Carob moth, Ectomyelois ceratoniae Zeller (Lep.: Pyralidae) is considered as the most important pest of pomegranate in Iran causing serious damages up to 80% at pre and post harvesting stages. In this study larval parasitoids of carob moth were collected from three regions of production sites of pomegrante namely: Varamin, Qom, and Saveh during 2007. Eight species were collected from Varamin, 7 species from Qom and 4 collected from Saveh. The braconid, Apanteles myeloenta Wilkinson was the most prevalent species among the collected parasitoids which could be found in all the sites of study. The emergence peak of parasitoids occurred at the end of the cropping season (September). Parasitism started in Varamin from Aug., being continued until Oct. It prevailed from July until Oct in Qom and from Aug. until Oct. in Saveh. The highest diversity of parasitoids and the most parasitism percentage level was observed in Varamin. The highest percentage of fruits attacked by E. ceratoniae was found in the near harvest, period, starting in Oct. The percentage of infested fruits in the agricultural season was approximately 69.25% in Varamin, 47% in Qom and 56.25% in Saveh during October. This is the first report of parasitism of carob moth larvae by all species belonging to Ichneumonidae, Chelenus sp. (Hym.: Braconiade) and Fischeria bicolor (Dip.: Tachinidae) in the world. According to the obtained results, diversity of parasitoids and parasitism percentage of carob moth larvae is so considerable that many further studies on their control, and the conservating methods of the valuable natural treasures that can fall prey to them should be conducted.

Laboratory experiments were conducted to understand the influence of host-finding behaviour of Apanteles subandinus Blanchard and Orgilus lepidus Muesebeck, two endoparasitoids of the potato tuber moth (PTM) Phthorimaea operculella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), in a successful biological control of the pest. Responses of the two parasitoids to their host and to three host plants of the PTM were investigated in a wind tunnel individually. The results suggested that host-finding by both parasitoids is stimulated by a combination of chemicals. Females of both species discriminate between the volatiles of a mechanically damaged plant and those of PTM larvae-damaged plant. The combination of odours originating from plant host on which the host is feeding play a crucial role in the foraging behavior of these parasitoids. Developmental experience during larval stages and experience of adults to host plant influence their foraging for host. The implications of parasitoid response towards plant volatiles and their importance in biological control are discussed. Additional experiments are necessary to isolate and identify the nature of the volatile chemicals released from the host-plant complex and use them to improve the biological control of the pest.

In the course of study on larval parasitoids of carob moth, Ectomyelois ceratoniae Zeller (Lep.: Pyralidae), an hyperparasitoid wasp, Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae Rondani, was collected from pupae of Apanteles sp. (Hym.: Braconidae). The latter species is the larval parasitoid of the carob moth. The P. vindemmiae belongs to the family Pteromalidae and is a new record for Iran insect fauna.

The pistachio fruit hull borer moth, Arimania komaroffi Ragonot (Lepidoptera: Pyrallidae) was first collected from the cultivated pistachio trees, Pistacia vera Linnaeus, of Rafsanjan, southern part of Iran by Samet (Samet, 1985, Entomologist’s gazette, 36: 113- 115). It is known as “Krash” by the pistachio growers in Kerman province, Iran. The population density was remained low until late 1990 decade, however it increased up gradually thereafter. In addition to density, its distribution was also expanded through the recent years. Now, this insect occurs almost in 70% of Rafsanjan’s pistachio plantation areas the main pistachio production region of country, as well as it is causing damage in Sirjan and Zarand pistachio plantations as a patchy localized pest. It is present in the wild pistachio growing areas of Sirjan too. Our field survey showed that at least three parasitoid wasps species attack A. komaroffi, and they are active in pistachio orchards through July to September. The braconid wasp, Iconella myeloenta (Wilkinson) (Braconidae: Hymenoptera), was found as the most common solitary and primary parasitoid of A. komaroffi in Rafsanjan. It develops on A. komaroffi as a larval endoparasitoid. The parasitoid, Habrobracon telengai Muljarskaya (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), was found as a gregarious endoparasitoid for larvae of A. komaroffi. The parasitoid Elasmus sp. (Hym.: Eulophidae) was found as the second dominant parasitoid species for A. komaroffi. This is a gregarious larval ectoparasitoid of A. komaroffi, which attacks the fully developed moth larvae before pupation. In addition, it acts as facultative hyperparasitoid and attacks the braconid wasp I. myeloenta, the primary parasitoid of A. komaroffi, through its cocoon.This is the first record for the activity of above wasps on A. komaroffi. In addition, based on the available references the fist two parasitoid species have not already been reported in Iran. The voucher specimens have been deposited in the following sites; braconid species in the Budapest Museum, Hungary, and eulophid wasp in the State Pedagogical University, Russia.

Braconid Cotesia rufricus (Haliday) wasp is a gregarious endoparasitoid of lepidopterous larvae that attack rice armyworm larvae, M unipuncta and some other noctuid species. This parasitoid was reported for first time by author as a natural control agent in the rice fields of west em Mazandaran.Morphological studies showed that characteristics of this species is similar to exotic species which is also scientifically named Apanteles rufricus in the references. Biological studies showed that C. rufricus female wasp usually lay its eggs into young larval instars (first instars to third instars) of rice armyworm. After 3 to 4 days they hatched. Larvae usually feed 8-12 days from the host body contents and after full development, they emerged from the host and immediately made their pupal cocoons. After 5-10 days adult parasitoid emerged from the top of the cocoon.

Field studies were performed to identify larval and pupal parasitoids of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera, Plutellidae), in Isfahan province during summer and autumn of 2009. In each main cabbage growing areas (Flavarjan and Mobarakeh counties), two fields of common cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) and two fields of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) were chosen. Sampling was then carried out on ten randomly selected plants within each field, where all P. xylostella larvae and pupae were collected and reared under laboratory conditions. In present study, seven species of parasitoid wasps (five larval and two pupal parasitoids) and two species of hyperparasitoid wasps were determined:1- Larval Parasitoeids:Cotesia plutellae (Braconidae)Apanteles sp. (Braconidae)Bracon hebetor (Braconidae)Diadegma semiclausum (Ichneumonidae)Diadromus collaris (Ichneumonidae)2- Pupal Parasitoeids:Diadromus subtilicornis (Ichneumonidae)Oomyzus sokolowskii (Eulophidae)3- Hyperparasitoeids:Mokrzeckia obscura (Pteromalidae)Pteromalus sp. (Pteromalidae)The proportional abundance and some biological characteristics of parasitoid species were investigated. This is the first record of M. obscura on P. xylostella in Iran.

Abundance and parasitism rate of larval and pupal parasitoids of Diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) were studied at four different climatic regions in Iran (Golestan, Alborz, Isfahan and Khozestan Provinces). Nine wasp species including six larval and one pupal parasitoid and two hyperparasitoid wasps were determined. The identified parasitoids were included the braconids Cotesia vestalis (Kurdjumov, 1912) (at four selected regions), Apanteles sp. (Alborz and Isfahan Provinces), Bracon hebetor Say (Alborz Province), Microplitis sp. (Khozestan Province), ichneumoind Diadegma semiclausum (Hellen) (Alborz, Isfahan and Khozestan Provinces), the eulophid Oomyzus sokolowskii (Kurdjumov) (Alborz and Isfahan Provinces) as larval parasitoids and the ichneumonid Diadromus subtilicornis (Gravenhorst) as pupal parasitoid (Isfahan and Khozestan Provinces). In addition, the petromalid Mokrzeckia sp. (Khozestan Province) and Pteromalus sp. (Alborz and Isfahan Provinces) were identified as hyperparasitoids that parasitize C. vestalis and D. semiclausum, respectively. In three regions (Alborz, Isfahan and Khozestan Provinces), D. semiclausum was the most predominant species with high parasitism rate. Our findings demonstreated that the D. semiclausum, is good candidate and could be considered for release in P. xylostella biological control programs.

In this research, the fauna of parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera) was studied in 14 forest regions in Mazandaran province (northern Iran) during 2010-2016. The sampled areas were: Fin Forest Park in Chalus, Dohezar and Sehezar Forests in Tonekabon, Mirza-Kochak-Khan Forest Park in Amol, Dalkhani Forest in Ramsar, Lajim Forest in Sari, Shahid Zare Forest Park in Sari, Khoshroudpey Forest in Galogah, Palang-Darreh in Shirgah, Urim Forest in Savadkooh, Telar Forest Park in Qaemshahr, AsalMahalleh in Ramsar, Javarem Forest Park in Zirab, Pahneh-Kola Village in Sari, and Seyed Abusaleh Village in Qaemshahr. In total, 85 parasitoid species within 67 genera and eight families, Braconidae (23 species, 15 genera), Chalcididae (two species, two genera), Chrysididae (four species, three genera), Encyrtidae (six species, six genera), Eulophidae (two species, two genera), Ichneumonidae (41 species, 33 genera), Mymaridae (single species) and Pteromalidae (six species, five genera) were collected and identified. Seven species, Aleiodes pallidicornis (Herrich-Schä ffer, 1838), Apanteles parasitellae (Bouché 1834) (Braconidae), Cryptus moschator (Fabricius, 1787), Gelis karakurti (Rossikov, 1904) (Ichneumonidae), Mokrzeckia menzeli Subba Rao, 1981, Solenura ania (Walker, 1846), Solenura nigra (Walker, 1872) (Pteromalidae) are new records for the fauna of Iran.

The corn armyworm (Spodoptera exigua Hb.) is one of the main pests of summer as well as winter corn crop in the Khuzestan province. The pest has a wide host range, and damage to sugar beet and corn crops is economically important in Khuzestan province.The biological characteristics including, life cycle, number of generation, kind of damage, host preference, egg laying and population fluctuation of the pest were examined during this investigation.Egg clusters could be deposited on upper or lower side of corn leaves as well as on stems. Each larval stage had special feeding behavior. Damage caused by the thirtd and forth Corn plants with 3-4 leaves were preferred for egg lagging by female insects compare to older and yoounger plants. As diapouse is facultative in this insect, in an experiment conducted in optimal 17± 1 laboratorial conditions (300.), 10L/14RH and 60-70% generation were reared in one year.In the field condition of Khouzestan, the insect produced eight generations per year. Braconidae) and: Habrobracon sp. (Hym. Braconidae): Apanteles glomeratus (Hym. Were collected in the larval stages of the: pest. Chrysopa earn ea L. (Neur. Chrysopidae) and Vespa sp. (Hym. Vespidae) were among the most active predators which seemed to have an important role in the lowering pest population.