these are widely distributed throughout all the alfalfa-producing areas of Iran (Arbab
2006, Eslamizadeh et al. 2008). Their damage is about 20–30% but it can reach up to
80% in a high population of the pest.
Most of the entomophagous eurytomids were reared on Cynipidae (gall maker
wasps) but three orders Coleoptera, Diptera and Lepidoptera known as hosts of
Eurytomidae in Iran. The main parasitic eurytomid wasps of Iran are associated with
Hymenoptera, especially the family Cyipidae (about 45%), followed by Coleoptera
(about 10%), Diptera (about 4%), Lepidoptera (about 3%). Most of the species
(about 62%) are parasitoids associated with galls induced by cynipid wasps and
tephritid flies (Saghaei et al. 2018). Nine species (about 10%) of Iranian fauna,
including Aximopsis ghazvini (Zerova), Bruchophagus iranicus Ozdikmen,
B. shohadae (Zerova), Eurytoma iranica Narendran and Lotfalizadeh, E. iranicola
Zerova, E. melikai Zerova, E. zerovai Ozdikmen, Tetramesa leucospae Zerova and
Madjdzadeh and T. persica (Hedicke) are originally described from Iran and are
possibly endemic to the country (Saghaei et al. 2018).
7.3.6 Mymaridae
The family Mymaridae includes some of the smallest known insects: the combined
lengths of three or even four adult individuals may not even equal 1 mm (Annecke
and Doutt 1961). More than 1400 species and 100 genera are known worldwide
(Noyes 2018). This family is one of the most distinctive of the superfamily
Chalcidoidea, to have the antennal toruli quite far apart (3–5 times their own
diameter), usually a reduced wing venation and distinctive fringed wings
(Nikol’skaya 1978). Its members are abundant and easily collected using a variety
of trapping methods. The hosts of Mymaridae include eggs of Hemiptera,
Psocoptera, Coleoptera, Orthoptera and some other insect orders (Huber 1986),
however, only about one-quarter of the genera have hosts reported for them. As in
the Trichogrammatidae, several mymarids attack eggs of the aquatic insects. Huber
(1986) published a comprehensive review of the known hosts of the mymarids
known to that date. A few species of mymarids have been reported as responsible
for successful biological control projects (Lin et al. 2007). In Iran, some biological
and ecological studies were made by Hesami et al. (2004, 2009), Latifian and
Soleyman-Nejadian (2009), and Akbarzadeh-Shoukat (1998). Hesami et al. (2001)
studied the morphology of Anagrus atomus (L.) that was reared from the grape
leafhopper, Arboridia kermanshah (Dlabola) (Hem.: Cicadellidae), in Isfahan.
Only biological information of four species of Iranian mymarids was known, that
Anagrus atomus (L.) on A. kermanshah (Hem.: Cicadellidae), Erythmelus panis
(Enock) on Stephanitis pyri (Fabricius) (Hem.: Tingitidae), Gonatocerus litoralis
(Haliday) on Zyginidia sohrab (Zachvatkin) (Hem.: Cicadellidae) and Gonatocerus
sp. on Circulifer tenellus (Hem.: Cicadellidae). The occurrence of overwintering
refuges for A. atomus had a positive influence on the parasitism rate of grape
246
H. Lotfalizadeh and A. Mohammadi-Khoramabadi
2006, Eslamizadeh et al. 2008). Their damage is about 20–30% but it can reach up to
80% in a high population of the pest.
Most of the entomophagous eurytomids were reared on Cynipidae (gall maker
wasps) but three orders Coleoptera, Diptera and Lepidoptera known as hosts of
Eurytomidae in Iran. The main parasitic eurytomid wasps of Iran are associated with
Hymenoptera, especially the family Cyipidae (about 45%), followed by Coleoptera
(about 10%), Diptera (about 4%), Lepidoptera (about 3%). Most of the species
(about 62%) are parasitoids associated with galls induced by cynipid wasps and
tephritid flies (Saghaei et al. 2018). Nine species (about 10%) of Iranian fauna,
including Aximopsis ghazvini (Zerova), Bruchophagus iranicus Ozdikmen,
B. shohadae (Zerova), Eurytoma iranica Narendran and Lotfalizadeh, E. iranicola
Zerova, E. melikai Zerova, E. zerovai Ozdikmen, Tetramesa leucospae Zerova and
Madjdzadeh and T. persica (Hedicke) are originally described from Iran and are
possibly endemic to the country (Saghaei et al. 2018).
7.3.6 Mymaridae
The family Mymaridae includes some of the smallest known insects: the combined
lengths of three or even four adult individuals may not even equal 1 mm (Annecke
and Doutt 1961). More than 1400 species and 100 genera are known worldwide
(Noyes 2018). This family is one of the most distinctive of the superfamily
Chalcidoidea, to have the antennal toruli quite far apart (3–5 times their own
diameter), usually a reduced wing venation and distinctive fringed wings
(Nikol’skaya 1978). Its members are abundant and easily collected using a variety
of trapping methods. The hosts of Mymaridae include eggs of Hemiptera,
Psocoptera, Coleoptera, Orthoptera and some other insect orders (Huber 1986),
however, only about one-quarter of the genera have hosts reported for them. As in
the Trichogrammatidae, several mymarids attack eggs of the aquatic insects. Huber
(1986) published a comprehensive review of the known hosts of the mymarids
known to that date. A few species of mymarids have been reported as responsible
for successful biological control projects (Lin et al. 2007). In Iran, some biological
and ecological studies were made by Hesami et al. (2004, 2009), Latifian and
Soleyman-Nejadian (2009), and Akbarzadeh-Shoukat (1998). Hesami et al. (2001)
studied the morphology of Anagrus atomus (L.) that was reared from the grape
leafhopper, Arboridia kermanshah (Dlabola) (Hem.: Cicadellidae), in Isfahan.
Only biological information of four species of Iranian mymarids was known, that
Anagrus atomus (L.) on A. kermanshah (Hem.: Cicadellidae), Erythmelus panis
(Enock) on Stephanitis pyri (Fabricius) (Hem.: Tingitidae), Gonatocerus litoralis
(Haliday) on Zyginidia sohrab (Zachvatkin) (Hem.: Cicadellidae) and Gonatocerus
sp. on Circulifer tenellus (Hem.: Cicadellidae). The occurrence of overwintering
refuges for A. atomus had a positive influence on the parasitism rate of grape
246
H. Lotfalizadeh and A. Mohammadi-Khoramabadi