ZOOTAXA

ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition)

ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition)Copyright 2015 Magnolia Press

Zootaxa 3946 (4): 577582 www.mapress.com/zootaxa/

Article

http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3946.4.6http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:684012F3-13B1-48BE-8869-183D438B055B

First record of the family Heloridae (Hymenoptera: Proctotrupoidea) from Iran,

with description of a new species

MOHAMMAD IZADIZADEH1, ALI ASGHAR TALEBI1,4, CORNELIS VAN ACHTERBERG2

& EHSAN RAKHSHANI3

1Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, P. O. Box: 14115-336, Tehran, Iran.

E-mails: mohamadizadizade@yahoo.com, talebia@modares.ac.ir2Senior Researcher & Curator Hymenoptera, Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Postbox 9517, 2300

RA Leiden, The Netherlands. E-mail: c.vanachterberg@xs4all.nl 3Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran. E-mail: rakhshani@uoz.ac.ir4Corresponding author. E-mail: talebia@modares.ac.ir

Abstract

For the first time in more than 100 years, a new western Palaearctic species of Heloridae is described. Specimens of Helo-

rus alborzicus Izadizadeh, van Achterberg & Talebi sp. nov. and Helorus ruficornis Frster were collected from the Al-

borz province of Iran. An illustrated identification key for Western Palaearctic Heloridae is provided.

Key words: Helorid wasps, taxonomy, identification key, Iran

Introduction

Members of the proctotrupoid family Heloridae Frster, 1856 develop as larval endoparasitoids in green lacewings

larvae (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) (van Achterberg 2006), emerging as adults from the host cocoon (Masner 1993).

The single helorid genus, Helorus Latreille, 1802 is represented by 12 species in the Palaearctic, Nearctic,

Neotropical, Indo-Australian and Afrotropical regions (van Achterberg 2006).

Heloridae can be readily characterized by the combination of the following characters: body 68 mm; antennae

with 15 flagellomeres; first flagellomere ring-like and distinctly shorter than subsequent flagellomeres; antennal

sockets situated near mid height of the head in frontal view; length of fore wing 2.55.2 mm; distinct pterostigma

present; five closed wing cells present; subtriangular first medial cell (1m-cu) present; vein RS+M present; vein 1

RS absent; tarsal claws pectinate; first metasomal segment elongate; metasomal tergites 24 fused into a syntergite

(Kusigemati 1987, Masner 1993).

In this paper, we describe a new species, Helorus alborzicus Izadizadeh, van Achterberg & Talebi sp. nov.

from Iran and provide an identification key for West Palaearctic Helorus.

Material and methods

Specimens of the present study were collected using Malaise traps in Mazandaran and Alborz provinces of Iran.

The specimens were extracted from the traps and sorted weekly; the specimens were transferred to 70% ethanol

and stored in the freezer. For the preparation of samples, they were transferred to a mixture of 40% xylene and 60%

pure ethanol, after two days to amyl acetate for one day and finally placed on a piece of absorbing paper for drying

(AXA method, van Achterberg 2009). Photographs were taken using an Olympus TM SZX9 stereomicroscope

equipped with a BMZ-04-DZ digital imaging camera (Behin Pajouhesh Co., Iran). Image stacks were combined

with Combine ZP1.0 (Hadley 2010). Morphological terminology follows Townes (1977) and van Achterberg

Accepted by I. Miko: 23 Mar. 2015; published: 13 Apr. 2015 577

FIGURE 4. Helorus ruficornis Frster, 1856. A. Dorsal aspect of head, B. dorsal aspect of mesosoma, C. Dorsal aspect of

metasoma, D. Lateral aspect of metasoma.

References

Hadley, A. (2010) Combine ZP software, new version. Available from: http://www.hadleyweb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/CZP/

News.htm (accessed 23 February 2011)

Kusigemati, K. (1987) The Heloridae (Hymenoptera: Proctotrupoidea) of Japan. Kontyu, Tokyo, 55 (3), 477485.

Masner, L. (1993) Superfamily Proctotrupoidea. In: Goulet, H. & Huber, J.T. (Eds.), Hymenoptera of the World: an identifi

cation guide to families. Centre for Land and Biological Resources Research, Ottawa, Ontario, pp. 537557.

Townes, H. (1977) A revision of the Heloridae (Hymenoptera). Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 15 (2), 112.

van Achterberg, C. (1988) Revision of the subfamily Blacinae Frster (Hymenoptera, Braconidae). Zoologische

Verhandelingen Leiden, 249, 1324.

van Achterberg, C. (2006) European species of the genus Helorus Latreille (Hymenoptera: Heloridae), with description of a

new species from Sulawesi (Indonesia). Zoologische Mededelingen Leiden, 80, 112.

van Achterberg, C. (2009) Can Townes type Malaise traps be improved? Some recent developments. Entomologische

Berichten, Amsterdam, 69 (4), 129135.

IZADIZADEH ET AL.582 Zootaxa 3946 (4) 2015 Magnolia Press

http://www. hadleyweb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/CZP/News.htmhttp://www.hadleyweb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/CZP/News.htmhttp://www.hadleyweb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/CZP/News.htm

AbstractIntroductionMaterial and methodsKey to West Palaearctic species of the genus HelorusHelorus alborzicus Izadizadeh, van Achterberg & Talebi sp. nov.Helorus ruficornis Frster, 1856DiscussionAcknowledgementsReferences

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