Aphid Parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) in Cultivated and Non-Cultivated Areas of Markazi Province, Iran
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Biologia 68/5: 966—973, 2013 Section Zoology DOI: 10.2478/s11756-013-0234-y Aphid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) in cultivated and non-cultivated areas of Markazi Province, Iran Mahmoud Alikhani1,AliRezwani2,PetrStarý3, Nickolas G. Kavallieratos 4 &EhsanRakhshani5* 1Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University, Arak Branch, Mail box: 38135-567,I.R.Iran; e-mail: [email protected] 2Department of Agricultural Entomology, Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Tehran 1454-19395 Iran, e-mail: [email protected] 3Institute of Entomology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; e-mail: [email protected] 4Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Department of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 Stefanou Delta str., 14561, Kifissia, Attica, Greece; e-mail: nick [email protected] 5Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, University of Zabol, 98615–538,I.R.Iran; e-mail: [email protected] Abstract: The fauna of aphid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae), as well as their diversity and tritrophic (parasitoid-host aphid-host plant) associations in cultivated and non-cultivated areas of Markazi province, was studied during 2004–2009. Thirty species of Aphidiinae belonging to 9 genera were identified. There are presented, in total, 73 associations with 32 host aphids occurring on 42 host plants. Five parasitoid-aphid associations are newly recorded from Iran. Lysiphlebus cardui (Marshall) is newly recorded for the fauna of Iran. Lysiphlebus fabarum (Marshall) and Diaeretiella rapae (M’Intosh) were the most abundant species in non-cultivated (72.96%) and cultivated (41.17%) areas, respectively. In the non-cultivated areas, L. fabarum was found on eight aphid species, while in cultivated areas it was only found on Aphis craccivora Koch. In cultivated areas, Sitobion avenae (F.) has the greatest diversity of parasitoids (Shanon-Weiner H = 0.875) whereas in non-cultivated areas the greatest diversity of parasitoids was recorded upon Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) (Shanon-Weiner H = 1.149). Significant differences were found between diversity of two ecosystems based on the overall diversity indices. Both species diversity and evenness were greater in cultivated ecosystems. The results are discussed in relation to the over-all parasitoid-aphid-plant associations in the area. Key words: Aphidiinae; diversity; tritrophic associations; cultivated areas; non-cultivated areas; Iran; Lysiphlebus cardui Introduction 1991). The subfamily Aphidiinae includes about 60 gen- era and subgenera and over than 400 species worldwide Aphids are categorized as serious pests causing dam- (Starý 1988). All of them are exclusively solitary en- ages in different crops, both directly and indirectly, doparasitoids of aphids (Starý 1970). i.e., stunting, leaf curling, yellowing premature death Iran has been classified as a cross-road of flora of leaves, twisting of growing shoots, injecting toxic and fauna, including aphids (Starý et al. 2000). The salivary secretions during feeding, secreting honeydew, geographic position and landscape of Iran yields a which cause the growth of sooty molds on the leaf sur- high species biodiversity which can be manifested in face (Blackman & Eastop 2006; Jouraeva et al. 2006; the composition of the fauna both in the natural van Emden & Harrington 2007). and cultivated ecosystems as well as in their interac- However, aphids have a great number of various tions. Research not only at the faunal level, but also natural enemies known over the world. Among in- at the trophic levels is required on the background sect parasitoids, all species in the subfamily Aphidi- of broader ecological studies at least at the ecosys- inae (Hym.: Braconidae) and some genera in the family tem levels (Tomanovi´c et al. 2009). Aphids and as- Aphelinidae (Hym.: Chalcidoidea) develop as endopara- sociated food webs represent one of the related top- sitoids of aphids (van Emden & Harrington 2007). They ics contributing to such approaches. The knowledge have an important role in control of aphid population on about local fauna of the aphid parasitoids and their different crop plants (Hughes 1989; Hagvar & Hofsvang trophic associations has also significant ecological in- * Corresponding author c 2013 Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences Aphid parasitoids of Markazi province 967 Fig. 1. Map of the sampling localities at Markazi province. The numbers on the map are listed to the right of the figure along with the coordinated (DM) and altitudes in meters (m) above mean sea level (AMSL). formation about potential biocontrol agents (Starý information about host range pattern and distribution 2006). of those aphidiines occurring in a wide range of habitats Starý et al. (2000) reviewed the Aphidiinae species in the Markazi province of Iran. and their host association in Iran and listed 49 species. Since then, further investigations have been performed Material and methods on the taxonomy and faunal diversity of Aphidiinae in Iran (Starý et al. 2005; Rakhshani et al. 2005a, Samples of cultivated and non-cultivated plants bearing b, c, 2006, 2007a, b, 2008a, b; Tomanovi´cetal. aphid colonies, were collected from 21 locations in Markazi 2007; Kazemzadeh et al. 2009; Barahoei et al. 2010; province (Fig. 1), over 2004–2009. Samplings were per- formed in discrete but in a non-selective pattern. The col- Mossadegh et al. 2011). lected samples were directly placed within transparent plas- Markazi province is located at eastern junction tic boxes and covered with mesh for ventilation. At the lab- point of Alborz and Zagros Mountains with altitudi- oratory, samples were subdivided, with part used to obtain nal range of 1000–2500 m a.s.l. Various field crops voucher aphids for identification and part held for rearing of and fruit orchards, as well as large scale nurseries of parasitoids. Voucher aphids were preserved in a solution of 90% ethanol and 75% lactic acid at a ratio of 2:1 (Eastop & ornamental plants are located at this area, neighbor- ◦ ing with the plains and high mountains covered with van Emden 1972). The boxes were held at 22.5 Cuntilpar- natural vegetation. Given that the available informa- asitoid emergence. The rearing boxes were checked daily for emergence of adult parasitoids and the emerged wasps were tion about Aphidiinae of the above province is limited collected using an aspirator and directly dropped into the and only sporadically can be found in previous studies 75% ethanol for preservation. Parasitoid adults were point- (Rakhshani et al. 2005b, 2007a, 2008a). and usually slide-mounted for detailed examination. Spec- The determination of the tritrophic associations imens for slides were washed in distilled water, boiled in for each parasitoid species brings the information to 10% KOH for about two minutes, re-washed, then placed in a higher taxonomical ecological level. The knowledge of a drop of Faure-Berlese medium (Krantz 1978) for dissection the host aphid species is often rather useful in the de- or whole mounting. The external morphology of parasitoid termination of the parasitoid species identity and even- was studied using a NIKON SMZ645 stereomicroscope and tual detection of the biotypes. Also, information on a NIKON Eclipse E200 microscope. Aphid nomenclature follows Remaudiére & Remaudiére (1997). The Aphidiinae tritrophic associations is a key background in the de- specimens are deposited in the insect collection of Depart- tection of the trophic interactions in the communities ment of Entomology, Islamic Azad University, Arak branch. and in biodiversity studies. The aim of the present con- New records of parasitoid species and parasitoid-host aphid tribution is to identify the aphidiines attacking aphids associations are indicated with an asterisk (*) and a dagger feeding on crop or non-crop plants as well as to provide (†), respectively. 968 M. Alikhani et al. To compare the diversity of aphid parasitoids in two Aphidius rhopalosiphi De Stefani-Perez, 1902 cultivated and non-cultivated ecosystems, the parasitoid Metopolophium dirhodum on Triticum aestivum, Deli- specimens, that emerged from each aphid species were ¾ jan, 25.IV.2006, (8¾,5 ); Saveh, 15.V.2005, (5 ,6 ); counted and sorted based on the species. The regional di- Schizaphis graminum (Rondani, 1852) on Triticum aes- versity of the parasitoid species and diversity of the para- tivum, Saveh, 14.V.2005, (2 ¾,2 ); Sitobion avenae on sitoid complex of each aphid species at the two ecosystems Triticum aestivum, Saveh, 15.V.2005, (8¾,5 ). were analyzed based on Simpson D and Shanon-Weiner H indices separately (Magurran, 2004), using SDR version 4.0 (Seaby & Henderson 2006). Additionally, the species even- Aphidius rosae Haliday, 1834 ness was also assessed, considering the number of individuals Macrosiphum rosae (L., 1758) on Rosa damascena,Ma- per species. The Simpson E and Pielou J indices were used hallat, 20.IV.2007, (6¾,2 ). for analyzing the species evenness. Randomization test was based on Solow (1993) with 10000 replications to assess the Aphidius salicis Haliday, 1834 Delta values for each diversity index. Cavariella aegopodii (Scopoli, 1763) on Apiaceae host plant, Shanaq, 05.VI.2009, (20¾,6 ) Results Aphidius smithi Sharma and Subba Rao, 1959 Thirty species of aphidiinae belong to nine genera were Acyrthosiphon pisum on Vicia villosa, Saveh, 14.V. found. In total, 73 associations