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

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
P. Abdoli 1
A. A. Talebi 1
N. G. Kavallieratos 2
S. Farahani 3
R. Khosravi 4
1 Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, I.R. Iran
2 Agricultural University of Athens; 75 Iera Odos str., 11855 Athens, Attica, Greece
3 Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, I. R. Iran
4 Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, I.R. 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, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Tehran, Alborz) in northern Iran. Using 31 Malaise traps, we collected 276 species and 5950 individuals from 20 subfamilies. Shannon-Wiener and Brillouin’s indices showed higher diversity on the northern slope. Species diversity peaked at mid-elevation (800–1200 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

Abdoli, P., Talebi, A. A. and Farahani, S. 2022. Additional review of the genus Iconella (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Iran with the description of a new species. North-West. J. Zool., 18(1), 9–16.
Abdoli, P., Talebi, A. A., Fernandez-Triana, J. and Farahani, S. 2021. Taxonomic study of the genus Microplitis Förster, 1862 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Iran. Eur. J. Taxon., 744, 83–118.
Abdoli, P., Talebi, A. A. and Farahani, S. 2019a. Dolichogenidea fernandeztrianai sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Iran. J. Agric. Sci. Technol., 647–658.
Abdoli, P., Talebi, A. A., Farahani, S. and Fernandez-Triana, J. 2019b. Three new species of the genus Choeras Mason, 1981 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Iran. Zootaxa, 4545(1), 77–92.
Abdoli, P., Talebi, A. A., Farahani, S. and Fernandez-Triana, J. 2019c. Venanides caspius sp. nov. from Iran, the first species of Venanides (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) described from the Palaearctic Region. Acta Entomol. Mus. Natl. Pragae, 59(2), 543–548.
Abdoli, P., Mohammadi, H., Sedaratian-Jahromi, A. and Farahani, S. 2023. Dolichogenidea persica sp. n. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae), as a parasitoid of Leucoma wiltshirei Collenette (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Lymantriinae) from Iran. Biologia, 1–7.
Abdoli, P., Talebi, A. A., Kavallieratos, N. G., Khosravi, R., and Bidari, F. 2024. Contribution to the phylogeny of Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) based on mitochondrial COI and nuclear 28S rDNA genes, with comments on the identity of Pholetesor circumscriptus (Nees, 1834). J. Insect Biodivers. Syst., 10(4), 965–981.
Akhani, H. 1998. Plant biodiversity of Golestan National Park, Iran. Stapfia, 53, 1–411.
Alikhani, M., Rezwani, A., Rakhshani, E. and Madani, S. M. J. 2010. Survey of aphids (Hem., Aphidoidea) and their host plants in central parts of Iran. J. Entomol. Res., 2(2), 7–16.
Almeida, S. S. P. and Louzada, J. N. C. 2009. Estrutura da comunidade de Scarabaeinae (Scarabaeidae: Coleoptera) em fitofisionomias do cerrado e sua importância para a conservação. Neotrop. Entomol., 38, 32–43.
Ameri, A., Talebi, A. A., Rakhshani, E., Beyarslan, A. and Kamali, K. 2015. Additional evidence and new records of the genus Bracon Fabricius, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in Southern Iran. Turk. J. Zool., 39, 1110–1120.
Baghery-Matin, Sh., Sahragard, A. and Rasoolian, Gh. 2005. Some behavioural characteristics of Lysiphlebus fabarum (Hym: Aphidiidae) parasitizing Aphis fabae (Hom: Aphididae) under laboratory conditions. J. Entomol., 2 (1), 64–68.
Brown, R., Jacobs, L. and Peet, R. 2007. Species richness: small scale. Encyclopedia of life science. Wiley, New Jersey.
Chen, X. X. and van Achterberg, C. 2019. Systematics, phylogeny, and evolution of braconid wasps: 30 years of progress. Annu. Rev. Entomol., 64, 335–358.
Crutsinger, G.M., Strauss, S.Y. and Rudgers, J.A . 2010. Genetic variation within a dominant shrub species determines plant species colonization in a coastal dune ecosystem. Ecology, 91, 1237–1243.
Dolati, S., Talebi, A. A., Peris-Felipo, F. J., Farahani, S. and Khayrandish, M. 2021. New data on the subfamily Opiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Iran. Zootaxa, 4903(3), 331–352.
Dudgeon, D., Arthington, A. H., Gessner, M. O., Kawabata, Z.-I., Knowler, D. J., Lévêque, C., Naiman, R. J., Prieur-Richard, A.-H., Soto, D. and Stiassny, M. L. 2006. Freshwater biodiversity: Importance, threats, status and conservation challenges. Biol. Rev., 81, 163–182
Esmaili, M., Mirkarimi, A. A. and Azmayesh Fard, P. 1996. Agricultural Entomology, Tehran Univ. Publ., Tehran.
Falcó-Garí, J. V., Peris-Felipo, F. J. and Jiménez-Peydró, R. 2014. Diversity and phenology of the Braconid community (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in the Mediterranean protected landscape of Sierra Calderona (Spain). Open J. Ecol., 4, 174–181.
Farahani, S., Talebi, A. A., Rakhshani, E. and van Achterberg, C. 2012. First record of Homolobus infumator (Lyle, 1914)(Insecta: Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Homolobinae) from Iran. Check List, 8(6), 1350–1352.
Farahani, S., Talebi, A. A. and Rakhshani, E. 2014a. Wasps of the subfamily Doryctinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in Iran. Zool. Middle East, 60(1), 65–81.
Farahani, S., Talebi, A. A., van Achterberg, C. and Rakhshani, E. 2014b. A review of species of the genus Ascogaster Wesmael (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Cheloninae) from Iran. Far Eastern Entomol., (275), 1–12.
Farahani, S., Talebi, A. A. van Achterberg, C., and Rakhshani, E. 2014c. A new species of the genus Mirax Haliday, 1833 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Miracinae) from Iran. Ann. Zool., 64 (4), 677–682.
Farahani, S., Talebi, A. A., van Achterberg, C. and Rakhshani, E. 2015. A review of the subfamily Rogadinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Iran. Zootaxa, 3973, 227–250.
Farahani, S., Talebi, A. A. and Rakhshani, E. 2016. Iranian Braconidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea): diversity, distribution and host association. J. Insect Biodivers. Syst., (02), 1–92.
Gadallah, N. S., Ghahari, H. and Quicke, D. L. 2021. Further addition to the braconid fauna of Iran (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Egypt. J. Biol. Pest Control, 31(1), 1–9.
Gadallah, N. S., Ghahari, H. and Shaw, S. R. 2022. Braconidae of the Middle East (Hymenoptera): Taxonomy, Distribution, Biology, and Biocontrol Benefits of Parasitoid Wasps. Academic Press. London, 596 pp.
Gadelha, S. D. S., Penteado-Dias, A. M. and Silva, A. D. A. 2012. Diversity of Braconidae (Insecta, Hymenoptera) of the Parque Natural Municipal de Porto Velho, Rondonia, Brazil. Rev. Bras. Entomol., 56 (4), 468–472.
Ghaladze, G. 2012. Climate-based model of spatial pattern of the species richness of ants in Georgia. Journal of Insect Conservation, 16(5), 791–800.
Ghotbi Ravandi, S., Askari Hesni, M. and Madjdzadeh, S.M. 2017. Species diversity and distribution pattern of Aphidiinae (Hym.: Braconidae) in Kerman province, Iran. J. Crop Prot. 6 (2), 245–257.
Gonzales, H. D. and Ruiz, D. B. 2000. Los Braconidos (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) como grupo parametro de biodiversidade em las selvas decíduas del tropico: uba discusion acerca de su posible uso. Acta Zool. Mex, 79, 43–56.
Hajian, M., Sadeghi, S., Eslami Barzoki, Z., Moradmand, M., Gholamhosseini, A. and Ebrahimi, M. 2024. Ant diversity and species assemblages along an elevational gradient in the arid area of Central Iran. J. Insect Biodivers. Syst., 10 (1), 143–159.
Hausmann, A., Segerer, A. H., Greifenstein, T., Knubben, J., Morinière, J., Bozicevic, V., Doczkal, D., Günter, A., Ulrich, W. and Habel, J.C. 2020. Toward a standardized quantitative and qualitative insect monitoring scheme. Ecol. Evol. 10, 4009–4020.
Heimpel, G. E. 2001. Host–parasitoid population dynamics. Parasitoid population biology. Princeton, 27–40.
Heip, C. 1974. A new index measuring evenness. J. Mar. Biol. Assoc. U. K., 54(3), 555–557.
Hurlbert, S. H. 1971. The non-concept of species diversity: a critique and alternative parameters. Ecology, 52, 577–86.
Karlsson, D., Hartop, E., Forshage, M., Jaschhof, M. and Ronquist, F. 2020. The Swedish Malaise trap project: a 15 year retrospective on a countrywide insect inventory. Biodivers. Data J., 8: e47255. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.8.e47255
Karp, D. S., Frishkoff, L. O., Echeverri, A., Zook, J., Juárez, P. and Chan, K. M. 2018. Agriculture erases climate‐driven β‐diversity in Neotropical bird communities. Glob. Change Biol., 24(1), 338–349.
Kavallieratos, N.G., Tomanović, Ž., Starý, P., Athanassiou, C.G., Fasseas, C., Petrović, O., Stanisavljevic, L. Z. and Veroniki, M. A. 2005. Praon Haliday (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) of southeastern Europe: key, host range and phylogenetic relationships. Zool. Anz., 243, 181–209.
Kiani, M., Mohammadi, S., Babaei, A., Sefidkon, F., Naghavi, M. R., Ranjbar, M., Razavi, S. A., Saeidi, K., Jafari, H., Asgari, D. and D. Potter. 2017. Iran supports a great share
of biodiversity and floristic endemism for Fritillaria spp. (Liliaceae): A review. Plant Divers., 39(5), 245–262.
Legendre, P., Borcard, D. and Peres-Neto, P. R. 2005. Analyzing beta diversity: partitioning the spatial variation of community composition data. Ecol. Monogr., 75, 435–450.
Lotfalizadeh, H., Pourhaji, A. and Zargaran, M.R. 2015. Hymenopterous parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Eulophidae, Pteromalidae) of the alfalfa leafminers in Iran and their diversity. Far East Entomol., 288, 1– 24.
Lotfalizadeh, H., Zargaran, M.R. and Taghizadeh, M. 2014. Species diversity of Coccoidea parasitoids wasps (Hym.: Chalcidoidea) in the northern parts of East-Azarbaijan province, Iran. North-West. J. Zool, 10 (1), 60–66.
Mahi, H., Rasekh, A., Michaud, J. P. and Shishehbor, P. 2014. Biology of Lysiphlebus fabarum following cold storage of larvae and pupae. Entomol. Exp. et Appl., 153(1), 10–19.
Mason W. R. M. 1981. The polyphyletic nature of Apanteles Förster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): phylogeny and reclassification of Microgastrinae. Mem. Entomol. Soc. Can., 115, 1–147.
Mittelbach, G. G. and Mcgill, B. J. 2019. Community Ecology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mohammadi-Khoramabadi, A. 2023. Assessing species richness of the subfamily Campopleginae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) community in Darab damask rose rain-fed plain, Fars province, Iran. J. Insect Biodivers. Syst., 9 (2), 193-205
Myers, N., Mittermeier, R.A., Mittermeier, C.G., da Fonseca, G.A.B., Kent, J. 2000. Biodiversity hotspot for conservation priorities. Nature, 403, 853–858.
Nixon, G. E. J. 1965. A reclassification of the tribe Microgasterini (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Bull. Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Entomology, 2, 1–284.
Noroozi, J. Talebi, A., Doostmohammadi, M., Manafzadeh, S., Asgarpour, Z. and Schneeweiss, G. M. 2019. Endemic diversity and distribution of the Iranian vascular flora across phytogeographical regions, biodiversity hotspots and areas of endemism. Sci.Rep., 9(1), 1–12.
Noroozi, J. and Körner, C. 2018. A bioclimatic characterization of high elevation habitats in the Alborz Mountains of Iran. Alp. Bot., 128(1), 1–11.
Nwoko, O. E., Kalinda, C., Manyangadze, T. and Chimbari, M. J. 2022. Species Diversity, Distribution, and Abundance of Freshwater Snails in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Water, 14(14), 2267.
Perrigo, A., Hoorn, C. and Antonelli, A. 2020. Why mountains matter for biodiversity. J. Biogeogr., 47(2), 315–325.
Pielou, E. C. 1975. Ecological Diversity. Wiley, New York.
Piruznia, A.R., Lotfalizadeh, H., Zargaran, M.R. and Lotfalizadeh, S. 2022. What says the chalcidoid (Hymenoptera) diversity in the Lake Urmia basin?. J. Ins. Biodivers. Syst., 8 (3), 421–433.
Pourhaji, A., Lotfalizadeh, H., Kasebi, N., Gharali, B. and Ameri. A. 2022. Associated Bracon Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) with flower-heads of Asteraceae in Iran. J. Insect Biodivers. Syst. 8 (1), 35–47.
Rakhshani, E., Talebi, A. A., Starý, P.S., Tomanovic, Z. T. and Manzari, S. M. 2007. Aphid-Parasitoid (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) Associations on Willows and Poplars in Iran. Acta Zool. Acad. Sci. Hung., 53, 281–292.
Rakhshani, E., Tomanović, Ž., Starý, P., Talebi, A. A., Kavallieratos, N. G. and Zamani, A. A. 2008. Distribution and diversity of wheat aphid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) in Iran. Eur. J. Entomol., 105: 863–870.
Sabu, T.K., Vineesh, P.J. and Vinod, K.V. 2008. Diversity of forest litter inhabiting ants along elevations in the Wayanad region of the Western Ghats. J. Insect Sci., 8(69), 1–14.
Safahani, S., Madjdzadeh, S. M., Peris-Felipo, F. J. 2018. Contribution to the fauna and phenological knowledge of high mountains Opiinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) in Kerman province (Iran). J. Insect Biodivers. Syst., 4 (2), 73–83.
Seaby, R. M. and Henderson, P. A. 2006. Species diversity and richness. version 4. Pisces Conservation Ltd., Lymington, England, 123.
Skvarla, M. J., Larson, J. L., Fisher, J. R. and Dowling, A. P. 2021. A review of terrestrial and Canopy Malaise Traps. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am., 114, 27–47.
Socolar, J. B., Gilroy, J. J., Kunin, W. E. and Edwards, D. P. 2016. How should beta-diversity inform biodiversity conservation? Trends Ecol. Evol., 31, 67–80.
Song, X., Ji, L., Liu, G., Zhang, X., Hou, X., Gao, S., and Wang, N. 2023. Patterns and Drivers of Aboveground Insect Diversity along Ecological Transect in Temperate Grazed Steppes of Eastern Eurasian. Insects, 14(2), 191.
Southwood, T. R. E. and Henderson, P. A. 2000. Ecological methods. Blackwell
Publishing Ltd., England.
Ssymank, A., Sorg, M., Doczkal, D., Rulik, B., Merkel-Wallner, G. and Vischer-Leopold, M., 2018. Praktische Hinweise und Empfehlungen zur Anwendung von Malaisefallen für Insekten in der Biodiversitätserfassung und im Monitoring. Entomol. Ver. Krefeld.
Starý, P. and Kaddou, I. K. 1971. Fauna and distribution of aphid parasites (Hym., Aphidiidae) in Iraq. Acta Faun. Entomol. Mus. Natl. Pragae. 14, 179–197.
Talebi, A. A., Farahani, S. and Pirouzeh, F. Z. 2018. Six new record species of the genus Schizoprymnus FÖRSTER, 1862 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Brachistinae) from Iran. Entomofauna, 39(1), 325–333.
Telenga, N. A. 1955. Hymenoptera Vol 5. No 4. Family Braconidae: subfamily Microgasterinae, subfamily Agathidinae. Fauna SSSR (ns). 61, 1–312.
Tobias, V. I. 1986. Subfamily Microgasterinae. In G. S. Medvedev (Ed.), Keys to the insects of the European part of the USSR. Amerind Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. 605–816.
Tomanović, Ž., Mitrović, M., Petrović, A., Kavallieratos, N.G., Žikić, V., Ivanović, A., Rakhshani, E., Starý, P. and Vorburger, C. 2018. Revision of the European Lysiphlebus species (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) on the basis of COI and 28SD2 molecular markers and morphology. Arthropod Syst. Phylogeny, 76(2), 179–213
van Achterberg, C. 1993. Revision of the subfamily Macrocentrinae Foerster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from the Palaearctic region. Zool. Verh. Leiden, 286, 3–110.
van Achterberg, C. 1997. Revision of the Haliday Collection of Braconidae (Hymenoptera). Zool. Verh., 314, 1–115
Weigmann, G. 1973. Zur Okologie der Collembolen und Oribatidenim
Grenzbereich Land-Merr (Collembola, Insecta-Oribatei, Acari).
Z. Wiss. Zool., 186, 295–391.
White, J. A. and Andow, D. A. 2005. Host–parasitoid interactions in a transgenic landscape: spatial proximity effects of host density. Environ. Entomol., 34(6), 1493–1500.
Whitfield, J. B. and Lewis, C. N. 1999. Analytical survey of braconid wasps fauna (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on six Midwestern U.S. tallgrass prairies. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am., 94 (2) 231–238.
Whittaker, R. H. 1972. Evolution and measurement of species diversity. Taxon, 21, 213–251
Williams, L., Zazanashvili, N., Sanadiradze, G., Kandaurov, A. 2006. An ecoregional conservation plan for the Caucasus. Tbilisi: Contour Ltd.
Wilson, M. V. and Schmida. A. 1984. Measuring beta diversity with presence - absence data. J. Ecol., 72, 1055–1064.
Yu, D. S., van Achterberg, C. and Horstmann, K. 2016. Taxapad 2016. Database on
flash-drive. www.taxapad.com, Nepean, Ontario, Canada.
Zargar, M., Gupta, A., Talebi, A. A. and Farahani, S. 2019a. A review of the Iranian species of genus Iconella Mason (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae) with description of two new species. Zootaxa, 4586 (3), 491–504.
Zargar, M., Gupta, A., Talebi, A. A. and Farahani, S. 2019b. Three new species and two new records of the genus Cotesia Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Iran. Eur. J. Taxon., 571(571), 1–25.
Zazanashvili, N. and Mallon, D. 2009. Status and protection of globally threatened species in the Caucasus. CEPF, WWF. Contour Ltd., Tbilisi.
Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 01 January 2024