Uncovering Norway: Descriptions of Four New Aphidiinae Species (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) with Identification Key and Notes on Phylogenetic Relationships of the Subgenus Chen.

With only 33 reported species, Norway ranks among the European countries with the lowest documented diversity of parasitoids from the subfamily Aphidiinae. The "MUST Malaise" project, carried out by Museum Stavanger in Norway, aimed to assess insect abundance and biodiversity and create a reference base for future studies. The preliminary results of our study revealed four species new to science, indicating that the current number of recorded species in Norway is significantly lower than the actual diversity.

It's time for Africa - hidden diversity of the species group (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) south of the Sahara.

is an important biological control agent, used in greenhouses and open fields against aphid pests. Despite this economical importance, , along with and , has gone through a complex taxonomical history. The three species have only recently gained status as separate species again, comprising the morphologically defined species group.

A new species of genus (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) from South Korea.

Background: The genus Haliday, 1833 is a small group which consists of 24 species worldwide. In South Korea, Chang and Youn (1983) recorded one species, Starý & Schlinger, 1967, but the evidence for identification of this species is doubtful and further confirmation is required (personal communication with Prof. Jong-Cheol Paik).

Diversity of parasitoid wasps (Insecta, Hymenoptera) in oilseed rape fields in Serbia.

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.

 sp. nov. (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae): description of a new aphid parasitoid species with an identification key for species of the genus.

The braconid genus Hincks is a small member of the subfamily Aphidiinae, distributed in Europe and Central Asia. All its species are highly specialized parasitoids of aphids of the genera Koch and, probably, van der Hoeven which are mostly associated with maple and sycamore trees (genus ). Upon examination of specimens from the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, we unexpectedly noted unusual variability in morphological characters compared to other known species.

Two new species of subtribe Monoctonina Mackauer from Europe (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae).

Falciconus hispanicus sp. n. and Monoctonus montenegrinus sp.

Resolving the Taxonomic Status of Potential Biocontrol Agents Belonging to the Neglected Genus Förster (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) with Descriptions of Six New Species.

is a small genus in the subfamily Aphidiinae represented by one species in Europe ( Förster) and by four in Asia ( Chen, Gahan, Pramanik and Raychaudhuri and Pramanik and Raychaudhuri). Although is employed in biological control programs against pest aphids, the last morphological study on the genus was completed over 50 years ago. This study employs an integrative approach (morphology and molecular analysis (COI barcode region)), to examine specimens that were sampled worldwide, including specimens from BOLD database.

Phylogeny of the Subtribe Monoctonina (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae).

Members of the Monoctonina subtribe have long been neglected in applied studies of the subfamily Aphidiinae, due to their low economic importance, as they do not parasitize pests of cultivated plants. Consequently, data about this group are scarce, including its taxonomy and phylogeny. In the present study, we explore inter- and intraspecific genetic variation of Monoctonina species, including genera Haliday 1833, Starý 1962, Mackauer 1959 and Cameron 1900.

Review of the world Monoctonina Mackauer 1961 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae): key for their identification and descriptions of five new species.

The subtribe Monoctonina has long been overlooked when it comes to morphological studies, probably due to the low economic importance of its members. Mainly distributed in high montane areas and forest ecosystems, species of Monoctonina are not often found in large populations and do not parasitize pests of cultivated plants. Our research uncovered five new species belonging to this subtribe (Monoctonus brachyradius sp.

Phylogenetic relationships and subgeneric classification of European species (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae).

In this study two molecular markers were used to establish taxonomic status and phylogenetic relationships of subgenera and species distributed in Europe. Fifteen of the nineteen currently known species have been analysed, representing three subgenera: Gärdenfors, 1986, Starý, 1958 and Haliday, 1833. The results of analysis of COI and EF1α molecular markers and morphological studies did not support this classification.

Key for identification of the parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) of aphids infesting alfalfa in Europe.

Although Aphidiinae parasitoids have been used as agents for biocontrol of alfalfa aphids for more than half a century and have been the subject of numerous ecological investigations, there is an evident lack of systematic studies on the parasitoids of aphids infesting alfalfa in Europe. Here we present an original and up-dated key for identification of both native and invasive Aphidiinae parasitoids attacking aphids that feed on alfalfa in Europe. In total, 20 species are keyed and illustrated with scanning electron micrographs and line drawings.

Revision of the world Monoctonia Starý, parasitoids of gall aphids: taxonomy, distribution, host range, and phylogeny (Hymenoptera, Braconidae: Aphidiinae).

The present paper represents a contribution to the knowledge of the taxonomy of Monoctonia Starý aphid parasitoids obtained using the barcoding region of the mitochondrial COI gene. We discuss the phylogenetic position of the genus within the subtribe Monoctonina, redescribe known species, and describe Monoctonia japonica sp. n.