7.6 The Known Hosts of Ichneumonoidea in Iran
Excluding the hosts recorded for the species of the subfamily Aphidiinae which are
specialized on Aphids, there have been yet reported 75 host-parasitoid associations
between parasitoid wasps of the family Braconidae and species from Lepidoptera,
Coleoptera and Diptera (Tables 7.5, 7.6 and 7.7) (Farahani et al. 2016).
From about 502 recorded species of Ichneumonidae from Iran, there have been
yet reported only 53 host-parasitoid associations for the parasitoid wasps of
Ichneumonidae and species of Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Diptera (Tables 7.5,
7.6 and 7.7). Following the major pests in Iran and their known parasitoids in the
Braconidae and Ichneumonidae families are presented.
7.6.1 The Major Coleopteran Pests and their
Ichneumonoidea Parasitoids
Several families of the order Coleoptera are xylophagous and may appear as
economically important pests of fruit trees or forests. Rajabi et al. (2011) represented
98 coleopterans as pests of rosaceous fruit trees in Iran. From the families
Buprestidae and Cerambycidae there have been yet recorded 369 and 396 species
from Iran, respectively (Barimani Varandi et al. 2009; Tavakilian and Chevillotte
2012). The larva of the jewel beetle or metallic wood-boring beetles, Buprestidae
(Coleoptera) bores into roots, stems and branches of main trees and causes severe
damage to its host plant. Rajabi et al. (2011) provided bioecological and integrated
management of 30 important buprestid pest species in Iran. The long-horned beetles,
Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) is another diverse group of beetles distributed all over
the world. Their larvae bore into woods of living trees or unprotected lumbers. Some
of them are among the cosmopolitan and destructive pests of fruit trees in Iran. The
Rosaceous branch borer, Osphranteria coerulescens Redtenbacher is the most
economically important pest of many tree species of the family Rosaceae like
apple, pear, apricot, almond, plum and peach (Rajabi 2011). Several hymenopterous
parasitoids from the superfamilies Chalcidoidea and Ichneumonoidea were collected
on this pest in different regions of Iran (Steffan 1968; Sharifi and Javadi 1971a,
1971b; Rajabi 2011; Mohammadi-Khoramabadi and Lotfalizadeh 2011). The parasitism rate of Xorides corcyrensis Kriech. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) on larvae
of O. coerulescens fluctuated between 5% and 22% in different regions of Iran
(Rajabi 2011). Apparently, the larvae of X. corcyrensis may be attacked by a
hyperparasitoid, Leucospis dorsigera Fabricius (Hymenoptera, Leucospidae)
(Hesami et al. 2005). On pistachio, the longhorn beetle Calchaenesthes pistacivora
(Holzschuh), is a destructive xylophage of the weakened pistachio trees in
Rafsanjan, Kerman province. A project was conducted to find a biological control
agent for the pest and finally resulted in finding a solitary parasitoid belonging to the
7 Parasitic Wasps: Chalcidoidea and Ichneumonoidea
261
Excluding the hosts recorded for the species of the subfamily Aphidiinae which are
specialized on Aphids, there have been yet reported 75 host-parasitoid associations
between parasitoid wasps of the family Braconidae and species from Lepidoptera,
Coleoptera and Diptera (Tables 7.5, 7.6 and 7.7) (Farahani et al. 2016).
From about 502 recorded species of Ichneumonidae from Iran, there have been
yet reported only 53 host-parasitoid associations for the parasitoid wasps of
Ichneumonidae and species of Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Diptera (Tables 7.5,
7.6 and 7.7). Following the major pests in Iran and their known parasitoids in the
Braconidae and Ichneumonidae families are presented.
7.6.1 The Major Coleopteran Pests and their
Ichneumonoidea Parasitoids
Several families of the order Coleoptera are xylophagous and may appear as
economically important pests of fruit trees or forests. Rajabi et al. (2011) represented
98 coleopterans as pests of rosaceous fruit trees in Iran. From the families
Buprestidae and Cerambycidae there have been yet recorded 369 and 396 species
from Iran, respectively (Barimani Varandi et al. 2009; Tavakilian and Chevillotte
2012). The larva of the jewel beetle or metallic wood-boring beetles, Buprestidae
(Coleoptera) bores into roots, stems and branches of main trees and causes severe
damage to its host plant. Rajabi et al. (2011) provided bioecological and integrated
management of 30 important buprestid pest species in Iran. The long-horned beetles,
Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) is another diverse group of beetles distributed all over
the world. Their larvae bore into woods of living trees or unprotected lumbers. Some
of them are among the cosmopolitan and destructive pests of fruit trees in Iran. The
Rosaceous branch borer, Osphranteria coerulescens Redtenbacher is the most
economically important pest of many tree species of the family Rosaceae like
apple, pear, apricot, almond, plum and peach (Rajabi 2011). Several hymenopterous
parasitoids from the superfamilies Chalcidoidea and Ichneumonoidea were collected
on this pest in different regions of Iran (Steffan 1968; Sharifi and Javadi 1971a,
1971b; Rajabi 2011; Mohammadi-Khoramabadi and Lotfalizadeh 2011). The parasitism rate of Xorides corcyrensis Kriech. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) on larvae
of O. coerulescens fluctuated between 5% and 22% in different regions of Iran
(Rajabi 2011). Apparently, the larvae of X. corcyrensis may be attacked by a
hyperparasitoid, Leucospis dorsigera Fabricius (Hymenoptera, Leucospidae)
(Hesami et al. 2005). On pistachio, the longhorn beetle Calchaenesthes pistacivora
(Holzschuh), is a destructive xylophage of the weakened pistachio trees in
Rafsanjan, Kerman province. A project was conducted to find a biological control
agent for the pest and finally resulted in finding a solitary parasitoid belonging to the
7 Parasitic Wasps: Chalcidoidea and Ichneumonoidea
261