leafhopper and earlier emergence of parasitoids in vineyards (Hesami et al. 2002,
2009).
7.3.7 Pteromalidae
The Pteromalid wasps are the largest family in the Chalcidoidea including over 3506
species belonging to 588 genera (Noyes 2018). The pteromalids are primary or
secondary parasitoids attacking other insect groups such as Coleoptera, Diptera,
Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera and some Arachnida at their various stages of
development (Bouček and Rasplus 1991). A few species of this family are phytophagous (Farooqi and Menon 1972). Some of them develop in the seeds of plants, or
gall making and others develop as inquilines in galls created by other insects. They
play an important role in the control of pest insect and several species have been
employed successfully in biological control programs all over the world (Bouček
and Rasplus 1991).
The first list of Pteromalidae parasitoids provided by Davatchi and Chodjai
(1968) included only seven species. Goldansaz et al. (1996), Habibpour et al.
(2002), Jalilvand and Gholipour (2002), Mehrnejad (2002, 2003), Rezaei et al.
(2003), Sadeghi and Askary (2001), Sadeghi and Ebrahimi (2001), Sharifi and
Javadi (1971a, b), Steffan (1968), Lotfalizadeh (2002a, 2002b, 2004, 2015) and
Lotfalizadeh and Ahmadi (1998, 2000) added some new records to the list without
providing any additional information.
Lotfalizadeh and Gharali (2008) presented the first informative checklist which
reported 78 species of Pteromalidae from different parts of Iran including biological
and geographical distribution data. They compared the composition of species with
those of the world and the Palaearctic region. Most recently 129 species within
62 genera belonging to 11 subfamilies of Pteromalidae have been listed for Iranian
fauna (Abolhassanzadeh et al. 2017). Of which biological association of 40.8% is
known (Fig. 7.6).
Five species related to aphids including Asaphes suspensus (Nees), Euneura
lachni (Ashmead), Pachyneuron aphidis (Bouché), Pachyneuron leucopiscida
(Mani) and Pachyneuron solitarium (Hartig).
Fifteen species related to the beetles that 50% of them attack xylophagous beetles
in Iran. Ten species were reared on flies (Diptera) of Tephritidae, Muscidae and
Agromyziidae. Some biological aspects of Spalangia endius Walker, as a parasitoid
of some dipterous families, have been studied by Behbahani et al. (1995). They
revealed that the effect of temperature up to 30
C has a positive influence on the
reproduction of S. endius. Five species were reported on Hymenoptera, Caenacis
inflexa (Ratzeburg), Cecidostiba fungosa (Geoffroy), Hobbya stenonota
(Ratzeburg), Mesopolobus amaenus (Walker) and Pteromalus bedeguaris (Thomson) attack gall wasps (Cynipidae), and eight species attack Lepidoptera. Three
pteromalids, Eunotus nigriclavis (Förster), Moranila californica (Howard) and
Pachyneuron muscarum (L.) are related to Coccoidea (Hemiptera).
7 Parasitic Wasps: Chalcidoidea and Ichneumonoidea
247
2009).
7.3.7 Pteromalidae
The Pteromalid wasps are the largest family in the Chalcidoidea including over 3506
species belonging to 588 genera (Noyes 2018). The pteromalids are primary or
secondary parasitoids attacking other insect groups such as Coleoptera, Diptera,
Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera and some Arachnida at their various stages of
development (Bouček and Rasplus 1991). A few species of this family are phytophagous (Farooqi and Menon 1972). Some of them develop in the seeds of plants, or
gall making and others develop as inquilines in galls created by other insects. They
play an important role in the control of pest insect and several species have been
employed successfully in biological control programs all over the world (Bouček
and Rasplus 1991).
The first list of Pteromalidae parasitoids provided by Davatchi and Chodjai
(1968) included only seven species. Goldansaz et al. (1996), Habibpour et al.
(2002), Jalilvand and Gholipour (2002), Mehrnejad (2002, 2003), Rezaei et al.
(2003), Sadeghi and Askary (2001), Sadeghi and Ebrahimi (2001), Sharifi and
Javadi (1971a, b), Steffan (1968), Lotfalizadeh (2002a, 2002b, 2004, 2015) and
Lotfalizadeh and Ahmadi (1998, 2000) added some new records to the list without
providing any additional information.
Lotfalizadeh and Gharali (2008) presented the first informative checklist which
reported 78 species of Pteromalidae from different parts of Iran including biological
and geographical distribution data. They compared the composition of species with
those of the world and the Palaearctic region. Most recently 129 species within
62 genera belonging to 11 subfamilies of Pteromalidae have been listed for Iranian
fauna (Abolhassanzadeh et al. 2017). Of which biological association of 40.8% is
known (Fig. 7.6).
Five species related to aphids including Asaphes suspensus (Nees), Euneura
lachni (Ashmead), Pachyneuron aphidis (Bouché), Pachyneuron leucopiscida
(Mani) and Pachyneuron solitarium (Hartig).
Fifteen species related to the beetles that 50% of them attack xylophagous beetles
in Iran. Ten species were reared on flies (Diptera) of Tephritidae, Muscidae and
Agromyziidae. Some biological aspects of Spalangia endius Walker, as a parasitoid
of some dipterous families, have been studied by Behbahani et al. (1995). They
revealed that the effect of temperature up to 30
C has a positive influence on the
reproduction of S. endius. Five species were reported on Hymenoptera, Caenacis
inflexa (Ratzeburg), Cecidostiba fungosa (Geoffroy), Hobbya stenonota
(Ratzeburg), Mesopolobus amaenus (Walker) and Pteromalus bedeguaris (Thomson) attack gall wasps (Cynipidae), and eight species attack Lepidoptera. Three
pteromalids, Eunotus nigriclavis (Förster), Moranila californica (Howard) and
Pachyneuron muscarum (L.) are related to Coccoidea (Hemiptera).
7 Parasitic Wasps: Chalcidoidea and Ichneumonoidea
247