© Entomofauna Ansfelden/Austria; download unter www.zobodat.at Entomofauna ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR ENTOMOLOGIE Band 36, Heft 32: 425-440 ISSN 0250-4413 Ansfelden, 2. Januar 2015 A study on the genus Bracon FABRICIUS (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in north central Iran with four new records for Iranian fauna Mohammad ZARGAR, Ali Asghar TALEBI, Hamidreza HAJIQANBAR & JenĘ PAPP Abstract The fauna of the genus Bracon (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Braconinae) was studied in north central Iran (Alborz, Qazvin, Guilan, Mazandaran and Tehran provinces). Specimens were collected using Malaise traps during 2010-2011. Fourteen species and two subspecies were identified of these two species, Bracon (Glabrobracon) parvulus (WESMAEL 1838), Bracon (Palpibracon) delibator, HALIDAY 1833 and two subspecies Bracon (Bracon) intercessor laetus (WESMAEL 1838) and Bracon (Glabrobracon) variator bipartitus (WESMAEL 1838) are new records for the fauna of Iran. Geographical distribution of all species and morphological characteristics of the newly recorded species are provided. Key words: Bracon, subspecies, fauna, new records, Iran. 425 © Entomofauna Ansfelden/Austria; download unter www.zobodat.at Zusammenfassung Die Fauna der Gattung Bracon (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Braconinae) im Nord- Zentral-Iran (Alborz, Qazvin, Guilan, Mazandaran und Teheran Provinzen) wurde untersucht. Die Tiere wurden mit Hilfe von Malaisefallen in den Jahren 2010-2011 gesammelt. Vierzehn Arten und zwei Unterarten wurden bestimmt, von diesen sind zwei Arten, Bracon (Glabrobracon) parvulus (WESMAEL 1838), Bracon (Palpibracon) delibator HALIDAY, 1833 und zwei Unterarten Bracon (Bracon) intercessor laetus (WESMAEL 1838) und Bracon (Glabrobracon) variator bipartitus (WESMAEL 1838) neue Meldungen für die Fauna des Iran. Die geografische Verbreitung aller Arten sowie die morphologischen Merkmale der neu erfassten Arten, werden mitgeteilt. Introduction The Braconidae included one of the most species-rich and cosmopolitan families of Hymenoptera (SHARKEY & WAHL 1992; QUICKE et al. 1999). Braconinae is the largest subfamily of Braconidae, comprises small to large wasps with more than 2,900 described species in the world (YU et al. 20012). The braconid wasps are extremely diverse, and play significant role for control of economic insect pests. Braconinae species are recognized as idiobiont ectoparasitoids of concealed larvae of many Coleoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera species (SHAW & HUDDLESTON 1991; YU et al. 2012; SHARKEY 1993; WHARTON 1993). The Bracon FABRICIUS, 1804 is a cosmopolitan genus with about 599 described species worldwide, and is mostly distributed in the Palaearctic region (YU et al. 2012). It is a moderately large genus and is divided into sixteen subgenera, but only 10 subgenera include Bracon FABRICIUS, 1804, Asiabracon TOBIAS, 1957, Cyanopterobracon TOBIAS, 1957, Glabrobracon FAHRINGER, 1927, Habrobracon ASHMEAD, 1895, Lucobracon FAHRINGER, 1927, Orthobracon FAHRINGER, 1927, Pigeria VAN ACHTERBERG, 1985, Rostrobracon TOBIAS, 1957 and Palpibracon PAPP, 2012 are reported for the fauna of Iran (YU et al. 2012). A checklist of Iranian Bracon was published by AMERI et al. (2013), who reported 60 species of the genus Bracon from Iran. The majority of the taxonomic and faunistic research on Braconidae of Iran have been done in the northern, western and southern parts of the country (AMERI et al. 2013; AMERI et al. 2012; FARAHANI et al. 2012a, 2012b, 2013a, 2013b; ZARGAR et al. 2014; MONAJEMI & ESMAILI 1981; AL-E-MANSOUR & MOSTAFAVI 1993; van ACHTERBERG & MEHRNEJAD 2002; MEHRPARVAR et al. 2005; DEZIANIAN & QUICKE 2006 RAKHSHANI et al. 2007a, 2007b, 2008a, 2008b). The aim of this study was to develop an overview of braconid fauna of the north central parts of Iran. Materials and Methods Specimens were collected from different zones of north central of Iran (Alborz, Ghazvin, Guilan, Mazandaran and Tehran provinces) (Fig. 1). The Alborz Mountains separate the tropical Caspian Sea area (Alborz, Guilan and Mazandaran provinces) from Tehran and Qazvin provinces (Fig. 2). Guilan and Mazandaran provinces extend along the Caspian 426 © Entomofauna Ansfelden/Austria; download unter www.zobodat.at Sea in the northern slopes of the Alborz Mountains but other provinces located in southern slopes of Alborz Mountains. Material for the present study was collected using Malaise traps. After that they were treated with 100% ethanol for five minutes followed by hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) for 30 minutes and finally placed on a glass plate to dry (Heraty and Hawks 1998). The dried specimens were card mounted and labeled. Relevant literatures (TOBIAS 1986; PAPP 1966, 1968, 1969a, 1969b, 2012) were used for identification of the specimens. All specimens are deposited in the insect collection of the Department of Entomology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran (TMUC). Results Fifteen species and two subspecies from seven subgenera of Bracon genus (Hymenopreta: Braconidae) consisting Asiabracon TOBIAS, 1957, Bracon FABRICIUS, 1804, Glabrobracon FAHRINGER, 1927, Lucobracon FAHRINGER, 1927, Pigeria VAN ACHTERBERG, 1985, Osculobracon PAPP, 2008 and Palpibracon PAPP, 2012 were collected and identified from the studied areas. Among studied species, Bracon (Glabrobracon) parvulus (WESMAEL 1838) and Bracon (Palpibracon) delibator HALIDAY, 1833 and two subspecies, Bracon (Bracon) intercessor laetus (WESMAEL, 1838), Bracon (Glabrobracon) variator bipartitus (WESMAEL, 1838) and Bracon (Palpibracon) delibator HALIDAY, 1833 are new records for Iran, which are marked by an asterisk (*) in the following text. Bracon (Asiabracon) quadrimaculatus TELENGA, 1936 Material examined: Iran, Mazandaran province: Joorband (36°26ƍ15.54Ǝ N, 52°07ƍ13.50Ǝ E, 275 m. a. s. l.), 05-10.X.2011, 1&. General distribution: Western Palaearctic (Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Greece, Iran, Turkey, Turkmenistan) (YU et al. 2012) Bracon (Bracon) variegator SPINOLA, 1808 Material examined: Iran, Qazvin province, Loshan (36°40ƍ09.12Ǝ N, 49°25ƍ37.74Ǝ E, 291 m. a. s. l.), 16-22.IV.2011, 1&; 25-30.IV.2011, 1&. General distribution: Eastern Palaearctic (China, Korea, Mongolia, Russia), Western Palaearctic (Afghanistan, Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikestan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan) (YU et al. 2012). Bracon (Bracon) intercessor NEES, 1834 Material examined: Iran, Tehran province, Peykanshahr, National Botanical Garden (35°44ƍ19.91Ǝ N, 51°10ƍ52.49Ǝ E, 1265 m. a. s. l.), 02-08.VI.2010, 1&. 427 © Entomofauna Ansfelden/Austria; download unter www.zobodat.at General distribution: Eastern Palaearctic (Korea, Mongolia, Russia), Western Palaearctic (Afghanistan, Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan) (YU et al. 2012). Bracon (Bracon) intercessor laetus (WESMAEL, 1838)* Material examined: Iran, Mazandaran province, Joorband (36°26ƍ15.54Ǝ N, 52°07ƍ13.50Ǝ E, 275 m. a. s. l.), 01-06.IX.2011, 1&. General distribution: Eastern Palaearctic (China), Western Palaearctic (Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Spain, Tajikestan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United kingdom, Uzbekistan, Yugoslavia) (YU et al. 2012) Diagnostic characters: Head in dorsal view transverse, 2 times as broad as its length; hind femur slightly thick, 3 times as long as its broad medially; body testaceous, with black pattern on propodeum medially; middle and hind coxae testaceous. Pterostigma yellow. This subspecies is taxonomically close to nominate form B. intercessor NEES, 1834 but can separated from which by the following key: 1 Head in dorsal view transverse, 2 times as broad as its length; hind femur slightly thick, 2.9 times as long as its broad medially; body testaceous, black pattern on mesosternum and propodeum medially; middle and hind coxae testaceous; pterostigma yellow............................................... B. intercessor laetus (WESMAEL, 1838) - Head in dorsal view usually slightly less transverse, 1.6–1.7 times as broad as its length; hind femur less thick, 3.5–3.6 times as long as its broad medially; body testaceous to reddish yellow with more or less black pattern on head, meso- and metasoma; middle and hind coxae usually black; pterostigma brown ............................... ....................................................................................nominate form B. intercessor NEES Bracon (Bracon) pectoralis (WESMAEL, 1838) Material examined: Iran, Guilan province, Orkom (36°45ƍ44.34Ǝ N, 50°18ƍ11.88Ǝ E, 1201 m. a. s. l.), 08.-14.VI.2010, 1&; Qazvin province, Zereshk Road (36°25ƍ23.88Ǝ N, 50°06ƍ37.68Ǝ E, 1926 m. a. s. l.), 11.-17.VIII.2011, 1&. General distribution: Eastern Palaearctic (Russia), Western Palaearctic (Afghanistan, Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro,