Document Type : Agricultural Entomology
Authors
Abstract
A survey was conducted to collect and identify the parasitoid wasps associated with pistachio gall aphids caused by Forda hirsuta and Slavum mordvilcovi on Pistacia atlantica in Kerman, Fars and Yazd provinces of Iran during 2013. The overwintered Galls were randomly collected and reared in plastic jars under room temperature until the adults of insects inhabiting the galls were appeared. Among the collected and identified species, Nemeritis divida (Dbar, 1985) (Hym.: Ichneumonidae, Campopleginae) was a new genus and species for the insect fauna of Iran (1, 4). Specimens of this species were deposited in the Zoological Museum of the University of Turku, Finland and the entomology laboratory of Shahed University, Iran.
Nemeritis divida (Dbar, 1985):
Material examined: IRAN, Arsanjan, N=29°55′, E=53°26′, 2230 m a.s.l., 1♀, 5 May 2013, 1♀, 15 June 2013.
General distribution: Azerbaijan, Turkey (4) and Iran (new record).
Diagnostic characters: the species of the genus Nemeritis have a closed areolet; compound eyes without or with sparse hairs; fore wing with vein 2rs-m jointed near the middle of areolet; first tergite of metasoma without glymma and ovipositor a little longer than the metasoma (3). N. divida can be distinguished from other species of the genus by the combination of the following characters: face 0.7 times in the female and 0.9 times in the males as wide as high; the base and middle of hind tibia white, the outside, inside, sub basal and apical part of hind tibia dark brown to black; Ovipositor/hind tibia index 0.6-0.7 (2).
Species of the genus Nemeritis are known as parasitoids of Raphidiidae (Insecta: Neuropterida, Raphidioptera) (2, 4). There has not been yet known any plant or insects host associated with N. divida (4). Pistacia atlantica and pistachio aphid gall, S. mordvilcovi, were newly established as plant-host-association and overwintering sites of N. divida.
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