Several series of host-reared specimens of an Encarsia species, initially thought to be the cosmopolitan Encarsia inaron (Walker), were collected in the Azores Islands (Portugal). Subsequent morphometric analysis supported the presence of two species: E. inaron and a new species, described herein as Encarsia estrellae Manzari & Polaszek sp. n. Encarsia estrellae was reared from Aleyrodes singularis Danzig, A. ?singularis, and Bemisia sp. afer-group on several host plants. In addition, the D2 region of the 28S rDNA gene was sequenced in eight individuals belonging to these species, as well as single representatives of two closely related and one distantly related species. Phylogenetic analysis of these DNA sequences, together with 23 additional Encarsia sequences retrieved from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and GenBank databases, further supported the specific status of E. estrellae, and the placement of E. dichroa (Mercet) in the E. inaron species-group. Additionally, E. inaron is redescribed and some taxonomic problems in the E. inaron species-group are discussed.

The South West Asia (SWA) group is the most likely source of the introduced Iranian populations of D. citri. This assertion is also supported by the sequence similarity of the Wolbachia, wDi, strains from the Florida, USA and Iranian D. citri. These results should be considered when looking for biological controls in either country.

Morphological and molecular taxonomic analysis of the Encarsia meritoria species-complex (Hymenoptera, Aphelinidae), parasitoids of whiteflies (Hemiptera, Aleyrodidae) of economic importance. -Zoologica Scripta , 33 , 403-421. Five closely related species of Encarsia , belonging to the luteola species-group, are analysed taxonomically using morphological and molecular techniques. Four of these belong to the meritoria -complex, and all species have a complicated taxonomic history of repeated misidentification and confusion. Morphological analysis is focused on morphometric characters of the female antennae using principal component and canonical discriminant analyses. DNA sequence data for the D2 region of 28S nuclear ribosomal genes were obtained for 13 populations of the luteola -group, with a further seven population sequences being obtained from GenBank. The combination of morphological and molecular study enables us to resolve the complex to a large extent, and to correct the previous confusion surrounding this group of species. Two species -E. californica and E. dispersa -are described as new. A proposal to place E. brasiliensis (Hempel) in synonymy with E. hispida DeSantis (the more recently described taxon) is presented. A lectotype is designated for E. haitiensis Dozier. Diagnoses or descriptions, and illustrations, of all included species are provided to facilitate the identification of females belonging to this complex. All known data concerning hosts and geographical distribution are presented.

The parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) of the cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch, were investigated throughout two far distant provinces, Tehran and Sistan-Baluchestan. Colonies of the cowpea aphid were collected from different host plants and reared under laboratory conditions until the parasitoids emerged. The aphids were parasitized by an expected range of parasitoids. The species were Aphidius colemani Viereck, Lysiphlebus fabarum (Marshall), Lysiphlebus confusus Tremblay and Eady, Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson), Binodoxys acalephae (Marshall), Binodoxys angelicae (Haliday), Praon volucre (Haliday) and Ephedrus persicae Froggatt. L. testaceipes is reported here for the first time in Iran. The most common species was L. fabarum followed by B. acalephae and L. confusus. A key is provided for identification and host plant associations are considered.

A survey of aphid parasitoids belonging to Aphidius Nees was conducted in several parts of Iran, and 17 species were identified between 2001 and 2005. Parasitoids were reared from field-collected aphids, and the tritrophic associations of parasitoids, their aphid hosts, and the respective food plants were determined. The species of Aphidius parasitoids are listed with their distribution and aphid-plant associations. An illustrated key for species identification is presented. Ambiguity of some characters is discussed, and the more reliable characters are indicated and used for the identification key.

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Despite a large number of investigations on the molecular genetics and population structure of the whiteXy Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) complex, no such study had been conducted in Iran. The genetic variation of B. tabaci was examined using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) for 18 Weld collections from cucumber, eggplant, and tomato in four provinces of Iran. PCR ampliWcation and restriction digestion with two enzymes detected 388 RFLP fragments, of which 16 fragments showed polymorphisms. Cluster analysis of these data placed all B. tabaci individuals within a single group, and there was no evidence for between-or within-population genetic variation. Phylogenetic (Clustal W) analysis of 42 B. tabaci mtCOI sequences (n = 21 Weld collections) from Iran, and a comparison with well-studied haplotype or biotype reference sequences available in public sequence databases, revealed that the Iranian B. tabaci populations were most closely related to the B biotype at 0-1.2% nucleotide identity. The B biotype is a well-known member of a sister clade from the Middle East-North African region of the world, owing to its nearly worldwide distribution and invasive characteristics. This report indicates that a single major haplotype of B biotype is prevalent in Iran and that its closest relative is the B biotype. Also, given the extent of known variation in the Middle East and African continent, data indicate somewhat surprisingly that the B. tabaci collections sampled in Iran had limited genetic variation and population substructure. Knowledge that the B biotype of B. tabaci predominates in Iran is important for designing eVective pest management strategies given that biotypes of B. tabaci are known to diVer greatly with respect to insecticide resistance, host range, virus-vector interactions, and other key biological characteristics.

The monophyly of the tribe Oxyptilini and phylogenetic relationships of the genera embraced in this tribe were examined using 171 (75 binary and 96 multistate) characters of adult morphology. The study material included 98 species of 30 genera, representing all previously recognized genera of Oxyptilini, together with the genera Sphenarches, Antarches, Diacrotricha, and Cosmoclostis, four species of Oidaematophorini, three species of Platyptiliini, as well as three and two other species belonging to Pterophorini and Exelastini respectively. Two Agdistis species were used as outgroups. The cladistic analysis resulted in six equally parsimonious trees. A majority of the recovered synapomorphic characters have previously been used in the taxonomy of the subfamily. However, 25 novel characters were found. The monophyly of Oxyptilini was supported, although only with homoplastic characters and low amounts of tree confidence; the genera Capperia, Procapperia, Paracapperia, Oxyptilus, Megalorhipida, and Trichoptilus were found to be nonmonophyletic; Sphenarches and Antarches were recovered as members of Oxyptilini; the two genera Cosmoclostis and Diacrotricha were placed out of Oxyptilini, inside the tribe Pterophorini; and close affinity of the genus Dejongia to Stangeia, Stenodacma, Megalorhipida, Trichoptilus, and Buckleria species was revealed. Four new combinations, Cosmoclostis lanceata (Arenberger) comb. nov., Nippoptilia regulus (Meyrick) comb. nov., Capperia tadzhica (Zagulajev) comb. nov., and Buckleria negotiosus (Meyrick) comb. nov. are proposed; Capperia insomnis Townsend was considered as a senior synonym of Procapperia hackeri Arenberger syn. nov., Buckleria negotiosus (Meyrick) as a senior synonym of Buckleria vanderwolfi Gielis syn. nov., and Oxyptilus variegatus Meyrick syn. nov. as a junior synonym of Oxyptilus secutor Meyrick.