Chalcidoidea of Iran (Insecta: Hymenoptera)
Abstract Within Hymenoptera, the superfamily Chalcidoidea (chalcidoid wasps) is the second largest superfamily after Ichneumonoidea. Because of the preponderance of parasitoid species, Chalcidoidea is one of the most important groups in applied biological control. This book provides a comprehensive, accurate checklists for the chalcidoid fauna of Iran. The species listed in each family chapter include all the species recorded in the literature from Iran through 2019, with one exception as noted in Chapter 10 (Eurytomidae). Each family chapter includes differential characters to distinguish the family, hypothesized phylogenetic relationships with other families, and general biological attributes of the family. Previous cataloguing efforts of the Iranian fauna for the family are summarized, as well as the information included in the checklist of species for the family. This summary information includes the number of species recorded from Iran, any newly recorded species, a comparison of the Iranian fauna with those of adjacent countries, and major host attributes of the family in Iran. Also included for each species record are host records and plant associates in Iran, when known, and additional comments as necessary. The final chapter tabulates the species diversity of Iranian Chalcidoidea by family, the species newly exclude from Iran, the species presently considered as endemic to Iran and the number of species of each family that are known from each of the 31 provinces that comprise Iran. Because of the importance of chalcidoids for biological control of pests in Iran, host information for parasitoid species that is provided throughout the chapters is synthesized in an Appendix at the end of the book.