Braconid wasps (Hymenoptera) in two Iranian hotspots: Conservation implications

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
Parisa Abdoli 1
Ali Asghar Talebi 1
Nickolas G. Kavallieratos 2
Samira Farahani 3
Rasoul Khosravi 4
1 Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
2 Laboratory of Agricultural Zoology and Entomology, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
3 Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
4 Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Abstract
Biodiversity hotspots are key for identifying priority areas for species conservation. The Alborz Mountains, with two hotspots (the Caucasus on the northern slope and the Irano-Anatolian on the southern slope) provide an ideal landscape for assessing the impacts of vegetation, slope and elevation on species diversity. We examined the alpha and beta diversity of Braconidae across different slopes (northern/southern), elevations (upper/lower positions) and provinces (Guilan and Mazandaran in northern Iran, Qazvin, Tehran, Alborz). Using 31 Malaise traps, we collected 276 species and 5,950 individuals from 20 subfamilies. Shannon-Wiener and Brillouin’s indices showed higher diversity on the northern slope. Species diversity peaked at mid-elevation (800–1,200 m). Alpha diversity was highest in Guilan and Alborz-Tehran. Beta diversity analysis indicated that slope, elevation, and province influenced species composition. Similar compositions were found in Mazandaran-Guilan (northern slope), and Alborz-Tehran and Qazvin (southern slope) in vegetation zones with similar environmental conditions. Additionally, the highest species composition similarity was observed between the southern and northern slope positions and upper positions of both slopes. These findings have important implications towards the maintenance of the diversity of braconids, a major beneficial species group, by prioritizing their hotspots.


Keywords

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Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume 28, Issue 1
January and February 2026
Pages 163-178