https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/ Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics en daily 1 Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28221.html Aphids (Hemiptera, Aphidoidea) represent a diverse group of sap-feeding insects of considerable ecological and economic importance. The Iranian aphid fauna has been the subject of numerous studies, yet new records continue to emerge due to the country’s diverse climates and habitats. In the present study, three aphid species are recorded from Iran for the first time: Brachyunguis calotropicus Menon & Pawar, 1958, Dysaphis atina Ghosh, Basu & Raychaudhuri, 1969, and Metopolophium montanum Hille Ris Lambers, 1966. Detailed morphological characteristics, host plant associations, and biometric data are provided for each species. A redescription of B. calotropicus is presented based on Iranian material, clarifying its morphological features. For M. montanum, the biometric data of the Iranian population extend the ranges in the original description, and an amendment to the “Key to apterae on Rosa” in Aphids on the World’s Plants is proposed. With these additions, the number of aphid species recorded from Iran increases from 576 to 579, further highlighting the underexplored diversity of the Iranian aphid fauna and the importance of continued faunistic and taxonomic research. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28227.html A comprehensive worldwide list of 425 species of the ladybird genus Diomus Mulsant, 1850, is provided, together with the number of countries occupied by each species in the major biogeographical regions. Thirteen of the species formally assigned to the genus must be confirmed. Also, records of Diomus species occurring in the Middle East are documented, and the genus Diomus is reported from Oman for the first time, based on a female specimen of an undetermined species. Findings exclude previous reports of D. rubidus (Motschulsky, 1837) from Turkey and D. anemicus Fürsch, 1960 from Palestine. We provide a distribution map of Diomus species in the Middle East and present morphological and morphometric characters based on light and electron microscopy. Finally, we propose the replacement name Diomus stajerovae González and Větrovec, nom. nov., for D. panamensis González and Větrovec, 2021, which is a junior homonym of D. panamensis Gorham, 1897. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28222.html The Thar Desert of northwestern India harbours underdocumented parasitoid–host interactions and unique ecological interactions often overlooked due to its arid landscapes. Here, we report the first confirmed host association of Brachymeria apicicornis (Cameron, 1911) (Chalcididae: Brachymeriinae) as a pupal parasitoid of Cassida obtusata Boheman, 1854 (Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) feeding on Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats (Amaranthaceae) in Rajasthan, India. Solitarily emerged adult parasitoids from five individually isolated pupae establish a pupal idiobiontic parasitoidism on the cassidine host. Species identity is corroborated through a diagnostic redescription. The present study also provides a structured evidence framework encompassing rearing isolation, emergence chronology, exit-hole morphology and position, and host pupal phenotype. Broader implications on ecological dynamics in arid landscapes are also discussed. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28223.html The genus Besseria Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 with 15 described species (Tachinidae: Phasiinae) is distributed in the Palaearctic, Nearctic, and Afrotropical Regions. A new species, Besseria macrocerca sp. nov., is described from the western and southern regions of Iran. This species is diagnosed and illustrated based on both male and female specimens, with particular emphasis on distinctive morphological characters and male terminalia, notably the elongated cerci. An updated key to the Palaearctic Besseria species with a stalked r4+5 wing cell is provided, along with a key to three species of the genus known from Iran. Distributional data and revised records of previously known Iranian species are also presented. Previous records from the country include only two confirmed species, with some doubtful identifications. This study significantly improves knowledge of Besseria diversity in Iran, confirming the presence of three valid species in the country. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28224.html Lebanon is expected to be among the most important biodiversity hotspots in the Mediterranean. The latest ant checklist of the country, counting 110 taxa, was published in 2014. Here we record seven species to be added to the Lebanese checklist, belonging to five genera from the Formicinae, Myrmicinae, and Ponerinae subfamilies. Four are considered natives [Hypoponera eduardi (Forel, 1894), Lasius illyricus Zimmermann, 1935, Lasius israelicus Seifert, 2020, and Trichomyrmex perplexus (Radchenko, 1997)] and three non-native species [Pheidole indica Mayr, 1879, Pheidole parva Mayr, 1865, and Tetramorium bicarinatum (Nylander, 1846)]. The record of L. illyricus represents the first from the Levant, while the recently described L. israelicus likely has a much wider distribution in the region than its formal name suggests. None of the non-native species is considered invasive. The new discoveries, attained with a relatively limited sampling effort during seven days, highlight the need for further studies to describe the Lebanese ant fauna. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28228.html Measuring biodiversity remains a fundamental yet challenging issue in conservation biology. Drylands, major components of terrestrial biomes, are particularly susceptible to desertification due to climate change and human activities. In Venezuela, the highly threatened arid ecosystems of Margarita Island harbor unique biodiversity, yet beetle diversity remains poorly known, despite the value of beetles as models to guide conservation actions. Most beetle diversity and ecological studies in arid and semiarid ecosystems worldwide focus on ground-dwelling beetles. Therefore, beetle diversity in the arid environments of Margarita Island was assessed using three methods: pitfall trapping, yellow pan traps, and beating. The diversity patterns recorded for each sampling technique were compared in a one-year survey from May 2012 to April 2013, including dry and rainy seasons. Asymptotic species richness estimation was used to assess beetle richness at the study site. Coverage-based rarefaction curves and generalized linear mixed models were employed to compare variations in richness, abundance, and Shannon-Wiener diversity between methods and seasons. Compositional differences in assemblages were also assessed using multivariate methods. Some 152 species were found, and asymptotic richness was 185 species. Previous work listed 21 species of Tenebrionidae. We recorded 16 tenebrionids, of which 6 are new for the island. Eufallia seminivea (Motschulsky, 1866) (Latridiidae), Hyperaspis octomaculata (González, 2024), and the genera Zilus (Mulsant, 1850), Tiphysa (Mulsant, 1850) (Coccinellidae), Trichodesma (LeConte, 1861) (Anobiidae), and Neolitochrus (Gimmel, 2013) (Phalacridae) are recorded for the first time in Venezuela. Yellow-pan traps and beating showed the highest estimations of species diversity, highlighting the important contribution of vegetation-dwelling beetles to arid ecosystem diversity despite inherent methodological constraints. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28242.html The myriapod fauna of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (Azerbaijan) comprises at least 20 species: 12 species from eight genera, seven families, and three orders of Chilopoda, and eight species from eight genera, five families, and three orders of Diplopoda. Family Henicopidae Pocock, 1901, genus Lamyctes Meinert, 1868, and the species L. emarginatus (Newport, 1844) (Chilopoda) and Syrioiulus armeniacus Evsyukov, Golovatch, Antić, 2021 (Diplopoda) are newly recorded for the fauna of Azerbaijan. Lithobius erythrocephalus cronebergii Sseliwanoff, 1881, Omobrachyiulus caucasicus (Karsch, 1881), Syrioiulus armeniacus Evsyukov, Golovatch, Antić, 2021, and Brachydesmus kalischewskyi Lignau, 1915 are illustrated; the remarkable intraspecific variability of Cryptops caucasius Verhoeff, 1934 and Lithobius cf. coloratus Sseliwanoff, 1881 is described and illustrated. The history of studies on the Myriapoda of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is also summarized. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28244.html This study investigates the role of hedgerows and landscape heterogeneity in supporting arthropod biodiversity within apple orchards in the Médéa region of Algeria. Comparing two contrasting orchard systems—one extensive with structural elements (Si El Mahdjoub) and one intensive without (Benchicao)—arthropod communities were sampled over a full annual cycle using pitfall traps, colored sticky traps, and sweep netting. A total of 251 arthropod taxa were recorded across both sites. Si El Mahdjoub exhibited significantly higher species richness (229 species vs. 184) and total abundance (4,351 vs. 3,183 individuals) compared to Benchicao. Despite similar overall species counts, Si El Mahdjoub showed greater taxonomic diversity with more even species distribution and higher effective diversity (Shannon H’ and Simpson indices). The site with hedgerows supported a more functionally diverse arthropod assemblage, with higher numbers of predators (786 vs. 434) and parasites (530 vs. 482), while Benchicao was dominated by phytophagous species. Plant-arthropod richness correlation was strongly positive at Si El Mahdjoub (r = 0.97, p = 0.026) but negative at Benchicao (r = -0.66, p = 0.54). Seasonal analysis revealed that summer harbored the highest number of unique taxa (22.3%), with spring-summer overlap being most significant (32.3% shared taxa). Ordination analysis showed seasonality as the primary driver of community structure, with winter-autumn communities clustering separately from spring-summer assemblages. These findings underscore the ecological value of hedgerows and structural complexity in agricultural landscapes. Hedgerows enhance both taxonomic and functional arthropod diversity, contributing to ecosystem services such as biological pest control. The results support the resource heterogeneity hypothesis and highlight the importance of agroecological infrastructures for sustainable biodiversity management in orchard systems. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28248.html In this study, we provide a larval stage redefinition of the two genera Hirstiosoma and Sphaerotarsus (Trombidiformes: Smarididae) and new data on the larva of Hirstiosoma latreillei (Grandjean, 1947) collected from the soil and leaf litter of a section of the Hyrcanian forests near the Tilek village, Sari County, Mazandaran Province, Iran. Prior to this study, a single specimen of H. latreillei was collected from Asalem city in Guilan Province, Iran. The considerable distance between the previous sampling site and the collection locality in the present study suggests that H. latreillei is likely distributed not only across the forests of the northern Alborz Mountains in Iran but also in adjacent countries situated between Iran and Europe, such as Türkiye. Furthermore, given the altitudinal range of the collection sites in Gijav village, Asalem city, Guilan Province, and the current study, as well as those reported from European localities, it can be inferred that the occurrence of this species is not altitude–dependent. Collecting the larval host of this species may provide critical insights into its host specificity and broader geographic distribution. A revised version of the identification key to smaridid genera is presented here, incorporating updated definitions for the genera Sphaerotarsus and Hirstiosoma. In addition, a key to the larval species of Hirstiosoma worldwide is provided. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28268.html During a faunistic and taxonomic survey of Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) in Vashlovani National Park, eastern Georgia (Sakartvelo), material collected mainly using Malaise traps was examined. As a result, 127 species belonging to 18 ichneumonid subfamilies were identified, including 30 species recorded for the first time from Georgia and 25 species newly recorded from the Caucasus region. In addition, two new species: Phaenolobus longiterebra Riedel sp. n. and Tycherus parastipator Riedel sp. n. are described based on diagnostic morphological characters. This contribution increases knowledge of the ichneumonid fauna of Vashlovani National Park, Georgia, and the Caucasus, and highlights the importance of the semi–arid and steppe ecosystems of eastern Georgia for parasitoid wasp diversity. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28269.html This work presents a comprehensive review of the insect orders Mantodea (praying mantises), Blattodea (cockroaches and termites), and Phasmatodea (stick insects) in Iran, based on literature, national checklists, and global taxonomic databases to develop an up-to-date faunistic inventory. Following the most recent accepted classifications, the review documents a total of three orders, 20 families, 44 genera, and 104 species. This includes 9 families and 19 genera, and 33 species of Mantodea, 10 families and 23 genera, and 65 species of Blattodea (including termites), and one family with two genera and 5 species of Phasmatodea. Among these groups, Mantodea is the most thoroughly documented, while Phasmatodea remains poorly studied, with only five species recorded to date. Integrating up-to-date taxonomic data is essential for resolving inconsistencies in older or unverified records and establishing a reliable baseline for biogeographical analysis, conservation planning, and the management of both native and invasive species. Especially for Phasmatodea, it is clear that the taxonomy of the Iranian fauna needs further study, both to reveal still undocumented diversity and to clarify the higher‑level placement of the lineages occurring in Iran. Continued field surveys and integrative taxonomic research are crucial for fully documenting the diversity of these insect groups across Iran’s varied habitats. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28370.html The flies from the family Hippoboscidae (Diptera) are specialized hematophagous ectoparasites and transmit many dangerous diseases. The genus Lipoptena Nitzsch, 1818 is a group of keds, parasitic mainly on Bovidae and Cervidae. It includes 27 species and is divided into two groups. The main difference between them is the degree of pulvilli reduction. At present, the classification of morphological groups within Lipoptena requires clarification. One of the Lipoptena species – L. paradoxa Newstead, 1907 – is a common parasite of a number of antelopes and is widely spread over Africa south of the Sahara. Despite the widespread study of this species, the classical description of its morphology, allowing its identification and comparison with modern studies, remains insufficient. Identification is also complicated by the lack of complete drawings. Our results demonstrate that the previously identified "capreoli" group has proven to be a composite. Accordingly, the species L. annalizeae Visagie, 1992, L. binocula (Speiser, 1908), L. iniqua Maa, 1969, L. paradoxa, and L. sepiacea Speiser, 1905 can be separated from it into a species group “echestypus” based on the fact that, unlike other species of the genus, their ocelli are absent, and their antennae are extremely small. Discrepancies with literature data on L. paradoxa morphology have been clarified. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28387.html A new species, Sclerocardius lyali sp. nov., is described and illustrated from Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. The new species is close to Sclerocardius indicus Hartmann, 1903, but differs in the body covered with short setiform yellowish and pale scales, the postero-ventral side of the protibia lacking teeth, a pronotum with quite large punctation, and a narrower aedeagus. This is the first record of Sclerocardius Schoenherr, 1847, from Thailand. A key to Asian species of the genus Sclerocardius is also given. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28530.html Two new Diaphanes Motschulsky 1853 species, D. meghalayanus Nonglang, Das, Shangpliang sp. nov., and D. mawlynnong Nonglang, Das, Shangpliang sp. nov., from Meghalaya, Northeast India, are described. Diaphanes meghalayanus sp. nov., is characterised by a unique colour pattern of the central disc, the absence of a typical circular pronotal areolet area, brownish-yellow pronotum and elytra, and other specific features of male genitalia. Diaphanes mawlynnong sp. nov., is distinct with rare moniliform antennae, circular-shaped pronotal areolet areas with blunt posterior lateral corners, and specific genital aedeagus characters. The female of D. mawlynnong sp. nov., which is apterous, was found in the same habitat where its males were associated. 13 Diaphanes species have been recorded from India, and with the discovery of these two new species, the number of Diaphanes species recorded in the country increases to 15. This knowledge significantly contributes to the existing information gap of Diaphanes diversity and distribution in this region. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28554.html Pitfall traps are widely used for collecting ground-dwelling arthropods, with ramp and tube traps serving as complementary options. This study compares the performance of these three trap types in an arid environment in southeastern Iran. Fieldwork was conducted in spring 2025 across three active orchards in the Sistan region. Six replicates of each trap type (18 total) were deployed along three paired transects. Most adult spiders were identified to the species level, while most other arthropods were identified to the family level. A total of 14,960 individuals representing 12 orders and 52 families were collected. Tube traps captured the most specimens (n = 7,706), outperforming the other trap types across the majority of taxonomic groups, including Isopoda, Coleoptera, and Araneae. Pitfall traps yielded intermediate catches (n = 5,343) and performed comparably to tube traps for several groups, such as Gnaphosidae and Formicidae, while capturing more individuals of Opiliones than the other two trap types combined. Ramp traps collected the fewest individuals (n = 1,911) but captured the highest numbers of Pompilidae and Gryllotalpidae, and, together with pitfall traps, collected several spider species that were under-represented or absent in tube trap samples. Overall, tube traps represent a practical option for sampling epigeal arthropods in arid environments. However, to achieve a more comprehensive community sample and reduce methodological bias, a combination of all three trap types is recommended for biodiversity assessments in desert ecosystems. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28595.html A new species of tenebrionid beetle is described based on specimens collected in Peruvian coastal desert localities of Ancash, La Libertad, and Piura: Aryenis yaserin sp. nov. Type specimens and comparative material deposited in Peruvian entomological collections were the main basis for the study. Diagnosis, description, notes about biology, photos, and a distribution map are provided for this new species. Also, it is compared with the four previously described species in the genus Aryenis Bates, 1868, and a distribution map for the five known species is presented. The findings of the present work are discussed in relation to the current status of knowledge on systematics and biogeography of the genus Aryenis. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28599.html A new groundhopper species (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) belonging to the genus Hyboella Hancock, 1915 has been discovered in the plains of Chitwan, Nepal. The Rampur Swamphopper, H. rampuriana sp. nov., is described morphologically in detail, with photographs and illustrations. Like other species of Hyboella, this new species possesses a wide vertex with U-shaped carinae, an anteriorly humped pronotum with a rough texture, and anteriorly diverging prozonal carinae, but unlike most Hyboella species, the new species lacks lateral spines, has wings, and prozonal carinae elongated in comparison to congeners. One species is transferred from the genus Criotettix Bolívar, 1887 to Hyboella, and a new combination is proposed: H. handschini (Günther, 1937) comb. nov. Euparatettix balteatus (Walker, 1871) is found in the type locality of the new species and is recorded from Nepal for the first time. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28605.html The genus Clanoneurum Becker, 1903 currently includes two valid species and is distributed across the Afrotropical, Nearctic, Oriental, and Palaearctic regions. This genus and its species, C. cimiciforme (Haliday, 1855) are reported for the first time from Iran (North Khorasan Province) as a leaf miner of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.). This species has also been collected from the mangrove habitats in southern Iran (Bushehr and Hormozgan Provinces) close to the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea. The morphological characters of the genus and species, along with photographs of adults, immature stages, and symptoms of damage on sugar beet leaves, are presented. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28610.html This paper describes four new species of fig-associated Pteromalidae wasps from the Western Ghats of India. These new species belong to the genera Philotrypesis Förster, 1878, and Sycoryctes Mayr, 1885, both of which are obligately associated with Ficus species. The newly described taxa include Philotrypesis virentis sp. nov. (ex. Ficus virens Aiton), Philotrypesis talbotii sp. nov. (ex. Ficus talbotii King), Sycoryctes racemosae sp. nov. (ex. Ficus racemosa L.), and Sycoryctes tsjakelae sp. nov. (ex. Ficus tsjakela Burm.f.). The research provides detailed morphological descriptions, illustrations, and diagnostic features to distinguish each new species from other existing species. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28611.html The Indian Eastern Himalaya (Arunachal Pradesh) remains poorly explored for the diversity and ecology of mayflies (Ephemeroptera). The present study provides a comprehensive assessment of mayfly diversity, community structure, and species-environment relationships across 15 selected streams in Arunachal Pradesh. A total of 2,014 individuals belonging to 46 species, 25 genera, and seven families were recorded from the region. Baetidae was the dominant family, followed by Heptageniidae, whereas Caenidae and Vietnamellidae were the least represented. Diversity indices revealed considerable spatial variation, with the highest Shannon diversity, richness, and evenness observed in mid-elevation, fast-flowing streams, and the lowest values recorded at the sites with fewer individuals. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) exhibited that environmental variables such as pH, stream width, elevation, water current, canopy cover, and temperature influenced species distribution. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28634.html Tipuloidea species from the Western Palearctic, including the Balkan region, have been intensively studied for the last century. Nevertheless, research in recent years shows that different regions of the Balkans are unevenly investigated, and new species or new data are constantly being discovered. The aim of this study is to contribute new data to the distribution of Tipuloidea species in the Balkan Peninsula for two families, Limoniidae and Tipulidae. Here we document for the first time 25 species in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. All these new faunal data contribute to a better understanding of the true dimension of Tipuloidea biodiversity in the Balkan region, one of the most species-rich areas in Europe. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28644.html The present study reports a new species, Pseudocapritermes novus Rituparna, Baraik & Rajmohana sp. nov. from West Bengal, India. Species description followed an integrative taxonomic approach by including a mitochondrial 16S rRNA genetic sequence with comprehensive morphological characteristics of the soldier caste. Additionally, the first mt 16S rRNA gene sequence for the recently identified Pseudocapritermes kunjepu Mathew, 2020, is presented in the study. Digital photos of the new species are also included, along with an identification key to the soldier castes of all species of the genus reported from the Indian sub-continent. Association of Pericapritermes semarangi (Holmgren, 1913) with the new species is also recorded in the study. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28695.html Three species of inquiline cynipids and 11 parasitoids associated with galls of the asexual form of Andricus synophri Pujade-Villar, Tavakoli & Melika, 2015 are cited for the first time. The inquiline species Synergus tavakolii Pujade-Villar sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae, Synergini) is described. Bootanomyia onuri Doganlar, 2011 (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea, Megastigmidae) is reported for the first time in Iran, and Baryscapus anasillus Graham, 1991 (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea, Eulophidae) for the first time in Asia. A key for Synergus Hartig, 1840 species belonging to Section II of Mayr without pronotal carina is provided. The characters to differentiate Sycophila biguttata (Swederus, 1795) and S. variegata (Curtis, 1831) are discussed. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28697.html Perreyia flavipes Konow, 1899 is one of the fairly known species of the Pergidae family. The larval stage of the species presents a high incidence of intoxication outbreaks in South America with an important economic impact on cattle, sheep, and pig production. Examined specimens were collected from the southern and northern extremes of the species distribution. Southern-limit specimens from Uruguay and Brazil were used to amplify and sequence COI, 16S, and 28S genes, and the same gene sequences were obtained from the Genbank database for the northern limit in Colombia, together with three other species of the Pergidae group. High similarity between Brazilian and Uruguayan samples was found. Colombian haplotypes were highly differentiated from those of the Uruguay-Brazil group. Paired differences between Perreyia species were similar to those found between southern and northern comparisons of P. flavipes, suggesting the need to deeply understand and describe the incipient differentiation of the species across its wide geographic distribution. https://jibs.modares.ac.ir/article_28788.html An annotated catalogue of tortoise beetles from Indonesia is presented. This catalogue is a compilation of published records and examined specimens from the Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense (MZB). A total of 146 species representing 14 genera are documented, including 30 new island records and eight new country records for Indonesia. Verified distribution data, taxonomic records, and relevant references are provided for each species. This contribution updates the record of Cassidinae in Indonesia and integrates scattered literature and museum records. This data provides a foundation for future taxonomic and faunistic studies of this group in the region.