An annotated catalogue of the Bethylidae (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea) of the Middle East, with special reference to the Iranian fauna

ABSTRACT

An updated checklist of the Middle Eastern species of the family Bethylidae with special reference to the Iranian fauna is provided as being the most diverse country in the Middle Eastern region. The list includes 120 known species in 37 genera and five subfamilies: Bethylinae (three genera and 13 species), Epyrinae (eight genera and 36 species), Mesitiinae (13 genera and 37 species), Pristocerinae (six genera and 13 species; together with one unknown species of Apenesia sp.), and Scleroderminae (seven genera and 21 species). Thirty-nine species are found to be restricted in distribution to the Middle Eastern countries (endemic or subendemic). Among the 16 countries of the Middle East the fauna of Iran with 43 known species in 18 genera is the more diverse.

KEYWORDS:

• Species diversity
• parasitoids
• host records
• faunistic list
• distribution

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to W. Colombo (Brazil) and J. de Rond (Netherlands) for editing the manuscript and insightful comments. Sincere gratitude is also extended to Celso O. Azevedo (Brazil) and Jan Macek (Czech Republic) for providing us with literature needed. We thank the anonymous reviewers for critical reviewing the manuscript and their many insightful comments and suggestions that greatly improve it.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The research was supported by Islamic Azad University (Yadegar-e Imam Khomeini (RAH) Shahre Rey Branch), and Cairo University (Egypt).