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In this study, two braconid species were reared on leaf miners collected from the vicinity of Shahin Dezh, West Azerbaijan province (northwest of Iran). Apanteles corvinus Reinhard was reared on Leucoptera malifoliella (Costa) (Lepidoptera: Lyonetidae) on apple and Protapanteles liparidis (Bouchй) was reared on Phyllonorycter populifoliella (Treitschke) on Populus. This is the first report of A. corvinus from Iran and of the new trophic association of P. liparidis with poplar leaf miner, P. populifoliella.

Caterpillars of Zygaena filipendulae Linnaeus were sampled during May and June in the Sićevo Gorge in southern Serbia. All parasitized larvae were found on grey elm trees (Ulmus canescens). During the short period before metamorphosis of Z. filipendulae, we found the whole specter of parasitoid wasps: Cotesia zygaenarum Marshall (Braconidae), Gelis agilis (Fabricius) and Mesochorus velox Holmgren (Ichneumonidae), Elasmus platyedrae Ferrière and Pediobius sp. (Eulophidae), Eupelmus vesicularis (Retzius) (Eupelmidae) and Brachymeria tibialis (Walker) (Chalcididae). Beside hymenopteran parasitoids, we found parasitoid flies from the family Tachinidae, Phryxe nemea (Meigen) (Diptera). All 46 observed Z. filipendulae larvae found on grey elm trees were parasitized, but three pupae were found directly on Lotus corniculatus. Two species are newly reported as parasitoids of Z. filipendulae: E. platyedrae and Eupelmus vesicularis and three species (G. agilis, M. velox and E. platyedrae) are new to the fauna of Serbia. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 43001]

Among the diverse order of Hymenoptera, aquatic species are of special interest. During macrozoobenthos sampling in the rivers of Serbia in 2003 and during the period 2011−2012, pupae of Silo pallipes Fabricius, 1781 were recorded which were parasitized by an ichneumonid wasp Agriotypus armatus Curtis, 1832, this being the first record of it for the Balkan Peninsula. A total of 217 A. armatus specimens were collected at 29 localities situated along 16 watercourses of Serbia. All four parasitoid stages (egg, larva, pupa and resting adult) were recorded. The identity of the parasitoid was confirmed using standard molecular methods. This study also focuses on the ecology of the parasitoid and its host. The widespread distribution of A. armatus in Europe suggests the presence of this species in other Balkan countries, but this has not yet been confirmed due to a lack of surveys and/or the constantly increasing pollution of freshwaters.

Identification of exophytophagous lepidopteran larvae is a necessity for researchers in biological disciplines ranging from biodiversity inventorying to research in parasitoid evolution and species monitoring. The lack of expertise in the field jeopardizes the outcomes of further investigations and recording of the multilevel plasticity of juvenile Lepidoptera. This paper offers an improvement to the existing haphazard approach by developing 41 simplified characters that include 150 morphological, behavioral and autecological states and their delineation, visual validation, and a descriptive matrix for 83 heterogeneous species. By combining the states into all possible identification scenarios, the matrix revealed 582 morphological, habitat and resource polyphenisms for the mentioned species. The categorical nature of the data implied the use of categorical principal component analysis to visualize the discriminative capacity without character relationship assumptions. The object-point biplot was used to derive the K value for K-mode clustering, while the cluster membership was introduced as a labeling variable to further inspect the grouping pattern. The results of this descriptive analytic research indicate that descriptive matrices will allow continuous expansion and fine examination of many different species assemblages. From interactive identification keys to machine learning training, the presented framework can make data storage and interpretation significantly more attainable.

The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of reading and the orthographic level of handwriting in children with dysgraphic handwriting and children with typical development in the early grades of primary school. The research sample consisted of 94 children in the 3rd and 4th grades of primary school. The Handwriting Dysgraphia Assessment Test was used to assess the level of handwriting dysgraphia, while the analysis of the orhographic level of handwriting involved the assessment of the frequency and type of orthographic errors. The Three-Dimensional Reading Test was used in the second stage of research. Findings show the overall prevalence of handwriting dysgraphia in 13.8% of children, and a greater prevalence in boys (69.1%) relative to girls (30.9%). In the group of children with dysgraphic handwriting, 53.8% were categorized as having "graphomotor dysgraphia", while 46.2% were categorized as having "language dysgraphia". The study results suggest that there are no statistically significant differences between 3rd and 4th grade students in the application of orthographic rules to all writing tasks (t=1,33; df=11; p=0,17). Children with dysgraphic handwriting achieved poorer results on all writing tasks relative to children with typical development. A comparison of results of children with dysgraphic handwriting and children with typical development did not reveal statistically significant differences in reading speed tasks (t=1,10; df=18; p=0,32), number of mistakes (t=0,73; df=21; p=0,46), and reading comprehension (t=0,66; df=14; p=0,51). Increasing awareness of aspects of writing and reading where difficulties may occur, but also of aspects that represent children's developmental strengths, along with an effective assessment of language and cognitive abilities, would significantly improve the quality of the teaching process.

The parasitoid species Ephedrus plagiator (Nees, 1811) (Hymenoptera: Aphidiinae) is one of the most important biological agents against pest aphids. We investigated whether this species was in competition with some other aphidiine species for the same hosts. We thus examined its potential in biological programs to control aphids. We applied an unsupervised artificial neural network, a self-organizing map (SOM), which classified the competitive parasitoids into seven groups. The SOM also visualized the distributional pattern of 31 parasitoid wasps along the neural network, revealing their competitive ability in relation to E. plagiator. Indicator value (IndVal) analysis quantified the competitive ability and showed that the most competitive species with regard to E. plagiator were Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson, 1880), L. fabarum (Marshall 1896), L. cardui (Marshall 1896) and Binodoxys angelicae (Haliday, 1833). These species appeared in four different SOM groups and mostly parasitized the Aphis fabae Scopoli, 1763 (Hemiptera: Aphididae) host. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. III43001]

Nine parasitoids of the moth genus Heterogynis are presented: six species of Hymenoptera from the families Chalcididae, Eulophidae and Ichneumonidae (Agrothereutes hospes (Tschek), Baryscapus endemus (Walker), Brachymeria inermis (Fonscolombe), Diplazon laetatorius (F.), Itoplectis maculator (F.) and Trichomalopsis heterogynidis Graham), and three Diptera, family Tachinidae (Compsilura concinnata (Meigen), Exorista segregata (Rondani) and Phryxe hirta (Bigot)). Two of these species, Trichomalopsis heterogynidis and Phryxe hirta, are oligophagous parasitoids specialized on the genus Heterogynis. We also identified two newly recorded parasitoids of Heterogynis: Brachymeria inermis (Chalcididae) and Diplazon laetatorius (Ichneumonidae). [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. III43001]

Spider silk fibers, collected from Pholcus Phalangioides spider were used as a template for obtaining magnesium oxide (MgO, periclase) as well as magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2, brucite) fibers. Magnesium oxide fibers were obtained in a simple manner by heat induced decomposition of magnesium salt (MgCl2) in the presence of the spider silk fibers, while magnesium hydroxide fibers were synthesized by hydration of MgO fibers at 50, 70 and 90 C, for 48 and 96 h. According to Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dimensions of spider silk fibers determined the dimension of synthesized MgO fibers, while for Mg(OH)2 fibers, the average diameter was increased with prolonging the hydration period. The surface of Mg(OH)2 fibers was noticed to be covered with brucite in a form of plates. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that MgO fibers were single-phased (the pure magnesium oxide fibers were obtained), while Mg(OH)2 fibers were two- or single-phased brucite depending on incubation period, and/or incubation temperature. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 45012]

The article presents a study which aims to present the existence of guppy population (GP) or Poecilia reticulata in natural thermal waters of Serbia. The biological characteristics and the types of habitat for the GP is provided. The ecological measurement of the river, total body length, and age structure of the guppy population are also stated. It is inferred that low water temperature and high abundance of the predatory fish Leuciscus cephalus are the limiting factors for the GP.

Although the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) has been included in studies for several decades, the information about its distribution and the state of populations in Serbia is still incomplete. The data collected from the available literature sources, and those based on the authors’ own field investigations, indicate that E. orbicularis occupies a large part of the territory of the Republic of Serbia, preferring aquatic biotopes at lower altitudes. We compiled a list of 287 localities where the presence of the pond turtle has been recorded. Of those, 14% (40 localities) were known only from literature sources, localities added during our field investigations represent 82% (235 sites), 4% (12 localities) confirming literature data. We also gathered information on the main negative threats to the endurance of the pond turtle in Serbia. These are habitat pollution, degradation and destruction, and the spread of allochthonous invasive turtle species. Some protective and conservation measures are suggested in the conclusion. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 173043]

The genera Binodoxys and Trioxys, members of the Aphidiinae subfamily, are classified in the same subtribe Trioxina within the tribe Trioxini. These two genera are morphologically very similar, but differ in a large degree in their ecology. Generally, Binodoxys species are specialized in parasitizing aphids on herbaceous plants, unlike Trioxys species, which have co-evolved with the tree-attacking aphids. For this study, we analyzed the right forewings of four Binodoxys and two Trioxys species, using the method of geometric morphometrics. Sixteen specific landmarks were digitalized for each forewing of 80 parasitoid individuals. The results of two statistical methods ANOVA and MANOVA demonstrated statistically significant differences of the wing shapes, especially between the genera. Visualizing the results of the dispersion of specimens in the morphospace via multivariate tests PCA and CVA, we found that the most variable character in wing structure was the radial sector, differentiating Binodoxys from Trioxys.

One hundred and eighty-six tritrophic parasitoid-aphid plant associations were established between Lysiphlebus fabarum and 64 aphids with 148 different plant species from the territory of Serbia. We identified 18 aphid genera of which the genus Aphis was represented by 38 species. The most frequent interactions between the parasitoid and the hosts were the ones of Aphis fabae, A. craccivora and A. ruborum on various plants comprising one third of the total trophic interactions listed here.

Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) and Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) are widespread and serious pests of stored products. Various insecticides are applied aiming to effectively manage both species. Here, two insecticides are tested, the pyrethroid α-cypermethrin and the organophosphate pirimiphos-methyl, hypothesizing that they can lead to morphological changes in the certain body parts of the adult offspring of treated T. castaneum and T. confusum parental female adults. For this purpose, the geometric morphometric method to the elytra and hindwings was applied. Both males and females were included in the analysis. The results showed that adult individuals of T. confusum showed higher tolerance to both insecticides compared to T. castaneum adults. This finding is reflected in analyses of both pairs of wings in T. confusum where changes in shape were negligible. The hindwings of T. castaneum experienced deformations to both insecticides. More significant changes in wing shape were observed in the α-cypermethrin treatment compared to pirimiphos-methyl. In the case of T. castaneum, even the shortest exposure to insecticides (5 min) is enough to provoke shape changes in the hindwings. Deformities in offspring, caused after treatment of their parents with insecticides, could moderate the frequency of insecticidal applications in storages., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Oilseed rape is an important crop grown worldwide and used for various purposes, including oil extraction and animal feed. In Europe, there are six major pest species and several other minor pests that can significantly affect oilseed rape production, requiring growers to effectively control them in order to ensure crop yield. The host-parasitoid complexes of these pests have been studied in detail and recorded mainly in western, central and northern Europe. As an abundant source of pollen and nectar, oilseed rape may also be attractive to other parasitoids that do not have direct trophic interactions with oilseed rape pest species. The aim of this study is to fill the knowledge gap regarding the wider parasitoid community in oilseed rape fields, particularly in southern Europe., New Information: During the two-year study, a total of 3135 specimens of primary and secondary parasitoids were sampled, of which 2855 were found in oilseed rape fields and 280 in semi-natural habitats. We found 153 taxa, of which 119 were found in oilseed rape fields and 87 in semi-natural habitats. We identified 31 genera (33 species) as parasitoids of oilseed rape pests, 54 genera (97 species) parasitising non-pest species and 10 genera (23 species) as possible parasitoids of oilseed rape pests. This study shows that the parasitoid community in oilseed rape fields is very diverse and that includes parasitoids of both oilseed rape pest and non-pest species., (Milan Plećaš, Vladimir Žikić, Korana Kocić, Jelisaveta Čkrkić, Anđeljko Petrović, Željko Tomanović.)

The following work consists of the description of four new species of the genus Pseudephedrus Starý (Aphidiinae), endemic to South America, associated with endemic callaphidid aphid hosts. The descriptions of the new species are based on new samples from Chile and Argentina. The new species described here are as follows: Pseudephedrus staryi sp.n., which is morphologically very close to the already described P. chilensis Starý, with clear apomorphies; P. pubescens sp.n., which presents a setose scutellum, P. flava sp.n. and P. patagonicus sp.n. which have distinct, very elongated, and crenulated petioles representing synapomorphies and probably form separate phylogenetic lineages within Pseudephedrus. All hosts are aphids from the genus Neuquenaphis Blanchard, with varying degrees of diet specialization. From our field and laboratory observations, we hypothesize that, since attempts to sample parasitoids using sweep nets were much more successful than sampling from collected aphids, and since we found mummified aphids only on the ground among the fallen leaves under the trees, Neuquenaphis aphids fall to the ground showing a dropping behaviour as a defence against natural enemies after being stung by parasitoids. This makes rearing from live aphids very unsuccessful and could help explain why it has been difficult to collect and describe species. We supplement the distribution of Pseudephedrus from South America and present a key for the identification of all species based on their morphology., (© 2023. Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil.)

Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Prostephanus truncatus (Horn), and Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae) are noxious insect pests of grains in storages. Pirimiphos-methyl is widely used to protect grains at the post-harvest stage. However, the sub-lethal impact of this active ingredient on the offspring of all three coleopterans remains unknown. Thus, mated females of each species were exposed separately to pirimiphos-methyl at short exposures (30 min, 3, 5, 8, 16, 24, and 36 h), where the elytra and hindwings of the adult progeny were analyzed with the geometric morphometrics method. Males and females of all species were incorporated into the analysis. The results revealed variability among species. Tenebrio molitor was the most sensitive among three species, displaying significant deformations in the elytra and hindwings. Males had more conspicuous morphological changes than females. Prostephanus truncatus hindwings exhibited deformities after 36 h of exposure to pirimiphos-methyl. In contrast, R. dominica offspring were not affected by pirimiphos-methyl. In light of our findings, organophosphorus insecticides may cause variable sub-lethal effects to stored-product insects. This issue may lead to different insecticidal treatments according to the targeted stored-product species.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests and activities. The maternal status of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) regulates microglial activity and neuroinflammatory pathways during a child's brain development. In children with ASD, the metabolism of PUFA is thought to be deficient or abnormal, leading to increased production of proinflammatory cytokines, increased oxidative stress and an imbalance in the formation and action of neurotransmitters. In addition, nutritional deficits in omega-3 PUFA may affect gut microbiota and contribute to ASD by the gut-brain axis. The aim of this study was to review the possible role of neuroinflammation in ASD development and the effect of omega-3 PUFA supplementation in children with ASD. Due to a wide heterogeneity across RCTs, no definitive conclusion about omega-3 PUFA effects in ASD can be drawn. Supplementation with PUFA could be considered as one of the aspects in regulating the biological status of the organism and could provide added value to standard medical and psychological interventions for reducing behavioral deficits.

Drosophila is among the most commonly used models for toxicity assessment of different types of nanoparticles. This study aims to examine the effects of a constant exposure to the low concentration of human food grade titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 E171) on Drosophila melanogaster wing morphology over multiple generations. Subsequently, the Geometric Morphometrics Analysis was employed to examine possible changes in the wing shape and size of the treated flies. The treatment resulted in the diminishment but not a disruption in the sexual dimorphism in wings. Consequently, the female flies were clearly separated from the male flies by the differences in wing morphology as in the control group. A splitting by generations was overly similar within the control and the treatment, but it was slightly more pronounced in the treatment. However, the observed generational differences seemed mostly random between generations, irrespective of the treatment. Specifically, the treated groups displayed slightly higher splitting by generations in females than in males. Regardless of the generation, the results show a clear splitting by the differences in the wing shape between the treated flies and the flies from control. The mean value of centroid size, which refers to the wing size, of both female and male wings was smaller in the treatment when compared to the control. The overall effect of TiO 2 was to induce significant difference in Drosophila wing morphology but it did not alter the general wing morphology pattern. Therefore, the change in the wings occurred only within the normally allowed wing variation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Bat guano is an important source of microbial diversity in caves and can be a source of potential pathogens. Laemostenus (Pristonychus) punctatus is a guanophilic ground beetle species, which pygidial gland secretion exhibits action against pathogenic and other microbes. The distribution and diversity of microbes in bat guano from a karstic cave were determined in this study. Additionally, antimicrobial activity of the pygidial gland secretion of L. (P.) punctatus against guano-dwelling microbes was tested; minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and chemical composition of the secretion were analyzed. In total, 63 different bacterial species and 16 fungal morphotypes were isolated from guano samples by the cultivation method and confirmed using and phenotypic characterization and molecular identification. There was a difference in the composition of certain microorganisms between the sampling points (cave locations) and between the guano layers. The largest number of bacterial isolates belongs to the genera Lysinibacillus and Paenibacillus, while Pseudomonas species were highly abundant at the innermost sampling point. For the guanophilic fungi, the majority are ascomycetes, with Penicillium and Aspergillus as the most dominant genera. Meyerozyma guilliermondii was the only yeast species found in the guano samples. The most sensitive isolates were Enterococcus eurekensis (MIC 0.007 mg/mL) and Escherichia fergusonii (MIC 0.028 mg/mL). The most sensitive fungal isolates were M. guilliermondii, Penicillium expansum, and Trichoderma harzianum (MIC 0.15 mg/mL). This study opens a new possibility for better understanding of ecological relations between microorganisms and troglophilic ground beetles and for detailed investigations of morpho-anatomical aspects of pygidial glands.

Insecticidal applications may result to morphological deformations upon exposed insects or their offspring production. In the present study, we tested whether pirimiphos-methyl can induce deformities to wings of progeny production of the invasive khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) when its parental female adults have been treated with this organophosphorus active ingredient. For that purpose, we analysed both elytra and hindwings of both sexes of T. granarium progeny production by using the geometric morphometrics method. Our results showed that the wings of progeny of the pirimiphos-methyl-treated T. granarium parental female adult individuals suffered certain changes in their usual shape depending on size. Deformations occurred on both pairs of wings, but changes were more noticeable on the hindwings. A longer than 5-h exposure of parental female adults to pirimiphos-methyl, resulted in progeny with more deformed wings than in those individuals emerged after the exposure of their parental female adults in shorter periods on the toxicant. Generally, wings of both sexes were sensitive to pirimiphos-methyl, distinguishing the control group from the insecticidal treatments. The existence of deformed adults could be a useful indicator of earlier insecticidal applications as surface treatments and/or grain protectants in the storage facilities.

Species from the genus Paralipsis are obligatory endoparasitoids of root aphids in the Palaearctic. It is known that these species are broadly distributed, parasitizing various aphid hosts and showing great biological and ecological diversity. On the other hand, this group of endoparasitoids is understudied and was thought to be represented by a single species in Europe, viz., Paralipsisenervis (Nees). However, recent description of two new species indicated the possibility of cryptic speciation and recognition of additional Paralipsis species in Europe. In this research, Paralipsis specimens collected during the last 60 years from eight European countries, as well as one sample from Morocco, were subjected to molecular and morphological characterization. Newly designed genus-specific degenerative primers successfully targeted short overlapping fragments of COI of the mitochondrial DNA. Molecular analyses showed clear separation of four independent lineages, two of which are the known species P.enervis and P.tibiator , while two new species are described here, viz., P.brachycaudi Tomanović & Starý, sp. n. and P.rugosa Tomanović & Starý, sp. n. No clear specialization of the taxa to a strict root aphid host has been determined. The recognized mitochondrial lineages were distinct one from another, but with a substantial within-lineage divergence rate, clearly indicating the complexity of this group of parasitoids, on which further research is required in order to clarify the factors triggering their genetic differentiation. We reviewed literature data and new records of Paralipsisenervis aphid host associations and distributions. A key for the identification of all known Paralipsis species is provided and illustrated.

The olive moth, Prays oleae (Bernard, 1788) (Lepidoptera: Praydidae) is categorised among the most devastating insect pests of olives, whose anthophagous and carpophagous generations can cause yield loss up to 581 and 846 kg of fruit per ha, respectively. In this study, results of the captured parasitoids in olive tree ( Olea europaea Linnaeus, 1753) orchards, or infested olive plant material in Crete, Greece, is presented. Five of the six identified species captured in trap devices are related to P. oleae , i.e., Chelonus elaeaphilus Silvestri, 1908, Chelonus pellucens (Nees, 1816), Apanteles xanthostigma (Haliday, 1834), Diadegma armillatum (Gravenhorst, 1829), and Exochus lentipes Gravenhorst, 1829. The species Eupelmus urozonus Dalman, 1820 and Pnigalio mediterraneus Ferrière & Delucchi, 1957 were reared from infested P. oleae leaves. Chelonus pellucens is reported for the first time from Greece. According to the international literature, 59 hymenopterous and dipterous parasitoid species are associated with P. oleae in Europe.

Parasitoids are important natural enemies of aphids in wheat fields of northern China, and interest in them has increased in recent years. However, little is known regarding parasitoids of wheat aphids, which has hindered the study and understanding of aphid-parasitoid interactions. In the present study, three primary parasitoids and 15 hyperparasitoids were collected in wheat fields during a 2-year survey in northern China (2014, 2015) and a 2-year investigation at Langfang, Hebei Province (2015, 2016). Among them, Aphidius uzbekistanicus Luzhetski was found most frequently among the primary parasitoids, while Pachyneuron aphidis (Bouché) dominated the hyperparasitoid community. Investigation of the dynamics of wheat aphids and parasitoids revealed that the primary parasitoids appeared early in the growing period and that the hyperparasitoids appeared later. Analysis of the seasonal dynamics revealed that growth of the parasitoid population followed that of the aphid population and that the parasitism rates were highest in the late growing period.

The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a serious pest of cotton across the globe, particularly in the cotton agroecosystems of northern China. Parasitic wasps are deemed to be important natural enemies of A. gossypii, but limited information exists about their species composition, richness and seasonal dynamics in northern China. In this study, we combine sampling over a broad geographical area with intensive field trials over the course of three cropping seasons to describe parasitoid-hyperparasitoid communities in cotton crops. We delineate a speciose complex of primary parasitoids and hyperparasitoids associated with A. gossypii. Over 90% of the primary parasitoids were Binodoxys communis. Syrphophagus sp. and Pachyneuron aphidis made up most of the hyperparasitoids. Parasitism rates changed in a similar way following the fluctuation of the aphid population. Early in the growing period, there were more hyperparasitoids, while later, the primary parasitoids provided control of A. gossypii. The first systematic report of this cotton aphid parasitoid complex and their population dynamics in association with their hosts presented a comprehensive assessment of cotton parasitoid species and provided important information for the establishment and promotion of their biological control of cotton aphids.

Background: Parasitoids are frequently used in biological control due to the fact that they are considered host specific and highly efficient at attacking their hosts. As they spend a significant part of their life cycle within their hosts, feeding habits and life history of their host can promote specialization via host-race formation (sequential radiation). The specialized host races from different hosts can vary morphologically, behaviorally and genetically. However, these variations are sometimes inconspicuous and require more powerful tools in order to detect variation such as geometric morphometrics analysis., Methods: We examined Aphidius ervi , an important introduced biological control agent in Chile associated with a great number of aphid species, which are exploiting different plant hosts and habitats. Several combinations (biotypes) of parasitoids with various aphid/host plant combinations were analyzed in order to obtain measures of forewing shape and size. To show the differences among defined biotypes, we chose 13 specific landmarks on each individual parasitoid wing. The analysis of allometric variation calculated in wing shape and size over centroid size (CS), revealed the allometric changes among biotypes collected from different hosts. To show all differences in shape of forewings, we made seven biotype pairs using an outline-based geometric morphometrics comparison., Results: The biotype A. pis_pea ( Acyrthosiphon pisum on pea) was the extreme wing size in this study compared to the other analyzed biotypes. Aphid hosts have a significant influence in the morphological differentiation of the parasitoid forewing, splitting biotypes in two groups. The first group consisted of biotypes connected with Acyrthosiphon pisum on legumes, while the second group is composed of biotypes connected with aphids attacking cereals, with the exception of the R. pad_wheat ( Rhopalosiphum padi on wheat) biotype. There was no significant effect of plant species on parasitoid wing size and shape., Discussion: Although previous studies have suggested that the genotype of parasitoids is of greater significance for the morphological variations of size and shape of wings, this study indicates that the aphid host on which A. ervi develops is the main factor to alter the structure of parasitoid forewings. Bigger aphid hosts implied longer and broader forewings of A. ervi., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests.

Background: Morphological divergence often increases with phylogenetic distance, thus making morphology taxonomically informative. However, transitions to asexual reproduction may complicate this relationship because asexual lineages capture and freeze parts of the phenotypic variation of the sexual populations from which they derive. Parasitoid wasps belonging to the genus Lysiphlebus Foerster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) are composed of over 20 species that exploit over a hundred species of aphid hosts, including many important agricultural pests. Within Lysiphlebus, two genetically and morphologically well-defined species groups are recognised: the "fabarum" and the "testaceipes" groups. Yet within each group, sexual as well as asexual lineages occur, and in L. fabarum different morphs of unknown origin and status have been recognised. In this study, we selected a broad sample of specimens from the genus Lysiphlebus to explore the relationship between genetic divergence, reproductive mode and morphological variation in wing size and shape (quantified by geometric morphometrics)., Results: The analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences revealed a clear separation between the "testaceipes" and "fabarum" groups of Lysiphlebus, as well as three well-defined phylogenetic lineages within the "fabarum" species group and two lineages within the "testaceipes" group. Divergence in wing shape was concordant with the deep split between the "testaceipes" and "fabarum" species groups, but within groups no clear association between genetic divergence and wing shape variation was observed. On the other hand, we found significant and consistent differences in the shape of the wing between sexual and asexual lineages, even when they were closely related., Conclusions: Mapping wing shape data onto an independently derived molecular phylogeny of Lysiphlebus revealed an association between genetic and morphological divergence only for the deepest phylogenetic split. In more recently diverged taxa, much of the variation in wing shape was explained by differences between sexual and asexual lineages, suggesting a mechanistic link between wing shape and reproductive mode in these parasitoid wasps.

This study provides evidence on integrating the morphological, field, and laboratory data, and application of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) barcoding gene to the three asexual or sexual Lysiphlebus spp., i.e., Lysiphlebus cardui (Marshall), Lysiphlebus confusus Tremblay and Eady and Lysiphlebus fabarum (Marshall) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae). New aphid- invasive plant association, Aphis fabae Scopoli (Hemipreta: Aphididae) on Impatiens glandulifera Royle, has been used in the same model area in the Czech Republic under the same sampling and rearing method for several consecutive years and throughout the season. For molecular identification of these three species, we used DNA sequences of the barcoding region of the mitochondrial COI gene. Although our results confirmed ecological and morphological differences among L. cardui, L. confusus, and L. fabarum, genetic analysis on the basis of COI mitochondrial barcoding gene does not support species status of the mentioned Lysiphlebus taxa. The level of morphological differentiation in these Lysiphlebus Förster species is in accordance with the usual species variability within subfamily Aphidiinae. However, it should be examined how appearance of asexual lineages affects the morphological or genetical variability., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.)