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In total 23 oothecae of seven species of mantids from six genera Bolivaria Stål, 1877 (Rivetinidae), Elaea Stål, 1877 (Gonypetidae), Empusa Illiger, 1798 (Empusidae), Hierodula Burmeister, 1838 (Mantidae), Holaptilon Beier, 1964 (Gonypetidae), Iris Saussure, 1869 (Eremiaphilidae) were collected. About 69% of collected oothecae of mantids were parasitized by the Hymenoptera families, Torymidae and Eupelmidae. Here, we report seven parasitoid species of Mantodea oothecae, Eupelmus (Macroneura) vesicularis (Retzius, 1783) (Eupelmidae), Iridophaga lichtensteini Picard, 1933 (Torymidae), Iridophagoides petiolatus Erdös, 1964 (Torymidae), Microdontomerus sp. (Torymidae), Monodontomerus obscurus Westwood, 1833 (Torymidae), Palachia pulchra Bouček, 1969 (Torymidae), Podagrion pachymerum (Walker, 1833) (Torymidae) of Mantodea oothecae. Of which, Ichnanthus petiolatus and P. pulchra are new records for Iranian fauna. The species E. (M.) vesicularis, I. petiolatus, Microdontomerus sp., M. obscurus, P. pulchra are reported as parasitoids of mantid oothecae for the first time. This is the first attempt to study parasitoids of seven species of mantids oothecae. The parasitism rate of different mantids oothecae was varied from 38 to 92% in different species.

Background The Campopleginae is the third largest subfamily of Ichneumonidae in the world and Iran. Results During a study of the family Ichneumonidae in northwestern Iran, we collected 30 species of the subfamily Campopleginae. One genus, Parameloboris Riedel, and two species, Diadegma persicum Riedel sp. nov. and Parameloboris nigrocephalus Riedel sp. nov. , are new to science described and illustrated here. Nine species are recorded for the first time for the fauna of Iran. A checklist of the Iranian members of Campopleginae was provided showing the geographical distribution in Iran. A new name, Dusona rufigaster Riedel, Mohammadi-Khoramabadib and Khayrandish, 2019 proposed for preoccupied by Walley, 1940 a new name, Dusona rufitergus Riedel & Karimi is proposed here. Conclusions The number of identified species of the subfamily Campopelgine in Iran increased to 94 species.

An overview of the family Leucospidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) is provided for the leucospid fauna of the Arabian Peninsula. Two genera containing four species are identified based on morphometrics and colour patterns. One species, Leucospis ayezae Usman, Anwar & Ahmad, sp. nov. , is described. Leucospis elegans Klug had been previously recorded from Arabia Felix (= Yemen) and is recorded here for the first time from Saudi Arabia. The status of Leucospis aff. namibica from Yemen has been clarified, and this species is placed here in the genus Micrapion Kriechbaumer as M. clavaforme Steffan. An updated key and a map showing the distribution of the family Leucospidae in the Arabian Peninsula is provided. The occurrence and color morphs of all leucospid species that have been recorded so far from the region are briefly discussed.

Bactericera tremblayi (Wagner, 1961) (Hemiptera: Triozidae) is reported on Brassica oleracea var. capitata (Brassicaceae) in northwestern Iran. Tamarixia monesus (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea, Eulophidae) was reared for the fi rst time on B. tremblayi, and compared with Tamarixia tremblayi, another parasitoid of B. tremblayi. Th is is a new record of T. monesus from the Middle East.

Erimerinae has been proposed as a subfamily group name prior to Microdontomerinae and the latter was considered as a junior synonym of Erimerinae. A new genus, Perserimerus Lotfalizadeh & Rasplus, gen. nov. , and three new species, Perserimerus marginalis Lotfalizadeh & Rasplus, sp. nov. , Microdontomerus iriphagus Lotfalizadeh & Janšta, sp. nov. , and M. quadrimaculatus Lotfalizadeh & Rasplus, sp. nov. , are described from Iran. Diagnostic characters of the new genus and newly described species are provided and compared with morphologically similar genera and species. Microdontomerus iriphagus and M. quadrimaculatus were reared from oothecae of Iris oratoria (Linnaeus, 1785) (Mantodea) and galls of Stefaniola similata Mamaev, 1972 (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) on Haloxylon ammodendron C.A. Mey, respectively. A key to the known species of Microdontomerus of Iran is provided.

Two parasitoid wasps, Torymus artemisiae Mayr and Torymoides violaceus (Nikol’skaya), were reared on Artemisia herba-alba (Asteraceae) galles, in central Iran. Torymus artemisiae and T. violaceus were developed from the gall midges: Rhopalomyia navasi Tavares and R. hispanica Tavares, respectively. The occurrence of these two parasitic wasps in Iran, and their associations with R. navasi and R. hispanica, are new. Data on the wasps’ biological associations and geographical distribution are provided. The parasitoid compositions of the genus Rhopalomyia (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) were also discussed.

The tomato leafminer Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) is one of the most devastating pests of greenhouse and outdoor tomato crops. Since it is a newly introduced pest in Iran, there is an important need to search for its natural enemies. In the course of a survey on the natural enemies of this pest, samplings were carried out in tomato greenhouses heavily infested with the tomato leafminer, in the Borazjan region of the Bushehr province in Iran. Leaves with mines were reared in the laboratory until emergence of parasitoids. A single parasitoid species of the family Eulophidae was reared and identified as Neochrysocharis formosus (Westwood 1833). This species is reported for the first time on the tomato leafminer in Iran. Such information may help in developing biological control programs to control this serious pest.

The diversity of plant species belonging to the Poaceae family in Iran is very rich with about 500 known species. Many species of gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) have a feeding relationship with plants of the Poaceae family. Despite the great species richness of Poaceae in Iran and the association between Cecidomyiidae/Poaceae, only 6 species of gall midges have been collected and identified from the plants of the Poaceae in Iran. In the present investigation related to the gall midge fauna of Iran, 3 genera namely, Calamomyia Gagné, 1969, Epicalamus Sylvén, 1998 and Mayetiola Kieffer, 1896 and 13 species namely, C. echinochloa Felt, 1916, Contarinia festucae Jones, 1940, C. floricola (Oettingen, 1927), C. lolii Metcalfe, 1933, Dasineura alopecuri (Reuter, 1895), E. phalaridis Sylvén, 1998, Lasioptera arundinis Schiner, 1854, L. calamagrostidis Rübsaamen, 1893, L. donacis Coutin, 2001, Mayetiola poae (Bosc, 1817), Stenodiplosis sorghicola (Coquillett, 1899), S. geniculati (Reuter, 1895) and S. panici Plotnikov 1926 are reported for the first time from the country. The adult specimens were obtained by rearing from their larvae on 13 genera and 13 species of Poaceae. The genus Calamomyia Gagné 1969, which is distributed in the Nearctic region, is reported for the first time from the Palearctic region.

Gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) that is one of the successful groups in Hymenoptera are known for their ability to induce complex plant galls. The species Diplolepis fructuum (Rübsaamen) (Cynipidae) induce fruit galls on dog roses (Rosa spp.), and it is known to be the most important pest on dog roses in Turkey. In this study, D. fructuum galls were collected from Rosa canina L. in four provinces of Turkey during 2013–2014. In addition to 22 species formerly reported to be associated with rose gall wasps in Turkey, the present study found 3 parasitoid wasp species that are not regularly associated with Diplolepis galls, namely Pediobius bruchicida (Rondani) (Eulophidae), Cyrtoptyx lichtensteini (Masi) and Mesopolobus amaenus (Walker) (Pteromalidae). Cyrtoptyx lichtensteini is a new record for Turkey. Finally, a list of parasitoids associated with rose gall wasps in Turkey is presented. The gall-associated parasitoid wasps of Turkey, including Diplolepis, are discussed and compared with those of the Palaearctic region and Iran.

Eighty-nine species of Eurytomidae (Hymenoptera: Chacidoidea) belonging to 8 genera Aximopsis, Bruchophagus, Eurytoma, Exeurytoma, Macrorileya, Sycophila, Systole and Tetramesa known from Iran to date. Of the 8 genera, Eurytoma (41 species, 46.06%) and Bruchophagus (19 species, 21.34%) are the most specious. Distribution data of each species are given and their insect hosts or associated host plants from Iran are also tabulated. The majority of entomophagous eurytomid wasps known in Iran are parasitoids associated with Hymenoptera (73.68%), followed by Coleoptera (15.79%), Diptera (7.01%), Lepidoptera and Hemiptera (each 1.76%). Most of the species (80.69%) are parasitoids associated with galls induced by cynipid wasps and tephritid flies distributed in Zagros mountain range, which extends from the northwest of Iranian plateau to southern Iran. The Iranian phytophagous eurytomids are developing on species of 8 plant families: Anacardiaceae, Apiaceae, Asphodelaceae, Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Poaceae and Rosaceae. The majority of phytophagous species are seed-eaters (90.63%), especialy on various genera and species of Fabaceae, whereas a few stem-miner species are found in family Poaceae (9.37%). Two species, Eurytoma amygdali Enderlein, 1907 and E. plotnikovi Nikol'skaya, 1934, are economic important pests of almond and pistachio trees, respectively, whereas Bruchophagus roddi Gussakovsky, 1933 and B. gibbus (Boheman, 1836) are regarded as potential pests of alfalfa. Sixty-two Iranian eurytomid species (69.66%) are exclusively distributed in Palaearctic region, while 9 species (10.11%) are known only from Iran. Based on comparison of eurytomid species known in Iran with those recorded from neighboring countries, the fauna of Turkey is most similar to Iran (46 species, 51.68%). Some doubtful and erroneous records are also discussed.