Parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) associated with flower-heads of Asteraceae in Iran.

This study was conducted to collect and identify chalcidoid wasps associated with Asteraceae and their possible hosts in the northwest of Iran during 2013–2014. Fourteen species of parasitoid wasps were recovered from 19 species of Asteraceae. These parasitoids include five Eulophidae: Aprostocetus malagensis, Crataepus marbis, Hyssopus nigritulus, Pronotalia hungarica; two Eurytomidae: Eurytoma compressa, Eurytoma robusta; one Eupelmidae: Eupelmus vesicularis; one Ormyridae: Ormyrus orientalis; three Pteromalidae: Pteromalus albipennis, Pteromalus sp., Sphengigaster nigricornis; two Torymidae: Pseudotorymus leguminum, Microdontomerus annulata. Four species, Aprostocetus malagensis, Pronotalia hungarica, Pseudotorymus leguminum and Sphengigaster nigricornis, are new records for the Hymenoptera fauna of Iran. All host-plant associations were newly established to the science. General distribution of these parasitoids and their biological associations were discussed. A list of associated Chalcidoidea to Tephritidae in Iran was presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]