BIHAREAN BIOLOGIST 14 (1): 1-4 ©Biharean Biologist, Oradea, Romania, 2020 Article No.: e191203 http://biozoojournals.ro/bihbiol/index.html

Occurrence of Ceratobracon stschegolevi (Telenga, 1936) (Hymenotera: : Braconinae), a rare genus and species new for Iran

Mohammad ZARGAR1, Ali AsgharTALEBI1* and Samira FARAHANI2

1. Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, P. O. Box: 14115-336, Tehran, Iran. 2. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran. * Corresponding authors, A.A. Talebi, E-mail: [email protected]

Received: 30. June 2019 / Accepted: 11. May 2019 / Available online: 15. May 2019 / Printed: June 2020

Abstract. This study was carried out in Khuzestan province, located in the southwest of Iran in 2016. The genus Ceratobracon Telenga, 1936 (Hymenotera: Braconidae) is recorded for the first time from Iran represented by a single species, Ceratobracon stschegolevi (Telenga, 1933). Geographical distribution, diagnostic characters of the newly recorded species and a key to the known species of Ceratobracon are also provided.

Key words: Khuzestan, Iran, Ceratobracon, new record, Malaise trap.

Introduction

Braconinae Nees, 1811 is one of the largest and cosmopolitan of braconid subfamilies, with 189 genera and 3052 described species, mostly spread in the Old World tropics, especially Africa and South-East Asia (Shenefelt 1978, Quicke 1987, 2015, Yu et al. 2016). Fabricius, 1804, with over four- teen subgenera, is the most diverse genus in the subfamily of Braconinae with over 1000 described species worldwide (Yu et al. 2016). Ceratobracon was established by Telenga (1936) as one of the subgenera of Bracon Fabricius, 1804 but later raised as separate genus (Tobias 1971). At the outset, this ge- nus included three species which lately two of them includ- ing Ceratobracon orbicularis Niezabitowski, 1910 and C. apri- cus Schmiedeknecht, 1897 are considered as synonyms of Bracon (Bracon) nigratus (Wesmael, 1838) and Bracon (Luco- bracon) apricus Schmiedeknecht, 1897, respectively. Another species was described from Turkey, Ceratobracon adaniensis Beyarslan, 1987. Based on known host association, even though there are no host records for the majority of braconine genera, most of the species are known as ectoparasitoids of the larvae be- longing to Coleoptera, and Diptera. It should be noted that van Achterberg, (1984) reared some members of the Philomacroploea Cameron, 1905 and Aspidobracon van

Achterberg, 1984 from pupae of lepidopteran families Nym- Figure 1. Location of sampling in Khuzestan province; A, Location of phalidae, Pieridae and Hesperiidae. Cephus pygmeus (Lin- Khuzestan province in Iran; B, The habitat of Ceratobracon stschego- naeus, 1767) is recorded as host of Ceratobracon stschegolevi levi in Khuzestan (Lali); C, Malaise trap installed in Lali (Khuzestan (Telenga 1933, Tobias 1976, 1986) and there is no information province) (Photo by: M. Zargar). about the biology of C. adaniensis.

The faunal studies on the subfamily Braconinae have re- in 2016 (Fig. 1C). Sampling site was a mountainous area in north of cently been carried out in various parts of Iran, led to identi- Khuzestan in citrus orchards with different type of weeds under- fying 150 species (out of 750 in Palaearctic) (Telenga 1936, growth (Fig. 1B). After separating the specimens from Malaise traps, Tobias 1976, 1986, Dezianian & Quick 2006, Abbasipour et al. they were inspected under a stereomicroscope for Ceratobracon spec- 2012, Ameri et al. 2014, Zargar et al. 2014, 2015, Rahmani et imens, once found it was preserved in a 96% mixture of 40% xylene and 60% alcohol for two days and then in an amyl acetate solution al. 2017, Iranmanesh et al. 2018, Rajabi Mazhar et al. 2019). for one day (van Achterberg 2009). At the last stage, it was mounted The objective of this research is to improve our knowledge on triangular cards using water soluble glue. The keys provided by on the taxonomy of Braconinae in Iran. Tobias (1986) and Beyarslan (1987) were used for identification of the specimen. Photos of the species were taken under a microscope (OlympusTM AX70) or stereomicroscope (OlympusTM SZX9) Material and Methods equipped with digital camera (Sony, Japan). The specimen of the present study is deposited in the Collection of Department of Ento- This study was carried out in South west of Iran in Khuzestan prov- mology, Tarbiat Modares University (TMUC), Tehran, Iran. The ter- ince (Fig. 1A). Materials for this study were collected by Malaise trap minology of morphological characters followed van Achterberg 2 M. Zargar et al.

(1988, 1993). Abbreviations used in this paper are as follows: POL = Verblynd village, barley, 12.VII.1931 (O. Moroshkina). Para- postocellar line, OOL = ocularocellar line, OD = median ocellar di- lectotypes: 1 female, 1 male, Rostov, 21.V.1927 (Shegolev); 1 ameter. female, 2 males, Uzbekistan, Guzar, V.1929 (Tobias 1986).

Material examined. Iran, Khuzestan province, Lali,

Results Taraz, (N 32°20′49″, E 49°05′11″, 390 m a.s.l.), 21.iii.2017, Ma- laise trap in citrus orchards, 1♀; Leg. M. Zargar. Ceratobracon stschegolevi (Telenga, 1933) Diagnosis. Body length 3.00 mm. Width of head 1.8 × as Original name. Bracon stschegolevi Telenga, 1933: 243. long as its length in dorsal view. POL: OD: OOL= 4:3:6 (Fig. Type material: Lectotype: Female, Krasnodar Region, 2A). Malar space 0.6 as width as mandibular base. Width of

Figure 2. Ceratobracon stschegolevi (Telenga, 1933). A. Head, dorsal view. B. Head, frontal view. C. Mesosoma, dorsal view. D. Fore wing. E. Metasoma, dorsal view. F. Habitus, lateral view.

Ceratobracon stschegolevi genus and species new for Iran 3

face 1.5 × as long as its height (Fig. 2B). Antenna 26 segment- The specimen of our collection differs from original de- ed, shorter than body, penultimate flagellomere 1.5 × as long scription of C. stschegolevi by having yellow 1-3th metasomal as width. Mesosoma 1.4 × as long as its maximum height. tergites. All other characters with the exception of metaso- Mesoscutum smooth (Fig. 2C). Propodeum smooth without mal colouration is similar to C. stschegolevi. Intraspecific col- median carina. Fore wing vein SR‒1 terminating wing apex, or variation known to occur in several braconids (Mora & vein r‒m 1.1 × as long as vein r, vein 3‒SR 1.5 × as long as Hanson 2019), which is associated with some factors such as vein 2‒SR. Length of pterostigma 3.2 × as long as width (Fig. temperature (Abe et al. 2013, Abdoli et al. 2019) and host 2D). Metasoma smooth. Length of first metasomal tergite 1.2 species (Gupta & Fernandez-Triana 2014). × as long as its apical width (Fig. 2E). Median length of sec- ond metasomal tergit 0.7 × as long as third metasomal tergit. Ovipositor sheath 0.5 × as long as metasoma (Fig. 2F). Meso- soma black, metasomal tergites 1-3th yellow, remaining Acknowledgement. Thanks are due to the Department of black. Entomology, Tarbiat Modares University for providing financial Host record. : Cephidae: Cephus pygmeus support for this study. We are most grateful to Dr. Konstantin Samartsev (Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences) (Tobias 1976; Tobias 1986). for valuable help in confirmation of the species. Distribution. Austria (Madl 1991), Azerbaijan, Georgia

(Tobias 1976), Germany (Belokobylskij et al. 2003), Hungary,

Iran (New record), Macedonia (Papp 2009), Moldova

(Talitzky & Kuslitzky 1990), Mongolia (Papp 1984), Poland, References Russia (Telenga 1933, Telenga 1936, Tobias 1976, Tobias 1986), Turkey (Beyarslan et al. 2014), Uzbekistan (Telenga Abbasipour, H., Mahmoudvand, M., Basij, M., Lozan, A. (2012): First report of the parasitoid wasps, Microchelonus subcontractus and Bracon intercessor 1936, Tobias 1986). (Hym.: Braconidae), from Iran. Journal of Entomological Society of Iran 32(1): 89-92. Key to world species of Ceratobtacon Abe, Y., Nishimura, T., Maeto, K. (2013): Causes of polymorphic melanism and its thermoregulatory function in a Meteorus pulchricornis 1. Depression below antennal socket not connected; oviposi- (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). European Journal of Entomology 110(4): 627- tor 0.28-0.4 times as long as abdomen length; Body 2.17-3.2 632. mm .…..………....…. Ceratobracon adaniensis Beyarslan, 1987 Abdoli, P., Talebi, A.A., Farahani, S., Fernandez-Triana, J. (2019): Three new - Depression below antennal socket connected with each species of the genus Choeras Mason, 1981 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Iran. Zootaxa 4545(1): 77-92. other, ovipositor 0.5 times as long as abdomen length; Ameri, A., Talebi, A.A., Beyarslan, A., Kamali, K., Rakhshani, E. (2014): Study Body 3.2 mm …….. Ceratobracon stschegolevi (Telenga, 1933) of the genus Bracon Fabricius, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) of Southern Iran with description of a new species. Zootaxa 3754(4): 353-380. Belokobylskij, S.A., Taeger, A., van Achterberg, C., Haeselbarth, E., Riedel, M. Remark. One character was found to be different from the (2003): Checklist of the Braconidae (Hymenoptera) of Germany. Beiträge zur original description of Ceratobracon stschegolevi (Telenga, Entomologie 53(2): 341-435. 1933) which mentioned all metasomal tergites are black, Beyarslan, A. (1987): Eine neue Art Ceratobracon adaniensis Beyars. (Hym.: Braconidae: Braconinae) aus der Türkei. Türk Entomoloji Dergisi 11/2: 111- however in the specimen examined in the present study, 1- 115. 3th metasomal tergites are yellow (Fig. 2E). Beyarslan, A., Gozuacik, C., Ozgen, I. (2014): First research on Braconinae fauna of South-eastern Anatolia region with new localities of Turkey (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Entomofauna 35(10): 177-201.

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