzestan, and Ilam provinces. Among
them, 11 species were belong to Chrysopidae (C. dubitans, C. septempunctata,
C. viridana, Chrysopa iranica (Hölzel), C. carnea, M. derbendica, Mallada prasina
(Hölzel), S. fedtschenkoi, S. nanus, S. paghmana and S. vartianae (Mirmoayedi
1998)). One year later, he published a list of seven species of Chrysopidae from
Kermanshah and Kurdistan provinces (Mirmoayedi 1999a). In the same year,
Mirmoayedi studied the Neuroptera fauna in Shiraz (Fars province) and identified
seven species (Mirmoayedi 1999b).
5 Lacewings: Research and Applied Aspects
177