Areopraon lepelleyi (Waterston) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) a parasitoid of Eriosomatinae (Homoptera: Aphidoidea: Pemphigidae) new to Iran

Abstract

The occurrence of Areopraon lepelleyi (Waterston), a specific parasitoid of leaf-curling Eriosoma aphids, was evidenced in Iran in association with Eriosoma lanuginosum / Ulmus carpinifolia var. umbraculifera. This is the first record of this wasp's genus for central Asia, which represents a connecting area between the eastern Mediterranean, the Caucasus and Kashmir. Areopraon lepelleyi is re-described, morphological characters are illustrated and morphological variability of its examined populations is discussed.