First Records and Comparative Notes of Twelve Aphidiid Species (Hymenoptera, Aphidiidae) from the Fauna of Ukraine. Kaliuzhna, M. O. - Twelve aphidiid species are recorded from the fauna of Ukraine for the first time. Localities, hosts, distribution, and comparative notes on morphology of these species are given.

The article presents data on species composition and habitat associations of the species of a practically important group of parasitic hymenopterous insects from the subfamily Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) within the Forest zones of Ukraine. Species composition of aphidiines of the territory of research includes 45 species from 16 genera. Among them, 32 species were recorded only in the Zone of Mixed Forest: Adialytus salicaphis, Aphidius matricariae, A. megourae, A. rhopalosiphi, A. ribis, A. urticae, Areopraon silvestre, Binodoxys angelicae, Diaeretellus ephippium, Diaeretiella rapae, Diaeretus leucopterus, Ephedrus cerasicola, E. lacertosus, E. niger, E. plagiator, E. validus, Lysiphlebus cardui, L. dissolutus, L. hirticornis, Pauesia abietis, P. laricis, P. longicauda, P. pini, P. pinicollis, Praon bicolor, P. longicorne, P. megourae, P. pubescens, Protaphidius wissmannii, Trioxys cirsii, T. curvicaudus, T. pallidus; 3 species were recorded only in the Zone of Deciduous Forests: Lipolexis gracilis, Praon abjectum, Toxares deltiger; 10 species were registered in both zones: Adialytus ambiguus, Aphidius asteris, A. ervi, A. rosae, Binodoxys acalephae, Ephedrus persicae, Lysiphlebus confusus, L. fabarum, Paralipsis evervis, Praon volucre. Eight species are associated only with aphids on coniferous trees: Diaeretus leucopterus, Pauesia abietis, P. laricis, P. longicauda, P. pini, P. pinicollis, P. unilachni, Praon bicolor. Four species are euribiotic: Aphidius ervi, Ephedrus plagiator, Lysiphlebus fabarum, Praon volucre. At the same time, we consider ten species as rare on the time of research: Diaeretus leucopterus, Diaeretellus ephippium, Pauesia abietis, P. longicauda, Р. pini, P. pinicollis, Praon bicolor, P. megourae, P. pubescens, Protaphidius wissmannii. Factors that may affect the low abundance of some species in Forest zones in Ukraine: trophic specialization of species, features of biology, patterns of geographical and habitat associations of species in the area of research, patterns of material collection.

Genus Lipolexis Förster, 1862 is represented by four species in the world fauna and only one species, Lipolexis gracilis Förster, 1862, in the fauna of Europe, and Ukraine as well. Data on the genus Lipolexis and its species L. gracilis are presented according to available published information and material from collection of I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, NAS of Ukraine, identified by author. Lipolexis gracilis is distributed generally in Palaerctic and Oriental regions, where it prefers steppificated habitats. In Ukraine species is recorded in Cherkasy, Kirovohrad and Ternopil Regions, which are situated in Forest-Steppe Zone and Zone of Broadleaf Forests of Ukraine. Lipolexis gracilis is polyphagous species that parasitizes various aphid species mostly from subfamily Aphidinae, as well as aphids from subfamily Anoeciinae and subfamily Calaphidinaе. Data on tritrophic interactions of L. gracilis in the fauna of Ukraine is given and possibility of species application as a biocontrol agent is discussed. In Ukraine L. gracilis was reared from Aphis craccae L., Aphis craccivora Koch, Aphis fabae Scopoli, and Brachycaudus cardui L. Among hosts of L. gracilis, there are economically important aphids, and this species was previously used as biocontrol agent of soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura. On our opinion this aphidiine species could be considered as potential biocontrol agent of other economically important aphid species. To facilitate identification of L. gracilis a new morphological character is established: this is the ratio of the forewing length and the length of C+SC+R vein. This character will facilitate identification of broken specimens.

Maize viral diseases especially maize dwarf mosaic disease (MDMD), which is caused by potyviruses, lead to significant crop losses worldwide. Aim. The aim of this work was to identify the causal agent of mosaic symptoms, observed on maize plants during 2018—2020 in Kyiv region. Methods. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the DAS-ELISA modification using commercial Loewe Biochemica test systems for Maize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV), Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) were applied to identify the causal agent of maize disease in collected samples. Transmission electron microscopy was used in order to direct viral particle visualisation. Aphids, which are natural vectors of plant viruses, were found on diseased plants. Results. Plants with typical mosaic symptoms were observed in corn crops of the Kyiv region in early June 2018. The pathogen was transmitted by mechanical inoculation to maize and sweet maize plants with the manifestation of mosaic symptoms. Electron microscopy of the sap from diseased plants revealed the presence of flexible filamentous virions 750 nm long and 13 nm in diameter, typical for the genus Potyvirus. In August, mosaic symptoms and aphids Rhopalosiphum padi were found on previously healthy plants in the same maize crop. In 2020, in the same sown area, maize plants were free of viral infection during inspection in June, but a re-inspection in September revealed mosaic symptoms on maize crop and the presence of aphids in the leaf axils. The presence of SCMV in maize samples collected in June and August/September 2018 and 2020, as well as in inoculated maize and sweet maize plants, was confirmed by ELISA using a commercial test system. The obtained data allow suggesting that Rhopalosiphum padi is a natural vector of SCMV in agrocenoses of Ukraine. It should be noted that co-infection with MDMV and WSMV in the affected plants was not detected. Conclusions. This study presents the first report of SCMV in maize in Ukraine.

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У статті наведено дані щодо біотопічного розподілу практично важливої групи паразитичних пе-ретинчастокрилих їздців з підродини Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) у межах лісостепо-вої зони України. 60 видів афідіїн, зареєстрованих на території дослідження, розподіляються за біотопами наступним чином: 38 видів зареєстровано для лучних та степових біотопів, 31 вид – для агробіотопів та стацій з рудеральною рослинністю, 31 вид – для листянолісових біотопів, 15 видів пов'язані з попелицями на хвойних деревах, 8 видів зустрічаються у біотопах з болот-ною та прибережно-водною рослинністю, 4 види є евритопними. За індексом Чекановського-Серенсена найбільшу подібність має видовий склад афідіїн лучних і степових біотопів, агроце-нозів та біотопів з рудеральною рослинністю (Ics=0,78), високою є подібність між ними та біо-топами листяних лісів (Ics=0,73 та 0,52 відповідно); інший більш відособлений кластер склада-ють види афідіїн хвойних лісів та навколоводних біотопів (Ics=0,52), що пояснюється своєрід-ністю видового складу афідіїн.