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The chalcid wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) is one of the largest groups of wasps with tremendous morphological, ecological, biological, and taxonomic diversity whose economic importance is being pest natural enemies or plant pests. The unknown chalcid fauna of Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran generated the execution of a faunistic study to elucidate its chalcidoid biodiversity. The material was collected by sweeping and trapping during 2014-2015 from fields, ranges and grasslands. This contribution lists 56 species belonging to 35 genera and 11 families (Agaonidae, Aphelinidae, Chalcididae, Encyrtidae, Eulophidae, Eupelmidae, Eurytomidae, Mymaridae, Pteromalidae, Signiphoridae and Trichogrammatidae). Eupristina saundersi Grandi, 1916 (Agaonidae) and Dirhinus bakeri (Crawford, 1914) (Chalcididae) are new records for the fauna of Iran, while Euplectrus liparidis Ferrière, 1941 and Hemiptarsenus zilahisebessi Erdös, 1951 (Eulophidae), Eupelmus sp. (Eupelmidae) and Mymar taprobanicum (Ward, 1875) and Polynema sp. (Mymaridae) are new for the Khuzestan province fauna.

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The effect of host diet on developmental time, fecundity and life-table parameters of Bracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) against the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) was studied in the laboratory condition at 26 ± 1 °C, 65 ± 5% relative humidity and a photoperiod of 16L:8D h. The diets used were rice, barley, corn and wheat flours. The developmental time (egg to adult) of the first and second generations ranged from 9.00 to 14.00 days on barley flour and wheat flour, respectively. The survival of immature generations 1 and 2 ranged from 27 to 63%. The sex ratio of wasp progeny (females/total) ranged from 36.72 to 57.83% on wheat flour and rice flour, respectively. In the first and second generations, the fecundity of B. hebetor reared on barley and rice flours was greatest. Life table parameters varied significantly with host diets. In generation 2, B. hebetor-parasitized larvae reared on rice flour showed the highest net reproduction rate (R₀ = 106.13) and the highest intrinsic rate of increase (r_m = 0.269) of parasitoids. Based on the life-table analyses, rice flour was found to be the best diet for rearing the parasitoid. The results of this study can be used to improve mass-rearing programs of B. hebetor.    

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Anthocoris nemoralis (F.) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) is one of the most prominent predators of the pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Forster) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) and is considered as a biological control agent against this pest. In order to investigate the effects of plant varieties on predation of C. pyricola by A. nemoralis, the functional response of both the sexes of A. nemoralis to pear psylla nymphs was studied on three pear varieties including ‘Shahmiveh’, as a susceptible host plant and ‘Sebri’ and ‘Coscia’, as partially-resistant host plants. Different densities of C. pyricola nymphs were offered to single A. nemoralis and predation proceeded for 24 h. The experiments were carried out under constant environmental conditions (27 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 5% RH and L: D 16: 8 h). Logistic regression and nonlinear least-squares regression were used to determine the type of functional response and to estimate attack rate (a) and handling time (T_h), respectively. The results showed a type II functional response on all varieties. The asymptotic 95% confidence intervals, estimated by the model with indicator variable revealed that there was no significant difference between either the attack rates or between handling times of same sex of the predator on the tested varieties. However, when sexes were compared, the females of A. nemoralis had a shorter handling time and higher searching efficiency than the males on all varieties. The maximum predicted daily prey consumption by a female predator (T/T_h) was the highest on the susceptible variety. Based on the type of functional response and its parameter values, the effectiveness of A. nemoralis was not affected by plant resistance; these findings may be promising for the integration of the partially-resistant varieties and A. nemoralis in sustainable pest management programs against the pear psylla. The implications of the results for biological control of pear psylla are discussed in a tritrophic context.  

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This contribution reports 15 species of Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) belonging to 12 genera from Khuzestan province of Iran of which 11 species were determined to species level. Five genera and seven species are new for the fauna of Khuzestan province. Three genera viz. Apoleptomastix, Rhopus and Thomsonisca, and three species viz. Apoleptomastix bicoloricornis (Girault, 1915), Leptomastidea bifasciata (Mayr, 1876) and Rhopus nigroclavatus (Ashmead, 1902) are new for the Iranian fauna.

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This is a report of 11 species belonging to six genera of  Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from Khuzestan province of Iran. Four genera and 10 species are new for the fauna of province of which one genus (Notoglyptus) and five species viz. Cyrtogaster britteni Askew, 1965, Halticoptera collaris (Walker, 1836), Notoglyptus scutellaris (Dodd & Girault, 1915), Pachyneuron tonyi Narendran & Santhosh, 2007 and Spalangia drosophilae Ashmead, 1887 are new for Iran.

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Mites of the families Parasitidae and Laelapidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) are among the most common and widely distributed mites of the suborder Gamasina. During 2015-2017, fauna of parasitid and laelapid (Acari: Mesostigmata) mites from domestic animal manure collected and surveyed in Khuzestan Province, southwestern Iran.Totally, four Parasitidae species belonging to three genera and seven Laelapidae species belonging to four genera collected from domestic animal manure in Khuzestan Province. Among them, Cornigamasus ocliferius Skorupski & Witaliński, 1997 is a new record for mite fauna of Asia and Androlaelaps projecta Furman, 1972 is a new name for mite fauna of Iran. Four species are new to Khuzestan Province fauna as well. We also recorded six manure-associated species which have never been previously reported from manure in Iran. Parasitus fimetorum (Berlese, 1904) was the most frequent Parasitidae species among our records. The mites distribution and habitats data in Khuzestan Province are provided for all of the species, together with some taxonomic and bio-ecological notes.

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The sugarcane stem borer, Sesamia cretica Lederer, is one of the most economically important pests of sugarcane in Khuzestan province, southwest Iran. The egg parasitoid Telenomus busseolae Gahan significantly affect S. cretica population in the field. Host age is an important factor of host acceptance and suitability for egg parasitoids. We examined the ability of T. busseolae to parasitize and develop in S. cretica eggs of different ages. In a no choice laboratory experiment, we measured the effect of host age (12, 36, or 60h old) on parasitism rate and offspring fitness characteristics such as survival, development time, sex ratio, size, and progeny longevity and fecundity. Results revealed that the suitability of host eggs decreased as host age increased. Exposure of parasitoids to 12h old eggs resulted in higher percentage parasitism, higher acceptance, higher survival and larger body size of parasitoid progeny. Progeny that emerged from 12h old eggs had also higher longevity and fecundity than those emerged from other host ages tested.
 

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​Trichogramma evanescens Westwood is an important biological control agent of lepidopteran pests and is widely distributed throughout Iran and neighboring countries. Laboratory studies were conducted to determine the influence of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller eggs age on the number of parasitized eggs, development time, sex ratio, progeny longevity and fecundity. Understanding this influence is important for developing biological control programs. Mated female parasitoids (24 h age) were provided with 1, 2, 3, and 4-days-old E. kuehniella eggs in no-choice experiments, individually. T. evanescens developed on E. kuehniella eggs of all ages tested, while showing a better adaptation to younger host eggs with significantly faster developmental time, higher survival and more female progeny on 1-day-old eggs. Progeny emerged from 1-day-old eggs had also higher longevity and fecundity than those emerging from other host ages tested. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) values of T. evanescens reared on 1, 2, 3 and 4-days-old E. kuehniella eggs were 0.345, 0.322, 0.281 and 0.233 day^-1 and the mean generation time (T) was 12.19, 12.13, 12.01 and 11.82 days, respectively. The current study provides useful information to use suitable host age of E. kuehniella for mass production of T. evanescens.

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Development, reproduction and life table parameters of Tetranychus urticae Koch were determined on leaves of peach (G. H. Hale cultivar) at different temperatures, ranging from 13 to 33°C under laboratory conditions. No development was observed at 13°C. Egg-to-adult developmental time decreased gradually from 17 to 27°C and increased at higher temperatures (27 to 33°C). An average of 136.43 degree-days was required to complete development above the lower threshold temperature (13.79°C). Mean total egg productions per female were 40.09, 18.74, 8.03 and 21.33 at 25, 27, 30 and 33 °C, respectively. Mean longevities of the females were 12.91±1.65, 5.92±0.55, 3.56±0.54 and 6.53±0.56 days, respectively at the above mentioned temperatures. The intrinsic rate of increase (r_m) at different temperatures ranged from 0.108 to 0.213 day ^-1, with the highest value recorded at 27 °C. The highest and the lowest values of the net reproductive rate (R₀) were obtained at 25°C (16.87) and 30°C (4.18), respectively. Doubling time (DT) varied significantly at different temperatures and the shortest and longest values of this period were obtained at 27 and 30°C, respectively. The results suggested that T. urticae was able to develop and reproduce within a wide range of temperatures, and that temperatures from 27- 30°C are the most suitable conditions for the development, survivorship and reproduction of the mite.

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Onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman, is a broadly distributed pest that attacks a wide range of crops. To investigate the intra-specific morphometric variation and the genetic diversity of the species in Iran, four populations from tobacco plus 18 populations from onion were studied in some 17 provinces of Iran. Morphological analysis, using principal components and canonical discriminant analyses indicated that the populations living on tobacco were significantly different from those living on onion. DNA sequence data for the COI gene was obtained for all the populations including some other 21 population sequences retrieved from the GenBank database. Maximum parsimony analyses revealed the distinct clades of T. tabaci on tobacco and on onion with the exception of one population collected from tobacco grown in Golestan Province. The results were identical for maximum likelihood and neighbor-joining analyses. Both molecular and morphometric analyses show heterogenecity of T. tabaci populations representing at least two different biotypes on tobacco and on onion.