The knowledge of the Iranian fauna has always had a special interest thanks to the climatic conditions and geographical location (Eastern Palaeartic region). With an area of 1,648,195 km2 and different climatic ranges, from extremely arid to a subtropical rainy, Iran is divided from NW to NE by the Alborz mountain. This orography favors the occurrence of unique flora and fauna.
The first records of Iranian Braconids were done by Szépligeti in 1901. Despite this discovery, few studies were carried out posteriorly and subfamilies such as Alysiinae and Opiinae were greatly ignored. Consequently, teams from different Iranian universities (researchers and students) together with Braconidae specialists are carrying out several projects in order to increase that knowledge.
Main researches and universities cooperating are:
- Ehsan Rakhshani (University of Zabol) [Researchgate]
- Ali Asghar Talebi (Tarbiat Modares University) [Researchgate]
- Massoud Madjdzadeh (Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman) [Researchgate]
- Ali Ameri (Tarbiat Modares University) [Researchgate]
List of papers published:
17. Safahani, S., Madjdzadeh, S.M., Peris-Felipo, F.J. 2018. Contribution to the fauna and phenological knowledge of high mountains Opiinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) in Kerman province (Iran). Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics, 4 (2): 73-83 [pdf]
16. Peris-Felipo, F.J., Belokobylskij, S.A., Derafshan, H.A., Rakhshani, E. 2018. Revision of the genus Hoplocrotaphus Telenga, 1950 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Opiinae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 62: 55-72 [pdf]
15. Safahani, S., Iranmanesh, M., Madjdzadeh, S.M., Peris-Felipo, F.J. 2017. Contribution to the knowledge of Alysiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) of Kerman province, with three new records for Iran. Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics, 3 (3), 265-271 [pdf]
14. Derafshan, H.A., Rakhshani, E., Farahani, S., Peris-Felipo, F.J. 2017. Adelius aridus (Tobias, 1967) (Hym., Braconidae, Cheloninae) associated with a Tamarix leafminer (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae), new for Iran. Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics, 3 (3): 229-238 [pdf]
13. Safahani, S., Madjdzadeh, S., Peris-Felipo, F.J. 2016. Braconidae (Hymenoptera) communities of Iranian alfalfa fields at high altitude. Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics, 2(4): 339-447 [pdf]
12. Cortés-Mendoza, E., Ameri, A., Asghar-Talebi, A., Rakhshani, E., Peris-Felipo, F.J. 2016. Subfamily Alysiinae Leach, 1815 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Iran: new records and updated list. Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics, 2(4): 411-418 [pdf]
11. Yari, Z., Cortés, E., Peris-Felipo, F.J., Rakhshani, E. 2016. A faunistic survey on the genus Chorebus Haliday (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Alysiinae, Dacnusini) in Eastern Iran. Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics, 2 (3): 355-366 [pdf]
10. Peris-Felipo, F.J., Ameri, A., Rakhshani, E., Belokobylskij, S.A. 2016. The genus Aspilota Foerster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Alysiinae) in western Asia. Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics, 2 (2): 259-283 [pdf]
9. Peris-Felipo, F. J., Yari, Z., Rakhshani, E., Belokobylskij, S. A. 2016. Aspilota isfahanensis, a new species of the genus Aspilota Foerster, 1863 from Iran (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Alysiinae. ZooKeys, 582: 121-127 [pdf]
8. Ranjbar, M., Madjdzadeh, S.M., Peris-Felipo, F. J., Askari, M., Rakhshani, E. 2016. A contribution to the fauna of Opiinae (Hym., Braconidae) of Kerman Province South-Eastern Iran. Journal Entomological Research Society, 18 (1): 19-26 [pdf]
7. Peris-Felipo, F. J., Zahra, Y., van Achterberg, C., Rakhshani, E., Belokobylskij, S. 2016. Review of species of the genus Adelurola Strand, 1928, with a key to species (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Alysiinae). Zookeys, 566: 13-30. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.566.6684 [pdf]
6. Peris-Felipo, F. J., Ameri, A., Talebi, A. A., Belokobylskij, S. 2015. Review of the genus Aristelix Nixon, 1943 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Alysiinae), with description of a new species from Iran and clarification of Antrusa chrysogastra (Tobias, 1986) status. Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 45: 97-111. doi: 10.3897/JHR.45.5313 [pdf]
5. Ghotbi, S. G., Madjdzadeh, S. M., Peris-Felipo, F. J., Hesni, M. A., Rakhshani, E. 2015. A contribution to Alysiinae of South-Eastern Iran with description of the male of Chorebus longiarticulis. Turkish Journal of Zoology, 39: 836-841. doi: 10.3906/zoo-1408-9 [pdf]
4. Hazini, F., Zamani, A. A., Peris-Felipo, F. J., Yari, Z., Rakhshani, E. 2015. Alysiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) parasitoids of the pea leafminer, Chromatomyia horticola (Goureau, 1851) (Diptera: Agromyzidae) in Kermanshah, Iran. Journal of Crop Protection, 4 (1): 97-108 [pdf]
3. Khajeh, N., Yari, Z., Rakhshani, E., Peris-Felipo, F. J. 2014. A regional checklist of Alysiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Iran. Journal of Crop Protection, 3 (4): 413-423 [pdf]
2. Khajeh, N., Rakhshani, E., Peris-Felipo, F. J., Zikic, V. 2014. Contributions to the Opiinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) of Eastern Iran with updated checklist of Iranian species. Zootaxa, 3784 (2): 131-147. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3784.2.3 [pdf]
1. Peris-Felipo, F. J., Rahmani, Z., Belokobylskij, S., Rakhshani, E. 2014. Genus Indiopius Fischer, 1966 (Hymenoptra, Braconidae, Opiinae) in Iran with a key to the world species. Zookeys, 368: 37-44. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.368.6658 [pdf]