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In recent years, the research on the Iranian Chrysididae has been extremely prolific, thanks to the efforts of different teams. After the first checklist published by Rosa et al. (2013), more than one hundred taxa of cuckoo wasps have been recorded as new for Iran, including nine taxa described as new for science. Moreover, major modifications impacted the taxonomy of the family with two genera revaluated (Chrysellampus Semenov-Tian-Shanskij, 1932 and Colpopyga Semenov-Tian-Shanskij, 1954), Pseudochrysis Semenow, 1891 reintroduced for Pseudospinolia Linsenmaier, 1951; the description of the genus Morphochrysis Rosa & Pavesi, 2023 and several taxonomical changes to species level which were published and that deeply changed the first checklist, namely. As a consequence of all these fragmented changes, we propose a new, updated checklist of the Iranian species, to summarize all the new findings published in the last years. We describe eleven new species for science, Chrysis amerii Rosa & Farhad, sp. nov., C. chamrosh Rosa, sp. nov., C. crenulata Rosa, sp. nov., C. edentata Rosa & Baiocchi, sp. nov., C. peri Rosa & Baiocchi, sp. nov. and C. titanica Rosa, sp. nov. (succincta group), C. mediasignata Rosa, sp. nov. (leachii group), C. heimi Rosa, sp. nov. (maculicornis group), C. simurgh Rosa, sp. nov. (subsinuata group), Chrysura filidichroa Rosa, sp. nov. (dichroa group) and Hedychridium personatum Rosa, sp. nov. with its own new species-group. We report twenty-six new records of Chrysidinae for Iran: Chrysidea disclusa (Linsenmaier, 1959); Chrysis afghanica Linsenmaier, 1968; C. cylindrica Eversmann, 1858; C. echidna Semenov-Tian-Shanskij, 1967; C. grohmanni bolivari Mercet, 1902; C. klio Balthasar, 1953; C. laetula Semenov-Tian-Shanskij & Nikol'skaya, 1954; C. leuconoe Semenov-Tian-Shanskij, 1967; C. maracandensis Radoszkowski, 1877; C. mirabilis Radoszkovsky, 1877; C. mossulensis Abeille de Perrin-du Buysson, 1887; C. pseudobrevitarsis Linsenmaier, 1951; C. robertsi Rosa, 2020; C. rutilans Olivier, 1791; C. turcomana Semenov-Tian-Shanskij & Nikol'skaya, 1954; Chrysura laodamia laodamia (du Buysson, 1900); Euchroeus pellucidus (Radoszkowski, 1877); Hedychridium bytinskii Linsenmaier, 1959; H. mochii Strumia, 1994; H. plagiatum (Mocsáry, 1883); Hedychrum concinnum (Mocsáry, 1909); H. semicyaneum Mocsáry, 1889; Spinolia stchurovskyi (Radoszkowski, 1877); Spintharina extrema (Semenov-Tian-Shanskij & Nikol’skaya, 1954), and S. houskai (Balthasar, 1953). The current number of known taxa has therefore increased from 185 (179 species and 6 subspecies) to 315 (306 species + 9 subspecies). Hedychrum persicum Mocsáry, 1914 stat. nov. is upgraded to species rank. Chrysis chrysophora Semenow, 1892 and Hedychrum cyaneum Brullé, 1846 are considered nomina dubia and the latter as incertae sedis. Chrysis dawahi Strumia, 2012 is considered nomen nudum. The majority of chrysidid species in Iran (77.64%) are found exclusively in the Western Palearctic region. Among these, 21% are restricted to the Western Palaearctic. A thorough discussion is also provided on unreliable and doubtful species records.

Microgastrines are diverse group of endoparasitoid wasps attacking caterpillars (Lepidoptera). Despite their importance in biological control, there is still no consensus concerning the phylogeny relationships among taxa. Although previous phylogenetic analyses have advanced the overall understanding of phylogenetic relationships of Microgastrinae, the small numbers of sampled taxa have led to disagreement in taxonomic assignments. In the present study, we performed a molecular genetic survey using both mitochondrial and nuclear data, increasing the taxons' sampling, to clarify the generic relationships and improve the inferences of the taxonomic status within Microgastrinae. We reconstructed a phylogenomic tree of Microgastrinae with sequences that exist up till now, from fifty-five genera for COI and thirty genera for 28S rDNA, both new and from previous studies. Several species and genera have been sequenced for the first time. In this study, we identified some of the closest phylogenetic relatives of Microgastrinae genera by analyzing DNA sequences from the mitochondrial COI and 28S rDNA. Most clades of the current findings correspond to the latest morphological classification of Microgastrinae. New clades and several well-supported clades, conform to the most previously recorded clades and provide an increased understanding of the Microgastrinae evolution. Based on molecular examination, Pholetesor psedocircumscriptus Abdoli, 2019 is synonymized with Pholetesor circumscriptus (Nees, 1834).

The study of insect morphology has recently benefited greatly from the emergence of new digital imaging and analysis technologies such as X-ray Micro-computed tomography (μ-CT), digital 3D reconstruction, and animation. Through interactive gaming and virtual reality, the external morphology of insects can be studied by a broad audience of both entomologists and non-specialists. EntomonVR is a serious game designed to investigate the external morphology of insects with adequate quality for the virtual reality platform. In this research, we discuss the advantages of virtual reality, introduce the EntomonVR new educational game, and conclude about future perspectives, validations, and cost-effectiveness. We tested this game on 25 participants with an entomological background for assessment and improved it based on their feedback. This study demonstrates the efficacy of virtual reality technology for an experimental learning environment in teaching the morphology of insects and the crucial need for advancing an efficient and interactive educational program.

The subfamily Alysiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is one of the most peculiar and diverse groups of endoparasitoids of Diptera. The present paper provides additional information on the subfamily Alysiinae in Iran. The specimens were collected using Malaise traps during May - September 2010. The genus Grammospila Foerster, 1863, and four species of Alysiini were discovered for the first time from Iran: Grammospila fuscula Griffiths, 1968, G. rufiventris Nees, 1812, Dacnusa maculipes Thomson, 1895 and D. plantaginis Griffiths, 1966. Including our findings, the number of species of the genera Dacnusa and Grammospila are raised to 22 and 2 species in Iran, respectively. Diagnostic characters and distribution of the newly recorded species and an updated list of Dacnusa and Grammospila are provided.

The order Hymenoptera comprises an important group of insects, with ecological and economic importance, and serving as ecological indicators. Investigating the diversity and distribution of fauna is considered a prerequisite for biodiversity conservation. In this research, the hymenopteran fauna in mangrove forests on the southern coast of Iran were studied during 2021–2022. The collection was made by sweeping net and light trap. The survey revealed the presence of ten species and nine genera belonging to six families. Of which, two species, Ampulex assimilis Kohl, 1893 (Hym.: Ampulicidae) and Paridris leda Kozlov & Kononova, 1985 (Hym.: Scelionidae) are recorded for the first time for the Iranian fauna. Diagnostic characters of the new records and geographical distribution of all species are provided.

Wolbachia are the most widespread intracellular alphaproteobacteria in insects with a variety of phenoptypic effects on the fitness and reproduction of their host, but much less is known about how these bacteria affect host behavior. In this study, we asked whether Wolbachia affects the foraging behavior of the parasitoid wasp Habrobracon hebetor (Hym.: Braconidae), an important biological control agent of many lepidopteran larvae. To test this, we analyzed the functional and numerical responses of Wolbachia-infected and uninfected (tetracycline cured) wasps, as well as morphological parameters. Functional response analysis showed Holling type II responses in both the Wolbachia-infected and uninfected females. The handling time and searching efficiency of Wolbachia-infected and uninfected females were similar, although the estimated maximum parasitism rate was shorter in infected females. Regardless of Wolbachia infection status, there was a negative non-linear relationship between the number of larvae parasitized by a female and an increase in the host density, reflecting a decrease in the total number of eggs laid. Our results also showed that Wolbachia had no effect on morphological traits of the parasitoid wasp. Together, these results suggest that Wolbachia which are prevalent in H. hebetor have limited impact on foraging behavior and morphology.

The diapriid genus, Miota Foerster (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae) is discovered from the first time from the Middle East area, represented by four species in Iran. The specimens were collected using Malaise traps during 2011-2018 in northern Iran. Four newly recorded species were Miota fungorum (Kieffer, 1910), M. monilicornis (Kieffer, 1910), M. polita (Thomson, 1858) and M. thomsoni Wall, 1998. Diagnostic characters, illustrations, geographical distributions, and a key to Iranian species are provided.

The fauna of the subfamily Exoristinae (Diptera, Tachinidae) was studied in northern Iran. A total of 29 species within 26 genera and 6 tribes have been collected and identified. Among them 11 genera and 15 species are newly recorded for Tachinidae fauna of Iran: Admontia blanda (Fallén, 1820), Bessa parallela (Meigen, 1824), Blepharipa pratensis (Meigen, 1824), Ceracia mucronifera Rondani, 1865, Exorista rustica (Fallen, 1810), Gonia ornata Meigen, 1826, Gonia vacua Meigen, 1826, Medina collaris (Fallén, 1820), Paratryphera barbatula (Rondani, 1859), Neophryxe vallina (Rondani, 1861), Ocytata pallipes (Fallén, 1820), Pachystylum bremii Macquart, 1848, Pales pavida (Meigen, 1824), Phorinia aurifrons Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830, Platymyia fimbriata Meigen, 1824. The collected and distribution data, diagnoses, illustrations of the new records, and host information are provided.

A faunistic survey of the subfamily Belytinae (Hymenoptera: Diaprioidea, Diapriidae) was carried out in northern Iran during 2010-2018. Based on the specimens collected from Golestan, Guilan, and Mazandarean provinces, five genera Diphora Foerster, 1856, Acanosema Kieffer, 1908, Acanopsilus Kieffer, 1908; Psilomma Foerster, 1856 and Synacra Foerster, 1856, are recorded for the first time from Iran. Each genus is represented by one newly recorded species. Diagnostic characters of the newly recorded taxa are provided along with illustrations. A key to the genera of the subfamily Belytinae from Iran is presented.

The most important application of anticancer drugs in various forms (alkylating agents, hormones agents, and antimetabolites) is the treatment of malignant diseases. Topological indices are widely used in the field of chemical and medical sciences, especially in studying the chemical, biological, clinical, and therapeutic aspects of drugs. In this article, the temperature indices in anticancer drugs molecular graphs such as Carmustine, Convolutamine F, Raloxifene, Tambjamine K, and Pterocellin B were calculated and then analyzed based on physical and chemical properties. The analysis was performed by identifying the best regression models based on temperature indices for six physical and chemical features of anticancer drugs. The results indicated that temperature indices were essential topological indices that predict the properties of anticancer drugs, such as boiling point, flash point, enthalpy, molar refractivity, molar volume, and polarizability. It was also observed that the r value of the regression model was more than 0.6, and the p value was less than 0.05.

The fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury, 1773) (Lepidoptera, Erebidae), is one of the most important pests of forest trees in northern Iran. In order to identify the native parasitoids of this pest a survey was conducted in Guilan province, in 2019. The larvae and pupae of the fall webworm suspected being parasitized, were collected from different host trees and wood piles, and reared under laboratory conditions until the parasitoids emerged. This pest was found parasitized with five species of Hymenoptera, Brachymeria lasus (Walker, 1841) (Chalcididae), Chouioia cunea Yang, 1989 (Eulophidae), Psychophagus omnivorus (Walker, 1835) (Pteromalidae), Pimpla rufipes Brulle, 1846, Virgichneumon dumeticola (Gravenhorst, 1829) (Ichneumonidae), and four species of Diptera, Compsilura concinnata (Meigen, 1824), Exorista larvarum (Linnaeus, 1758), Pales sp. (Tachinidae), and Megaselia scalaris (Loew, 1866) (Phoridae). Among them six species (e.g., P. rufipes, V. dumeticola, B. lasus, E. larvarum, C. concinnata and Pales sp.) are newly reported as the parasitoids of H. cunea from Iran.

Abstract The cubic fuzzy graph structure, as a combination of cubic fuzzy graphs and fuzzy graph structures, shows better capabilities in solving complex problems, especially in cases where there are multiple relationships. The quality and method of determining the degree of vertices in this type of fuzzy graphs simultaneously supports fuzzy membership and interval-valued fuzzy membership, in addition to the multiplicity of relations, motivated us to conduct a study on the maximal product of cubic fuzzy graph structures. In this research, upon introducing the cubic fuzzy graph structure, some properties of the maximal product and its characteristics have been investigated. By introducing the degree and the total degree of a vertex in the product of at most two cubic fuzzy graph structures, its calculation methods are categorized based on different conditions among the membership functions of vertices and edges. The results show that all features of two cubic fuzzy graph structures do not appear in their maximal product and vice versa. Finally, an application of cubic fuzzy graph structure in project management is presented.

In the present study, the relative abundance and species diversity indices of family Tachinidae were evaluated based on continuous and regular sampling using Malaise traps in seven regions of Mazandaran province during 2011. A total of 280 specimens belonging to 48 species, 38 genera and 4 subfamilies of this family were collected and identified. Species of subfamily Tachininae are the most abundant in the studied areas, followed by Phasiinae. Subfamilies Exoristinae with 16 species and 15 genera and Tachininae with 14 species and 12 genera had the highest number of species and genera in this study. Among the 48 species collected in Mazandaran province, 26 species were single samples. Biodiversity indices showed a significantly difference between studied areas of Mazandran province (P≤ 0.05) based on Simpson and Shannon & Wiener diversity indices. Ghaznasera the elevated area with diverse vegetation, had the highest values of species richness and species diversity indices among the studied areas, followed by Tanghevaz region (forest vegetation). The lowest values of these indices and highest value of Pielou-J evenness, belonged to Jorband, including areas near the sea and rice fields. Also, a positive correlation between biodiversity indices and altitude of studied areas was observed.

The cubic fuzzy graph structure is a tool for modeling problems, in which there are two fuzzy values for each variable and the relationships between them that cannot be expressed as a single fuzzy number. Inducing the same relationship among different subjects has an important effect on the understanding of uncertain problems. This is especially ambiguous and complicated when we are dealing with two different fuzzy values. With the aim of explaining edge regular in relationships among vertices, the current research has introduced this concept in the cubic fuzzy graph structure and expressed some of its characteristics. The edge regular and the total edge regularity are described in relation to several relationships. This concept has been applied in some special types such as the complete cubic fuzzy graph structure, and its results have been reviewed. Moreover, the vertex regular and its relationship with the edge regularity have been discussed. This study showed that the degree of vertices is effective in the edge adjustment process. In the end, an application of the topic under discussion is presented.

Vague influence graphs (VIGs) are well articulated, useful and practical tools for managing the uncertainty preoccupied in all real-life difficulties where ambiguous facts, figures and explorations are explained. A VIG gives the information about the effect of a vertex on the edge. In this paper, we present the domination concept for VIG. Some issues and results of the domination in vague graphs (VGs) are also developed in VIGs. We defined some basic notions in the VIGs such as the walk, path, strength of In-pair , strong In-pair, In-cut vertex, In-cut pair (CP), complete VIG and strong pair domination number in VIG. Finally, an application of domination in illegal drug trade was introduced.

The cubic fuzzy graph structure, as a combination of cubic fuzzy graphs and fuzzy graph structures, shows better capabilities in solving complex problems, especially in cases where there are multiple relationships. The quality and method of determining the degree of vertices in this type of fuzzy graphs simultaneously supports fuzzy membership and interval-valued fuzzy membership, in addition to the multiplicity of relations, motivated us to conduct a study on the regularity of cubic fuzzy graph structures. In this context, the concepts of vertex regularity and total vertex regularity have been informed and some of its properties have been studied. In this regard, a comparative study between vertex regular and total vertex regular cubic fuzzy graph structure has been carried out and the necessary and sufficient conditions have been provided. These degrees can be easily compared in the form of a cubic number expressed. It has been found that the condition of the membership function is effective in the quality of degree calculation. In the end, an application of the degree of vertices in the cubic fuzzy graph structure is presented.

Abstract Background Domestication usually has negative effects on insect performance, especially when they are reared continuously for many generations. Rejuvenation can reduce the negative effects of domestication in the parasitoid, Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) reared for 30 generations (G) on Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Life table and parasitism parameters in the primary colony (G31–G45) were compared with the respective colony rejuvenated with field-collected individuals. Results There were significant differences in life history traits between domesticated and rejuvenated populations. The highest (38.4 eggs/female) and lowest (13.3 eggs/female) fecundity was observed in rejuvenated G31 and domesticated G45, respectively. The highest values of the life table and parasitism parameters were observed in rejuvenated G31 without significant difference with G32, G33 and G34. The relationship between finite parasitism rate (ω) and generation number in both rejuvenated and domesticated populations were fitted to the cubic regression model, indicating the parasitism potential of T. brassicae increased significantly after adding feral individuals but decreased remarkably over the generations. Conclusions Therefore, it seems that adding 10% feral individuals re-established the reproductive performance of the wasps at least for four generations, and it needs to be repeated routinely or it needs to be made by adding a higher rate of feral individuals. However, this issue should be investigated by more studies in which different rates of feral individuals are added to the primary colony.

Abstract Picture fuzzy graph, belonging to fuzzy graphs family, has good capabilities at times when we are faced with problems that cannot be expressed by fuzzy graphs and intuitionistic fuzzy graphs. When an element membership is not clear, neutrality is a good option that can be well-supported by a picture fuzzy graph. The previous definitions limitations in fuzzy graph energy have led us to offer new definitions in picture fuzzy graphs. In this article, we expanded the energy concept on the picture fuzzy graph and sought to use this concept in modeling issues related to this graph and solving some problems including the neutrality state. We were able to show that neutrality, as part of total energy, is effective in energy-based decisions. This is noticeable in some types of energy and is more pronounced. We were looking for a way to rank the available options using the picture fuzzy graph and its Laplacian energy/energy in decision making. We studied some types of energy including Laplacian and skew Laplacian in both picture fuzzy graphs and picture fuzzy digraphs, and discussed some of its properties. We discussed some energy boundaries in this graph, and finally, the applications of energy were presented.

Many problems of practical interest can be modeled and solved by using interval-valued fuzzy graph (IVFG) algorithms. An IVFG is a very useful and effective tool for studying various calculations, fields of intelligence, and computer science, such as networking, imaging, and other fields, such as biological sciences. In different applications, they present an appropriate construction means. There were limitations in the definition of fuzzy graphs (FGs), which prompted us to propose a new definition for IVFGs. Some interesting properties related to the new IVFGs are investigated, and enough conditions under which the level graph on IVFGs is equivalent are obtained. Therefore, in this study, we present the properties of a level graph (LG) of an IVFG, and four operations, the Cartesian product (CP), composition (CO), union, and join, are investigated on it. Today, in a treatment system, one of the issues that can be very valuable and important to the quality of service to patients is finding qualified and efficient people in each department, which is not an easy task. But the interval-valued fuzzy graph, as an important fuzzy graph, can help us by considering the ability of each person in the form of intervals of numbers and the effectiveness of each one on the other (according to the relationships between them) in order to find the most worthy people. So, an application of IVFG to find the most effective person in a hospital information system has been introduced.

A survey was conducted on the fauna of Ichneumonini Latreille, 1802 (Ichneumonidae: Ichneumoninae) in North-central area of Iran. The specimens were collected using Malaise traps from March to November in 2010–2011. A total of 28 species were identified, of which three species and one subspecies are recorded for the first time from Iran: Eutanyacra ruficornis Berthoumieu, 1894; Ichneumon quadrialbatus Gravenhorst, 1820; Ichneumon sarcitorius turkestanicus Heinrich, 1929; Stenobarichneumon basalis Perkins, 1960. As well 17 species are new provincial records. A new species, Anisopygus persicus Shirzadegan, Talebi & Riedel sp. nov. from Guilan province in northern Iran is described and illustrated. The known number of Ichneumonini species in Iran is now raised to 143. Detailed morphological characters of the newly recorded species and Virgichneumon albilineatus (Gravenhorst, 1820), as well as an updated list of the tribe Ichneumonini from Iran, are provided.

In this paper, some types of edge irregular single valued neutrosophic graphs such as neighbourly edge totally irregular single valued neutrosophic graphs, strongly edge irregular single valued neutrosophic graphs and strongly edge totally irregular single valued neutrosophic graphs are introduced. A comparative study between neighbourly edge irregular single valued neutrosophic graphs and neighbourly edge totally irregular single valued neutrosophic graphs is done. Likewise some properties of them are studied. Finally, we have given some interesting results about edge irregular single valued neutrosophic graphs that are very useful in computer science and networks.

This paper is devoted to the study of the double domination in vague graphs, and it is a contribution to the Special Issue “Advances in graph theory and Symmetry/Asymmetry” of Symmetry. Symmetry is one of the most important criteria that illustrate the structure and properties of fuzzy graphs. It has many applications in dominating sets and helps find a suitable place for construction. Vague graphs (VGs), which are a family of fuzzy graphs (FGs), are a well-organized and useful tool for capturing and resolving a range of real-world scenarios involving ambiguous data. In the graph theory, a dominating set (DS) for a graph G*=(X,E) is a subset D of the vertices X so that every vertex which is not in D is adjacent to at least one member of D. The subject of energy in graph theory is one of the most attractive topics serving a very important role in biological and chemical sciences. Hence, in this work, we express the notion of energy on a dominating vague graph (DVG) and also use the concept of energy in modeling problems related to DVGs. Moreover, we introduce a new notion of a double dominating vague graph (DDVG) and provide some examples to explain various concepts introduced. Finally, we present an application of energy on DVGs.

During our studies on the family Diapriidae, two species of the genus Pantolyta Foerster, 1856 were collected and identified for the first time from Iran: Pantolyta pallida Kieffer, 1908 and Pantolyta nixoni Macek, 1993. A key to the Iranian species of the genus Pantolyta and diagnostic characters for both newly recorded species are provided along with illustrations. In addition, distribution map of the two species in the Palaearctic region is presented.

The specimens were collected from northern Iran using the sweeping net and Malaise traps during 2010-2019. A total of 25 species were identified, of which four species are recorded for the first time from Iran: Choerades femorata (Meigen, 1804), Dysmachus dentiger Richter, 1962, Heteropogon ornatipes Loew, 1851, and Neomochtherus schineri (Egger, 1855). Also, some species are new provincial records for the northern provinces of Iran. Local and global geographical distributions of all 25 species, diagnostic characters of the newly recorded species, and their photos are provided.

The cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), is a destructive pest feeding on a diverse array of host plants. We studied the demographic parameters of H. armigera on artificial diets prepared from seeds of 10 corn Zea mays L. hybrids (KSC301, KSC403, KSC540, KSC600, KSC604, KSC704, KSC711, Maxima, NS770, and ZP677) using the age-stage, two-sex life table procedure. The results revealed that except for the incubation period, the Z. mays hybrids-mediated artificial diets significantly affected the length of the other immature stages. They also influenced the adult longevity, adult pre-oviposition period (APOP), total pre-oviposition period (TPOP), and oviposition days of H. armigera. Furthermore, the total fecundity of H. armigera was affected by Z. mays hybrids. Accordingly, the females reared on KSC711 with 503.31 eggs had the highest total fecundity. The highest net reproductive rate (R0) (88.41 eggs/individual), the intrinsic rate of increase (r) (0.109 day-1), and finite rate of increase (λ) (1.115 day-1) were observed on KSC711. Our results provided valuable information regarding the life cycle of H. armigera on an artificial diet substrate prepared from different Z. mays hybrids. It was also revealed that although H. armigera had no significant differences in life table parameters on most hybrids, some of them, such as KSC711, were very susceptible to damage. One of the issues that emerged from these findings is the possibility of using some hybrids, e.g., KSC711, in the preparation of semi-artificial diets for this pest.

The present study is based on the material collected from East Azerbaijan province (Northwestern Iran) between July-August 2019. The specimens were collected using Malaise traps from a variety of habitats. Lycorina triangulifera Holmgren, 1859 were collected and identified. This species is the first record of the subfamily Lycorininae Cushman and Rohwer, 1920 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) in Iran. Morphological descriptions, as well as detailed illustrations of this species, are presented.

Traditionally, entomologists have used destructive methods especially dissection in order to investigate the important taxonomic characters of specimens. New technologies for imaging and analyzing in taxonomy, offer opportunities to deposit three-dimensional (3D) data to proposed for rare and valuable type materials in museums and collections. Micro-computed tomography, as a non-destructive imaging technique, has become an emerging and progressive technology in insect science. However, this technology is rarely used in entomology compared to in medical and industrial applications. In this study, MicroCT imaging protocols are explained in detail using three species of braconid wasps: Aleiodes arnoldii Tobias, 1976 (Braconidae: Rogadinae), Hormius moniliatus Nee, 1811 (Braconidae: Hormiinae) and Macrocentrus bicolor Curtis, 1833 (Braconidae: Macrocentrinae). MicroCT scan data of three braconid wasp species from Iran, depicted main identification of skeletal body parts. A brief step-by-step is provided on image acquisition, 3D reconstruction and mesh editing to create a virtual model of the species utilized for morphological and morphometric studies. As a result, the use of micro-computed tomography as a non-invasive virtual examination tool was explored. The complete datasets containing the raw TIFF MicroCT data, 3D models and 3D rotation videos available for download at http://www.morphosource.org/Detail/ProjectDetail/Show/project_id/822

This study was based on examination of specimens of the family Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) deposited in Hayk Mirzayans Insect Museum. Totally thirteen species from eleven genera and seven subfamilies, including Braconinae (One genus – One species), Cardiochilinae (1-1), Doryctinae (1-4), Macrocernrinae (1-2) , Opiinae (2-2), Rhyssalinae (1-1), Rogadinae (1-2) were identified, of which six species including Biosteres spinaciaeformis Fischer, 1971, Heterospilus rubicola Fischer,1968, Utetes fulvicollis (Thomson, 1895), Aleiodes arcticus (Thomson, 1892), Macrocentrus turkestanicus (Telenga, 1950) and Rhyssalus longicaudis (Tobias & Belokobylskij, 1981) are new records for the Iranian braconid founa.

Abstract The oak trees are considered the most important plant species in western forests of Iran and cynipid wasps create various galls on different parts of the oak trees. There are two oak species including Quercus brantii Lindl. and Q. infectoria Oliv. with different distribution in the forests of Kermanshah province. The present study aimed at investigating the biodiversity of oak gall wasps in different regions of Kermanshah. The oak galls were collected from six regions of Paveh, Javanrood, Gahvareh, Ghalajeh, Chalabeh, and Sarmil during 2011 and 2012 and the diversity indices were calculated based on the obtained data. In this study, a total of 30 different sexual and asexual galls were collected from catkin, buds, fruits, and leaves of Q. brantii (16 galls) and Q. infectoria (14 galls). Neuroterus lanuginosus Giraud, Dryocosmus israeli (Sternlicht), and N. saliens (Kollar) were recognized as the most abundant species and Andricus coriariformis (Melika), A. megalucidus (Melika), A. istvani Melika, Pseudoneuroterus macropterus (Hartig), and Synophrus olivieri (Kieffer) as rare species, respectively. Also, N. lanuginosus, N. saliens and Aphelonyx persica (Melika) were found from all regions and recognized as the dominant cynipid gall wasps species of the oak forests of Kermanshah. The calculated values for the Shannon-Wiener diversity index revealed that the diversity of cynipid wasps in Javanrood (1.878) and Gahvareh (1.870) was greater than Chalabeh (0.873), Paveh (0.681), and Ghalajeh (0.188). Also, the species diversity of gall wasps on Q. infectoria (1.573) was more than Q. brantii (0.574) based on the Shannon-Wiener Index. The greatest diversity of cynipid wasps was obtained at an altitude of 1500-1800 meters. Overall, 17 parasitoid wasp species (Chalcidoidea) were collected from 13 different galls on both oak species which were belonged to Torymidae, Eurytomidae, Ormyridae, Eupelmidae, Eulophidae, and Pteromalidae.

Organisms are often exposed to various stresses such as heat. The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) is a serious pest of cruciferous crops in Iran and the world. The effect of short-term temperature stress on egg stage of P. xylostella and its demographic parameters were studied under laboratory conditions. Diamondback moth eggs were exposed to 30, 35 and 40 °C for durations of 2, 4, 6, 8 h and then returned to normal temperature condition (25 °C). The results showed that P. xylostella eggs successfully developed to adulthood at short-term (2, 4, 6 and 8 h) high temperatures stress. The ovipositional period was significantly longer at 30 °C for 8 h, 35 °C for 2 h and 40 °C for 4 h than for other periods of stress. There is a significant difference in the net reproduction rate (R0) among the short-term high temperature stresses treatments. The highest and lowest R0 was obtained at 30 °C for 8 and 4 h, respectively. The intrinsic rate of increase (rm) was also found to be significantly affected by stress temperatures. The rm-value ranged from 0.15 ± 0.009 (30 °C for 4 h) to 0.22 ± 0.004 (35 °C for 8 h). Knowledge of the effect of temperature on demographic parameters of P. xylostella could be useful in the integrated pest management for forecasting the population dynamics of this economic pest of brassicas, thereby reducing insecticide inputs, negative environmental impacts and saving hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

Two genera, Aneuropria Kieffer and Diapria Latreille and two species, Aneuropria foersteri (Kieffer, 1910) and Diapria conica (Fabricius, 1775) (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae) are recorded from Iran for the first time. The specimens were collected using Malaise traps from Hyrcanian forests of Mazandaran, Gulian and Golestan provinces in northern Iran. Diagnostic characters and geographical distribution of the newly recorded taxa are presented.

Covering, matching, and domination are the basic concepts in graphs that play a decisive role in the properties of graphs. Calculating these parameters is one of the difficulties in fuzzy graphs when it is not possible to accurately determine the values of the vertices of a graph. The interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy graph (IVIFG) is one of the fuzzy graphs which can play an important role in solving uncertain problems in different sciences such as psychology, biological sciences, medicine, and social networks. The necessity of using a range of value instead of one number caused them to help researchers in optimizing and saving time and cost. In this study, we introduce some of the specific concepts such as covering, matching, and paired domination using strong arc or effective edges by giving appropriate examples. In addition, we have calculated strong node covering number, strong independent number, and other parameters of complete bipartite IVIFGs with several examples. Finally, we have presented an application of IVIFG in social networks.

The advent of fuzzy sets, and consequently fuzzy graphs, has solved many problems in ambiguous and uncertain contexts. It is interesting and necessary to study the Wiener index in a cubic fuzzy graph that employs both fuzzy membership and interval-valued fuzzy membership at the same time. In this paper, the Wiener index in a cubic fuzzy graph is introduced as a cubic fuzzy number and some related results are described. The comparison between connectivity index and Wiener index, changes in Wiener index through deleting a node or an edge, and determining the Wiener index in some specific cubic fuzzy graphs have been the other topics studied in this research. In addition, the Wiener index is determined by mentioning concepts of the saturated cubic fuzzy cycle. In this review, the Wiener index is shown as a combination of classical and interval numbers. The results indicate that when some vertices are removed, the Wiener index may change. However, this change will not be exclusively related to both values. Finally, an application of the Wiener index is presented in the study of the properties of some monomer molecules.

Vague graphs (VGs), belonging to the fuzzy graphs (FGs) family, have good capabilities when faced with problems that cannot be expressed by FGs. The notion of a VG is a new mathematical attitude to model the ambiguity and uncertainty in decision-making issues. A vague fuzzy graph structure (VFGS) is the generalization of the VG. It is a powerful and useful tool to find the influential person in various relations. VFGSs can deal with the uncertainty associated with the inconsistent and indeterminate information of any real-world problems where fuzzy graphs may fail to reveal satisfactory results. Moreover, VGSs are very useful tools for the study of different domains of computer science such as networking, social systems, and other issues such as bioscience and medical science. The subject of energy in graph theory is one of the most attractive topics that is very important in biological and chemical sciences. Hence, in this work, we extend the notion of energy of a VG to the energy of a VFGS and also use the concept of energy in modeling problems related to VFGS. Actually, our purpose is to develop a notion of VFGS and investigate energy and Laplacian energy (LE) on this graph. We define the adjacency matrix (AM) concept, energy, and LE of a VFGS. Finally, we present three applications of the energy in decision-making problems.

This study forms a review of the subfamily Tachininae in the northern slopes of the Alborz Mountains and northwestern Iran from 2010 to 2014. A total of 23 genera and 37 species belonging to 11 tribes of the subfamily Tachininae are reviewed. Among them, three genera and 11 species are new records to the fauna of Iran. The collected data of all species, together with their current general distribution and reported hosts are presented. Identification keys to the 23 genera and 37 species found in the studied regions are also provided.

Habrobracon kopetdagi Tobias, 1957 and H. ponticus (Tobias, 1986) are collected from Khuzestan province and recorded for the first time from Iran. In addition, three species (viz., H. crassicornis (Thomson, 1892), H. iranicus Fischer, 1972, H. stabilis (Wesmael, 1838)) are new provincial records. A faunistic list of Iranian Habrobracon species with distribution, host records and brief diagnoses for new recorded species from Iran are provided.

Deep understanding of biological and behavioral characteristics of trichogrammatid wasps, helps us for better and more efficient rearing of these parasitoids. In the current study, Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) was reared on Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) for several generations and the effect of long-term rearing of the parasitoid on some of its attributes like parasitism capability, emergence rate, sex ratio, and wingless rate of adults was determined in both laboratory and insectarium conditions. The laboratory investigation showed that long-term rearing decreased fitness of the parasitoid, so that, parasitism rate and adult emergence rate decreased. By contrast, sex ratio and number of wingless individuals increased with increasing generations. Our results in insectarium were a little different. However, adult emergence rate had significant difference and trichocards quality decreased with increasing generations. The sex ratio in different periods had no significant difference. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in wingless rate in different rearing time periods. Accordingly, the parasitoid’s fitness was affected by number of generations in both conditions. Although, mass rearing under laboratory condition provided wasps with more desired traits than those reared in insectary, both decreased fitness of T. brassicae when number of generations increased.

The genus Microplitis Förster, 1862 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) was studied from northern Iran. Specimens were collected using Malaise traps during 2010–2011. A total of 13 species were collected and identified, of which six species are recorded for the first time from Iran: M. cebes Nixon, 1970, M. docilis Nixon, 1970, M. eremitus Reinhard, 1880, M. kaszabi Papp, 1980, M. pallidipennis Tobias, 1964 and M. varipes (Ruthe, 1860). Two species M. kaszabi and M. pallidipennis are new records for the west Palaearctic region. A new species, Microplitis alborziensis Abdoli & Talebi sp. nov., is described and illustrated. The number of species of Microplitis in Iran is now raised from 17 to 24. A faunistic list, an identification key to all known Iranian species and brief diagnoses and illustrations for all species that have been collected in this study are provided. The validity of the new species is supported by DNA barcoding.

Let Γ be a graph and G⩽Aut(Γ). A graph Γ can be called G-arc-transitive (GAT) if G acts transitively on its arc set. A regular covering projection p:Γ¯→Γ is arc-transitive (AT) if an AT subgroup of Aut(Γ) lifts under p. In this study, by applying a number of concepts in linear algebra such as invariant subspaces (IVs) of matrix groups (MGs), we discuss regular AT elementary abelian covers (R-AT-EA-covers) of the C13 graph.

Graphs serve as one of the main tools for the mathematical modeling of various human problems. Fuzzy graphs have the ability to solve uncertain and ambiguous problems. The cubic graph, which has recently gained a position in the fuzzy graph family, has shown good capabilities when faced with problems that cannot be expressed by fuzzy graphs and interval-valued fuzzy graphs. Simultaneous application of fuzzy and interval-valued fuzzy membership indicates a high flexibility in modeling uncertainty issues. The vertex cover is a fundamental issue in graph theory that has wide application in the real world. The previous definition limitations in the vertex covering of fuzzy graphs has directed us to offer new classifications in terms of cubic graph. In this study, we introduced the strong vertex covering and independent vertex covering in a cubic graph with strong edges and described some of its properties. One of the motives of this research was to examine the changes in the strong vertex covering number of a cubic graph if one vertex is omitted. This issue can play a decisive role in covering the graph vertices. Since many of the problems ahead are of hybrid type, by reviewing some operations on the cubic graph we were able to determine the strong vertex covering number on the most important cubic product operations. Finally, two applications of strong vertex covering and strong vertex independence are presented.

A survey was conducted to study the fauna of the subfamily Aphidiinae (Hym., Braconidae) in Hormozgan province (Southern Iran). Specimens were collected using Malaise traps and sweep nets from various habitats during 2013–2016. A total of fiftheen species belonging to seven genera, Aphidius Nees, 1819 (7 species); Diaeretiella Starý, 1960 (1); Ephedrus Haliday, 1833 (2); Binodoxys Mackauer 1960 (1); Lysiphlebus Förster, 1862 (1); Praon Haliday, 1833 (2) and Trioxys Haliday, 1833 (1) were identified. All species are newly recorded from Hormozgan province (and its island). A key to the known species in Hormozgan province is provided.

The fauna of the subfamily Opiinae was studied in northern parts of Iran. A total of eight species including Biosteres rusticus (Haliday, 1837), Phaedrotoma depeculator Foerster, 1862, Phaedrotoma exigua (Wesmael, 1835), Phaedrotoma pulchriventris (Fischer, 1958), Phaedrotoma variegatus (Szepligeti, 1896), Xynobius curtifemur (Fischer, 1961), Xynobius caelatus (Haliday, 1837), and Utetes rotundiventris (Thomson, 1895) were identified of which the four last species are reported for the first time from Iran. A key for identification of the collected species as well as the general distribution of each species either in the world or within Iran has been provided.

The present study deals with the fauna of the genera Laphria Meigen, 1803 and Pogonosoma Rondani, 1856 in Iran. Specimens were collected, using Malaise traps, from Guilan and Mazandaran provinces during 2010-2012. Overall, four species were identified, of which the two species, Laphria caspica Hermann, 1906 and Pogonosoma unicolor Loew, 1873 are newly recorded from Iran. The diagnostic characters and supplementary photographs of the newly recorded species are provided.

We provide keys and new distributional data for the Iranian cuckoo wasps of four Elampini genera: Chrysellampus Semenov, 1932, Omalus Panzer, 1801, Philoctetes Abeille de Perrin, 1879 and Pseudomalus Ashmead, 1902. Two species are newly recorded for Iran: Chrysellampus pici (du Buysson, 1900) and Philoctetes kuznetzovi (Semenov, 1932). One new synonymy is proposed: Pseudomalus masalskii (Semenov, 1932) syn. nov. of Pseudomalus turkestanicus (Mocsáry, 1889). The lectotype of Ellampus hypocrita du Buysson, 1893 is designated.

In this survey the tribe Heresiarchini (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae) of Alborz and Guilan provinces (Iran) was taxonomically studied. The specimens were collected using Malaise traps during March to November 2010. Three species including: Coelichneumon comitator (Linnaeus, 1758), Coelichneumon probator Horstmann, 2000 and Syspasis carinator (Fabricius, 1798) were identified of which C. probator is recorded for the first time from the Middle East and Iran. An updated checklist of Heresiarchini in Iran, as well as diagnostic characters of the new recorded species is presented.

The present study is based on the material collected from Alborz and Guilan provinces of Iran during March to November 2010 and 2011. Three species of the genus Platylabus Wesmael were collected and identified, of which Platylabus orbitalis (Gravenhorst, 1829) (Hym.: Ichneumonidae: Ichneumoninae, Platylabini) is newly recorded from Iran and the Middle East region. This study increases the number of known Iranian species of the tribe Platylabini and genus Platylabus to 12 and 5 species, respectively. An identification key to Iranian Platylabus, as well as a brief description and diagnostic characters of the new record species is provided.

The subfamily Orthocentrinae comprises a diverse group of ichneumonid parasitoid wasps. The species of three genera of the Orthocentrus genus-group (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae, Orthocentrinae) was studied in northern Iran: Batakomacrus Kolarov, Plectiscus Gravenhorst and Stenomacrus Förster. A total of 847 specimens of these genera were collected from Alborz, Tehran, Qazvin, Gilan and Mazandaran provinces using Malaise traps during 2010-2011. Nine species including Batakomacrus caudatus (Holmgren, 1858), Plectiscus agilis (Holmgren, 1858), P. minutus (Holmgren, 1858), Stenomacrus carbonariae Roman, 1939, S. curvicaudatus (Brischke, 1871), S. deletus (Thomson, 1897), S. exserens (Thomson, 1898), S. merula (Gravenhorst, 1829) and S. minutissimus (Zetterstedt, 1838) are recorded for the first time from Iran. Their phenology, seasonal abundance, adult emergence period, distribution and altitudinal changes on two northern and southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains of Iran are provided. Our data showed that the Caspian Hyrcanian forests at the northern slope of the Alborz Mountains inhabit a more diverse and higher abundant community of Orthocentrus genus-group than the southern one.

Oak trees form the major elements of the Zagros forests at western part of Iran. The activity of cynipid gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) greatly affects survival and fertility of these trees, by inducing formation of various galls on a certain part of the oak trees (Quercus spp.). In this study, population fluctuation and spatial distribution of four common species, Andricus asetivalis (Giraud), Aphelonyx persica (Melika), Neuroterus lanuginosus (Giraud)and Neuroterus saliens (Kollar) were studied in Kermanshah province from the early February to the late December of 2011. The galls that formed on the 100 cm end of branches from the four cardinal directions were sampled in two different heights of 1.5 and 2.5 m on each tree every 7-10 days throughout the season. To estimate the spatial distribution patterns, data were analysed through regression models. According to the Taylor's power model, in the height of 1.5 m, the slope of regression line was not significantly different from 1, indicating a random pattern for all gall wasp species. Also the spatial distribution pattern of N. lanuginosus and N. saliens was determined as random in the height of 2.5 m. Using Iwao's patchiness regression, similar patterns were distinguished for all species in two different heights except for A. aestivalis and N. lanuginosus in the height of 1.5 m which regression between Lloyd’s mean crowding and mean density was not significant. At early season, just sexual galls of A. aestivalis and A. persica were observed and the first asexual galls of N. lanuginosus and N. saliens were formed on the branches starting in early August. Combining data of both heights of 1.5 and 2.5, the peaks of gall density of A. aestivalis, A. persica, N. lanuginosus and N. saliens were observed on 23 May, 27 June, 4 September and 15 September as 2.85 ± 1.60, 34.40 ± 22.17, 159.27 ± 40.01 and 4.50 ± 1.38, respectively. Overall, the most observed galls belonged to N. lanuginosus. The activity period of N. saliens was clearly shorter than other species and lasted only less than two months.

An updated list of the sawflies (Hymenoptera: Symphyta) from Iran is provided. The list inculdes 178 species of sawflies belonging to 60 genera and 9 families. Family Tenthredinidae is the most species-rich group (131 species) followed by Argidae (18 species), Cephidae (9 species), Megalodontesidae (7 species), Cimbicidae (4 species), Pamphiliidae (3 species), Orussidae, Siricidae and Xiphydriidae (each with 2 species). Also genus Tenthredo is the most species-rich genus with 23 species followed by Macrophya (Tenthredinidae) with 17 species and Arge (Argidae) with 12 species. General distribution, synonyms and hosts associated with larvae for all recorded species are provided.