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The first list of the aphidiid wasp species (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) of the Russian Republic of Mordovia is provided; it includes 74 species from 12 genera. Aphidius ribi Starý, 1962, A. schimitscheki (Starý, 1960), and A. silvaticus Starý, 1962 are recorded for the first time from Russia; six species: Aphidius artemisicola Tizado et Núñez-Pérez, 1995, Areopraon rasnitsyni Davidian, 2011, Binodoxys genistae Mackauer, 1960, Pauesia salignae (Watanabe, 1939), Trioxys longicaudi Starý, 1978, and T. parauctus Starý, 1960, are recorded for the first time from the European part of Russia. The occurrence of the little-known Trioxys macroceratus Starý, 1960 in Russia has been confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried our between 1982-2009 in order to determine the Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) species from agricultural lands, non-agricultural areas in the provinces of Elazığ, Erzincan, Malatya and Tunceli in East Anatolian Region. Sampling was done between May and August. In the study, a total of 121 specimens from 26 localities were examined, and 13 species belonging to 4 genera (Aphidius Nees, 1819; Binodoxys Mackauer, 1960; Diaeretiella Starý, 1960; Praon Haliday, 1833) were determined. The species of each genus are obtained Aphidius avenae Haliday, 1834; A. colemani Viereck, 1912; A. eadyi Starý, González & Hall, 1980; A. ervi Haliday, 1834; A. matricariae Haliday, 1834; A. microlophii Pennachio & Tremblay, 1987; A. urticae Haliday, 1834; Binodoxys B. acalephae (Marshall, 1896); Diaeretiella, rapae (McIntosh, 1855); Praon barbatum Mackauer, 1967; P. nonveilleri Tomanović & Kavallieratos, 2003; P. volucre (Haliday, 1833). Praon barbatum is new record for Turkish Aphidiinae fauna. In the research area and in all five different habitats, A. ervi, A. matricariae, P. barbatum are found. It has been determined that A. avenae is the most limited species in terms of habitat preferences, being found in only one habitat. In terms of the number of species, it has been determined that herbaceous plants, clover fields and fruit gardens are the richest habitats in the region, respectively. When the provinces distributions of determined species were evaluated according to provinces in East Anatolian Region; Elazığ province appears to have the highest number of species which 12 and Erzincan province has the lowest number with 3 species. With this research, new records were added to the Eastern Anatolia Region Aphidiinae fauna, and the number of Turkey Aphidiinae species was increased from 65 to 66. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Sitobion miscanthi is a major wheat pest at the grain‐filling stage found in China. Identifying parasitoid species and understanding parasitism rates are keys to controlling the aphids via natural enemies in the wheat field. RESULTS: In the present study, a method based on DNA barcoding for early determination of the community composition of Aphidiinae parasitoids and parasitism on the aphid was developed. The proposed method detected Aphidius gifuensis as the predominant parasite, with parasitism rates of 40.1 ± 2.8% in 2019 and 65.7 ± 3.7% in 2022, and found that the rate varied significantly among different wheat varieties. COI primers efficiently amplified the Aphidiinae parasitoids COI fragments and amplified the aphid COI fragments derived from parasitized (mummified) S. miscanthi. Thus, the COI barcode is not sufficiently specific to unambiguously detect immature parasitoids inside their S. miscanthi hosts. However, it can be used to detect the DNA extracted from mummified aphids. In contrast, the 16S and LWRh primers effectively amplified and identified the parasitoids in parasitized aphids. The 16S primer was reliable even in the early stages of parasitism (24 h) and for DNA samples stored at −20 °C for 5 days. The three barcodes from COI, 16S, and LWRh genes could not clearly distinguish a few certain Aphidiinae species owing to relatively low intraspecific and interspecific diversity. CONCLUSION: The morphological features remain indispensable when identifying Aphidiinae species. Nonetheless, the COI and 16S primers could be used in combination for monitoring the parasitism rates on S. miscanthi in wheat fields. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trioxys longicaudi Starý, 1978 and T. ademuzi Michelena et Sanchis, 1994 are recorded from Russia for the first time. The distribution of T. iziphyae Mackauer, 1967, T. chaetosiphonis Starý, 1971, and T. microceratus Mackauer, 1968 is clarified. An amended description of T. iziphyae is given, and the differences between the closely related species T. ademuzi and T. chaetosiphonis are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Estimating parasitoid abundance in the field can be difficult, even more so when attempting to quantify parasitism rates and the ecosystem service of biological control that parasitoids can provide. To understand how 'field observed' parasitism rates (in‐field mummy counts) of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) translate to 'laboratory observed' parasitism rates (laboratory‐reared parasitoid counts), field work was undertaken in Australian canola fields, over the winter growing season. Results: Overall, laboratory observed parasitism was on average 2.4 times higher than field observed parasitism, with rates an average of four‐fold higher in fields from South Australia. Total field observed and laboratory observed parasitism rates (OPRs) of M. persicae varied considerably across regions, but less so among fields within regions. As crop growth stage progressed, the incidence of field observed mummies increased. The incidence of total parasitoids reared also increased with crop growth stage, averaging 3.4% during flowering and reaching 14.4% during podding/senescing. Although there was a greater diversity of reared parasitoid species at later crop growth stages, the laboratory OPR was unaffected by parasitoid species. Diaeretiella rapae was the most commonly reared parasitoid, increasing in absolute abundance with crop growth stage. Conclusion: These findings indicate that field mummy counts alone do not provide a clear representation of parasitism within canola fields. © 2022 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Many aphids attack cucumbers in the greenhouse and reduce their quality and quantity. Various varieties of greenhouse aphid species, particularly Aphis gossypii Glover, are responsible for considerable damage to cucurbits and vegetables, including cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelons, melons, etc. In addition, these insects can transmit many plant viruses from infected plants to healthy ones. Materials and Methods This study was conducted in the cucumber greenhouses of the three provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan, western Azerbaijan, and southern Kerman by a randomized complete block design with five treatments and four replicates. The efficiency of Emamectin benzoate 4.8% + Acetamiprid 6.4% EC at a ratio of 1.5/1000 and 2/100 was compared with Flonicamid (Teppeki 50 WG) at a ratio of 0.25/100, Primicarb (DF 50%) at a ratio of 0.7/1000, Dichlorvos (EC 50%) at a ratio of 0.5/1000, and the control (water spraying). The sampling was done one day before and 3, 7, and 14 days after treatment. The Henderson-Tilton formula was used to calculate the efficiency of the pesticides. And the means were compared by Tukey's test and SAS software. In the second part of this study, to measure the pesticide residues, 11 samples (one sample from each both different doses were collected three times: 3, 6, 8, 13, and 15 days after spraying, while one sample was taken as a control with no treatment) were collected in West Azerbaijan Province and transferred to the Pesticide Residues Reference Laboratory in the Pesticide Research Department. The samples were crushed, homogenized, and prepared. The organic phase obtained in the process was used for the cleanup stage and then centrifuged. Furthermore, residual pesticide content was identified and quantified by optimizing the operating conditions of the LC-MS/MS instrument. Finally, a comparison of the calculated levels with the national MRLs was made to determine the level of the toxin residues present in the product. Results and Discussion The results showed the following on the third day after spraying: The concentration of Emamctin benzoate + Acetamiprid treatment in Sistan and Baluchestan province was 2/1000 (77. 30 ± 4.6%). The concentration of Imamctin Benzoate + Acetamiprid insecticides in the Western Azerbaijan province was 2/1000 and 1.5/1000, and the concentration of Flonicamid was 95.02 ± 2.35, 94.42 ± 1.07, and 91.68 ± 3.65% respectively. Subsequently, Emamectin benzoate + Acetamiprid in the concentration of 2/1000 with an efficiency of 100% performed better than the others. The examination of the pesticide residues in the insecticide-treated cucumbers showed that the residues of Emamectin benzoate in all the samples sent after harvest were so low that LC-MS/MS was not able to detect it both quantitatively and qualitatively. Although the Acetamipride residue was 0.058 and 0.063 mg/kg respectively in both treatments on the third day after spraying, the level was below the permissible limit. Moreover, it was not detectable from the sixth day after spraying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Diaeretellus is a small group of Aphidiinae wasps, comprising five species from the Palaearctic so far. All members of the genus are highly specialised to semi-aquatic habitats and aphid hosts and plants that occupy them. Because they have practically no economic importance as biocontrol agents, the biology of Diaeretellus species is still somewhat unknown. We describe a new species of this genus, Diaeretellus nymphaealis sp. nov., another member of aphid-parasitoid guilds from wetland habitats and the first species of the genus to be described from the Nearctic. Wetland habitats are under considerable anthropogenic pressure and as such require intensive conservation efforts. Placing the focus of conservation strategies on hyperdiverse entomofauna, instead of only charismatic megafauna, can have positive effects on their outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taxonomic impediment is one of the main roadblocks to managing the current biodiversity crisis. Insect taxonomy is the biggest contributor to the taxonomic impediment, both in terms of the knowledge gap and the lack of experts. With this study, we tried to size the knowledge gap by analyzing taxonomical studies on the subfamily Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) conducted from 2010 to 2021. All available taxonomic knowledge gathered in this period is critically summarized: newly described species, detection of alien species, published identification keys, etc. All findings are discussed relative to the current state of general taxonomy. Future prospects for taxonomy are also discussed.

Simple Summary: Taxonomy is a biological discipline with the task to identify, name, and describe organisms, and as such, it provides necessary data for all other biological disciplines. The biodiversity crisis through which we are living draws attention to the crucial role of taxonomy in biology today. At the same time, the scientific community, as well as society in general, has become more aware of the difficulties associated with taxonomy, such as gaps in taxonomic knowledge, a lack of taxonomic infrastructure, and an insufficient number of taxonomic experts ("taxonomic impediment"). With this study, we tried to size this knowledge gap by analyzing the taxonomical studies on Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) conducted from 2010 to 2021. Aphidiinae are endoparasitoids of aphids; a single specimen completes its development inside the living aphid host, which are used in biological control programs. Here, we summarize the knowledge gathered over the last dozen years and discuss it in a general context. Taxonomic impediment is one of the main roadblocks to managing the current biodiversity crisis. Insect taxonomy is the biggest contributor to the taxonomic impediment, both in terms of the knowledge gap and the lack of experts. With this study, we tried to size the knowledge gap by analyzing taxonomical studies on the subfamily Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) conducted from 2010 to 2021. All available taxonomic knowledge gathered in this period is critically summarized: newly described species, detection of alien species, published identification keys, etc. All findings are discussed relative to the current state of general taxonomy. Future prospects for taxonomy are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]