Aspilota-group (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Alysiinae) diversity in Mediterranean Natural Parks of Spain

Abstract

This work analyses the biodiversity of the Aspilota-group (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Alysiinae) in three Mediterranean Natural parks: Natural Park of La Font Roja, Natural Park of Las Lagunas de la Mata-Torrevieja and Natural Park of La Tinença de Benifassà. Samples were carried out from April 2004 to December 2007. In total, 822 specimens, belonging to 52 species, were collected. Alpha, beta and gamma diversities were analysed, and the Tinença Park was proven to have higher diversity than the Font Roja and Torrevieja. Also, the structure of the Aspilota-group community was analysed.

Additions to the fauna of Braconidae (Hym., Ichneumonoidea) of Iran based on the specimens housed in Hayk Mirzayans Insect Museum with six new records for Iran

“…Most braconid wasps are primary parasitoids on other insects, especially upon the larval stages of Coleoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera, but also some hemimetabolous insects like aphids, Heteroptera or Embiidina (Sharkey, 1993;Wharton, 1998). Despite their importance, biology and taxonomy of most Braconidae is still largely unknown (Peris-Felipo, 2013;Yu et al, 2016). Members of this family are small to medium sized and vary in color of the body in a range of black, red, orange and white (Quicke, 2015).…”