First record of Microplitis rufiventris Kokujev, 1914 (Braconidae: Microgastrinae) from Iran

Occurrence of the genus Microplitis Forster (Braconidae, Microgastrinae) was surveyed in the Northern part of Iran. The specimens were collected using Malaise traps during 2010–2011. Two species, Microplitis rufiventris Kokujev, 1914 and M. ochraceus Szepligeti, 1896 were collected and identified of which the first species is newly recorded from Iran. Diagnostic characters and geographical distribution of the species are briefly discussed. 1 Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, P. O. Box 14115-336, Tehran, Iran. 2 Senior Researcher & Curator Hymenoptera, Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis, Postbox 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands. 3 Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, University of Zabol, P. O. Box 98615-538, Zabol, Iran. * Corresponding author. E-mail: talebia@modares.ac.ir Samira Farahani 1, Ali Asghar Talebi 1*, Cornelis van Achterberg 2 and Ehsan Rakhshani 3 First record of Microplitis rufiventris Kokujev, 1914 (Braconidae: Microgastrinae) from Iran Microgastrinae Förster, 1862 is one of the largest subfamilies of Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) (van Achterberg 1976). All species attack and develop in larval stage of insects especially Lepidoptera and Coleoptera and exit from the host to pupate (Shaw and Huddleston 1991). Microgastrinae comprises more than 2,197 described species worldwide (Yu et al. 2012). The tribe Microplitini Mason, 1981 included four genera, i.e., Alloplitis Nixon, 1965, Microplitis Förster, 1862, Philoplitis Nixon, 1965 and Snellenius Westwood, 1882, of which only Microplitis is represented in the west Palaearctic region (Yu et al. 2012). The genus Microplitis comprises a moderately small group, but the species have a worldwide distribution (Yu et al. 2012). This genus includes 178 described species worldwide, and approximately 77 species are found in the Palaearctic region (Yu et al. 2012). Member of the genus Microplitis are endoparasitoids of Lepidoptera, mainly Noctuidae (Wilkinson 1930; Yu et al. 2012; Gupta 2013). Janzen et al. (2003) studied the host specificity and hyperparasitism associated with Microplitis species in relation to sphingid hosts. The genus Microplitis was formerly classified under the genus Microgaster Latreille, 1804 with the type species Microgaster sordipes Nees (Telenga 1955). Species of the genus Microplitis were transferred to the new genus Glabromicroplitis by Papp (1979, 1986). Nixon (1965) reclassified and reorganized the subfamily Microgastrinae. According to the subsequent studies, the genus Glabromicroplitis has been determined as a junior synonym of Microplitis (Austin and Dangerfield 1993). The genus can be recognized by the roughly sculptured propodeum, having a large areolet, shape and sculpture of the first metasomal tergite, and by the existence of a weak suture separating the second and third tergum (Mason 1981; Austin and Dangerfield 1993; Song and Chen 2008). Nixon (1970) revised 28 European Microplitis species. The Palaearctic species of the Microplitis were revised and keyed by Papp (1984), who recorded a total 68 species with description of seven new species. Gupta (2013) revised Indian Microplitis species and described one new species. Not much research has been done on the fauna of Microplitis in Iran. So far, six species of Microplitis have been recorded from Iran (Telenga 1955; Nixon 1968; Shenefelt 1973; Tobias 1976; Papp 1984; Fallahzadeh and Saghaei 2010; Ghahari et al. 2011a,b; Rastegar et al. 2012). Here, we present the first record of Microplitis rufiventris Kokujev, 1914 from Iran. Study material was collected from different habitats of Northern Iran during March to November of 2010 and 2011 using Malaise traps. The specimens were taken from the traps at weekly intervals. Later the dried specimens were card-mounted and labelled. Identifications were performed using keys by Papp (1984) and Tobias et al. (1986). The photographs were taken using an Olympus SZX9 stereomicroscope equipped with a Sony CCD digital camera. Morphological terminology follows van Achterberg (1993). The specimens are deposited in the insect collection of the Department of Entomology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran and the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands. A total of 166 and 29 specimens of Microplitis rufiventris and M. ochraceus were collected from the studied area,

The genus Microplitis comprises a moderately small group, but the species have a worldwide distribution (Yu et al. 2012).This genus includes 178 described species worldwide, and approximately 77 species are found in the Palaearctic region (Yu et al. 2012).Member of the genus Microplitis are endoparasitoids of Lepidoptera, mainly Noctuidae (Wilkinson 1930;Yu et al. 2012;Gupta 2013).Janzen et al. (2003) studied the host specificity and hyperparasitism associated with Microplitis species in relation to sphingid hosts.
The genus Microplitis was formerly classified under the genus Microgaster Latreille, 1804 with the type species Microgaster sordipes Nees (Telenga 1955).Species of the genus Microplitis were transferred to the new genus Glabromicroplitis by Papp (1979Papp ( , 1986)).Nixon (1965) reclassified and reorganized the subfamily Microgastrinae.According to the subsequent studies, the genus Glabromicroplitis has been determined as a junior synonym of Microplitis (Austin and Dangerfield 1993).The genus can be recognized by the roughly sculptured propodeum, having a large areolet, shape and sculpture of the first metasomal tergite, and by the existence of a weak suture separating the second and third tergum (Mason 1981;Austin and Dangerfield 1993;Song and Chen 2008).Nixon (1970) revised 28 European Microplitis species.The Palaearctic species of the Microplitis were revised and keyed by Papp (1984), who recorded a total 68 species with description of seven new species.Gupta (2013) revised Indian Microplitis species and described one new species.
Here, we present the first record of Microplitis rufiventris Kokujev, 1914 from Iran.
Study material was collected from different habitats of Northern Iran during March to November of 2010 and 2011 using Malaise traps.The specimens were taken from the traps at weekly intervals.Later the dried specimens were card-mounted and labelled.Identifications were performed using keys by Papp (1984) and Tobias et al. (1986).The photographs were taken using an Olympus SZX9 stereomicroscope equipped with a Sony CCD digital camera.Morphological terminology follows van Achterberg (1993).The specimens are deposited in the insect collection of the Department of Entomology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran and the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
A total of 166 and 29 specimens of Microplitis rufiventris and M. ochraceus were collected from the studied area, respectively.1 A-C)
Diagnosis (Female): Body length 2.8-3.5 mm; pterostigma dark brown with pale yellow spot basally, vein 1-SR+M of fore wing slightly curved (Figure 2C); mesonotum rugose, scutellum more or less shiny (Figure 2B); first metasomal tergite sub-parallel sided and rounded at apex, about twice times as long as its medial width, smooth and shiny or weakly sculptured, second tergite smooth (Figure 2B); head and mesosoma black, metasoma reddish yellow except apex black (Figure 2A).
The specimens were collected using 32 Malaise traps.The Malaise traps were placed in different habitats such as forests, pastures and orchards.Our study showed that Microplitis rufiventris and M. ochraceus were only found in Tehran (Shahriar) and Alborz (Karadj) provinces.Both these regions consist of cultivated crops and orchards.Hence these parasitoids are acting as natural biological control agents of the most important pests in these regions and this biological activity can be later harnessed at a much larger scale through mass production if need arises.According to our sampling, most of the specimens were captured from June to October and both species were active during the growing season.
Among the neighboring countries of Iran, the records of Microplitis are still restricted to M. mediator (Haliday) and M. spectabilis (Haliday) from Pakistan (Cameron 1906;

Table 1 .
Updated list of Microplitis species recorded from Iran.