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Reproductive performance and life expectancy of the two-spotted spider mite (TSSM), Tetranychus urticae Koch were determined on seven eggplant cultivars (Isfahan, Dezful, Shend-Abad, Neishabour, Bandar-Abbas, Jahrom and Borazjan) at 25 ± 1°C, 60 ± 5% R.H. and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L:D) hours. The results revealed that the TSSM gross hatch rate varied from 59% on Bandar-Abbas to 83% on Dezful. The gross fecundity rate was 59.726, 31.430, 31.443, 14.461, 19.328, 16.035 and 20.560 eggs/female and the net fecundity rate was 25.804, 17.496, 15.139, 7.620, 5.931, 7.526 and 11.947 eggs/female on the above-mentioned cultivars, respectively. The highest and lowest value of the net fertility rate was 20.735 eggs/female on Isfahan and 3.495 eggs/female on Bandar-Abbas, respectively. Also, the gross fertility rate was the highest on Isfahan (47.994 eggs/female) and the lowest on Bandar-Abbas (11.390 eggs/female). The values of the mean eggs per day varied from 2.040 to 6.560 eggs/female, which was minimum on Neishabour and maximum on Isfahan. The life expectancy of one-day-old adults of the TSSM was estimated to be 7.550, 8.380, 5.820, 4.850, 5.440, 5.330 and 3.950 days on the above-mentioned cultivars, respectively. Comparison of the reproductive parameters of the TSSM on the examined cultivars revealed that Isfahan was the most susceptible cultivar and Neishabour was the most resistant cultivar to this pest. Using resistant host plants is one of the most important components of an integrated pest management program.

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The subfamily Cremastinae Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) was studied in Fars and Hormozgan provinces (southern Iran). The specimens were collected using Malaise traps and sweeping nets. Nine species were identified of which two species including Temelucha afghana Šedivý, 1968 and Temelucha confluens (Gravenhorst, 1829) are new records for the fauna of Iran. With result of this study, the number of Cremastinae species known from Iran has increased to 24 species in six genera. An identification key to Iranian Cremastinae is provided, as well as a morphological diagnosis for the newly recorded species.

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In this research 52 species of bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) have been reported from the northeastern Fars province, of which the species of Hylaeus punctus Förster and Hoplitis leucomelana Kirby were new records for Iran fauna. Among the material examined, there were 11 species of Apidae, 19 species of Halictidae, 1 species of Andrenidae, 4 species of Colletidae and 17 species of Megachilidae. Phoretic mites belonging to four genera Parapygmephorus, Vidia, Imparipes and Anoetus were associated with halictid and meghachilid bees. Among associated mites with collected bees Imparipes burgeri Ebermann & Jagersbacher-Baumann belonging to the family Scutacaridae was new for Iran fauna and Asia. We also collected five new mite species for science. These species were belong to the genera Parapygmephorus (1 species), Vidia (1 species), and Anoetus (3 species) of the families Neopygmephoridae, Winterschmidtiidae and Anoetidae respectively that will be described elsewhere. All specimens are deposited in the “Collection of Iranian Pollinator Insects” of Yasouj University.

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The present checklist is a compilation of the eupodoid mites of Iran using published records and original data from recent researches. It contains 19 species belonging to 13 genera and five families. Family Cocceupodidae Jesionowska, 2010 (because of moving the genera to a new family) and two species i.e. Foveacheles (Foveacheles) cegetensis Zacharda, 1983 and Linopodes antennaepes Banks, 1894 are new records for Iranian mite fauna. In addition to some corrections to specific identities which have been previously reported in Iranian literature, we report here the known geographical distribution and habitats in Iran and distribution in the world as well.

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The fauna of the braconid genera Atanycolus Foerster, Glyptomorpha Holmgren, Pseudovipio Szepligeti and Vipio Latreille belonging to the subfamily Braconinae were studied in some parts of northern (Alborz, Qazvin, Gilan and Tehran) and southern provinces of Iran (Hormozgan). Specimens were collected using Malaise traps during 2010–2012. Eightspecies were identified of which two species, namely Glyptomorpha kaspariyani Tobias, 1976 and Vipio striolatus Telenga, 1936 are new records for the fauna of Iran. An identification key for the collected genera and species is provided.

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A survey was conducted to identify the parasitic wasps of the subfamily Campoleginae (Hym.: Ichneumonidae) in Fars province (southern Iran) during February 2011 – August 2013. Specimens were collected using Malaise traps and sweeping nets. Two new record species of the genus Cymodusa (Ichneumonidae, Campopleginae) were identified: C. longiterebra Dbar, 1985 and C. australis (Smits van Burgst, 1913). An identification key, morphological diagnosis and geographical distribution of Iranian Cymodusa are provided.

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The present study is based on the material collected from Alborz and Guilan provinces of Iran during March to November 2010 and 2011. Three species of the genus Platylabus Wesmael were collected and identified, of which Platylabus orbitalis (Gravenhorst, 1829) (Hym.: Ichneumonidae: Ichneumoninae, Platylabini) is newly recorded from Iran and the Middle East region. This study increases the number of known Iranian species of the tribe Platylabini and genus Platylabus to 12 and 5 species, respectively. An identification key to Iranian Platylabus, as well as a brief description and diagnostic characters of the new record species is provided.

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In this survey the tribe Heresiarchini (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae) of Alborz and Guilan provinces (Iran) was taxonomically studied. The specimens were collected using Malaise traps during March to November 2010. Three species including: Coelichneumon comitator (Linnaeus, 1758), Coelichneumon probator Horstmann, 2000 and Syspasis carinator (Fabricius, 1798) were identified of which C. probator is recorded for the first time from the Middle East and Iran. An updated checklist of Heresiarchini in Iran, as well as diagnostic characters of the new recorded species is presented.

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The pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) is one of the most important pests of pea throughout the world.Host stage preference under choice and no-choice tests and age-specific functional response of Praon volucre (Haliday) parasitizing A. pisum were investigated. The experiments were carried out under laboratory conditions at 25 ± 1 °C, 60 ± 5% RH and a photoperiod of 14: 10 h (L: D). Functional response of P. volucre was evaluated in adult lifetime at seven host densities (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128). Praon volucre strongly preferred to oviposit into first and second instar nymphs in both choice and no-choice conditions. Parameter estimation of logistic regression revealed type III functional response for P. volucre in first and second days and type II from third to the end of parasitoid lifetime. The handling time (T_h) and searching efficiency (a or b) were estimated using the Rogers equation. The shortest and longest handling times were at fourth day (T_h = 0.19 ± 0.04) and 8^th day (T_h = 0.94 ± 0.15), respectively. The highest searching efficiency (a) was 0.048 ± 0.007 h^-1 on third day and lowest searching efficiency was observed at the end of parasitoid lifetime (6^th day-8^th days). The maximum attack rate ranged from 126.31 nymphs/24 h on fourth day to 25.53 nymphs/24 h on 8^th day. The results of this study revealed that the age of adult parasitoid can change the functional response from type III to type II, indicating that this factor may contribute to stabilization of parasitoid–prey dynamics.

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The subfamily Metopiinae was taxonomically studied in Fars and Hormozgan provinces during 2011–2013. The specimens were collected by using Malaise traps and sweep net. Five species were collected and identified, of which three species are recorded for the first time from Iran: Colpotrochia cincta (Scopoli, 1763), Exochus suborbitalis Schmiedeknecht, 1924, and Metopius (Peltocarus) turcestanicus Clement, 1930. An identification key to the species and an updating checklist of Metopiinae of Iran, as well as zoogeographical notes are provided.

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The tribe Platylabini (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae) of Alborz, Guilan and Tehran provinces (North central Iran) was taxonomically studied. The specimens were collected using Malaise traps during March to November 2010–2011. Four species were identified including: Apaeleticus bellicosus Wesmael, 1845, Platylabus iridipennis Gravenhorst, 1829, Apaeleticus inimicus (Gravenhorst, 1820) and Linycus exhortator (Fabricius, 1787) of which A. inimicus and L. exhortator are recorded for the first time from Iran. An updated checklist of Platylabini in Iran, as well as diagnostic characters of the newly recorded species is presented.

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A survey was conducted on the fauna of Ichneumonini Latreille, 1802 (Ichneumonidae: Ichneumoninae) in North-central area of Iran. The specimens were collected using Malaise traps from March to November in 2010–2011. A total of 28 species were identified, of which three species and one subspecies are recorded for the first time from Iran: Eutanyacra ruficornis Berthoumieu, 1894; Ichneumon quadrialbatus Gravenhorst, 1820; Ichneumon sarcitorius turkestanicus Heinrich, 1929; Stenobarichneumon basalis Perkins, 1960. As well 17 species are new provincial records. A new species, Anisopygus persicus Shirzadegan, Talebi & Riedel sp. nov. from Guilan province in northern Iran is described and illustrated. The known number of Ichneumonini species in Iran is now raised to 143. Detailed morphological characters of the newly recorded species and Virgichneumon albilineatus (Gravenhorst, 1820), as well as an updated list of the tribe Ichneumonini from Iran, are provided.

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Increasing insect resistance to the high toxicity of organophosphates and other conventional insecticides highlights the importance of developing and identifying alternative chemicals to successfully manage insect pests, including the striped rice stem borer (SRSB) Chilo suppressalis (Walker). SRSB is one of the most serious pests in paddy fields worldwide, especially in northern Iran. The present study was conducted to determine the efficiency of six insecticides viz., diazinon 10 G (Bazodin) 15 kg/ha; fipronil 0.2 G (Regent) 20 kg/ha; chlorantraniliprole 0.4 G (Ferterra) 12.5 kg/ha; thiamethoxam 25 WG (Actara) 0.2 kg/ha; flubendiamide 20 WG (Takumi) 0.9 kg/ha; dinotefuran 20 SG (Starkle) 0.75 kg/ha against SRSB. The experiments were carried out in randomized complete block design with three replications in experimental paddy fields of Rice Research Institute of Iran, Guilan province, 2018 and 2019. Chlorantraniliprole had the lowest dead heart and whitehead percent and the greatest efficiency against SRSB, followed by flubendiamide and dinotefuran. Our results suggested that chlorantraniliprole, flubendiamide, and dinotefuran can replace diazinon and fipronil in paddy fields. Furthermore, a new equation has been proposed for the calculation efficiency of insecticides based on the SRSB damage percent.
 

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The Iranian species of the genus Holopyga (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) were investigated. Specimens were collected during four years of field research between 2010 and 2013, in northern and southern provinces of Iran. Twenty one species and subspecies were recognized, of which four species and one subspecies were recorded for the first time from Iran: Holopyga beaumonti Balthasar, 1953; H. fascialis Linsenmaier, 1959; H. ignicollis Dahlbom, 1854; H. inflammata inflammata (Förster, 1853) and H. jurinei Chevrier, 1862. Geographical distribution of all species and morphological diagnostic characteristics of the newly recorded species are given. The number of Holopyga species and subspecies in Iran is now raised to 21.