We have identified the following three taxa related to the Aphidius colemani species group, which are important biological control agents: Aphidius colemani, Aphidius transcaspicus and Aphidius platensis. Using partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) gene and geometric morphometric analysis of the forewing shape, we have explored the genetic structure and morphological variability of the A. colemani group from different aphid host/plant associations covering a wide distribution area. The topology of the maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood trees were identical with 98-100% bootstrap support, clustering A. colemani, A. platensis and A. transcaspicus into separate species. The distances among the taxa ranged from 2.2 to 4.7%, which is a common rate for the between-species divergence within the subfamily Aphidiinae. Differences in the shape of the forewing investigated within the biotypes of A. colemani group are congruent with their genetic diversification. Both A. platensis and A. colemani share a common host range pattern, and it would be interesting to estimate and compare the role of these two species in future biological control strategies against aphids of economic importance. Our results indicate that 'genetic screening' is a reliable approach for identification within the A. colemani group. The high variation in the wing shape among species, including a significant divergence in the wing shape among specimens that emerged from different hosts, makes the forewing shape and wing venation less reliable for species determination. Aphidius platensis is diagnostified and redescribed, and the key for the A. colemani group is presented.

A summary of the study of Aphis illinoisensis Shimer on grapes, Vitis vinifera in the Mediterranean area brings references and new findings on its distribution in Crete/Greece, Turkey, Northern Cyprus, Malta, Israel, Montenegro, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya. Parasitoids of A. illinoisensis were only occasionally found (Aphidius matricariae Hal. - Cyprus, Turkey, Greece; Aphidius colemani Viereck - Libya; Lysiphlebus testaceipes Cress. - Algeria). Of the native species, i.e. A. colemani, and others similar to the native species, L. testaceipes seem to be a promising biocontrol agent within the framework of an ecologically friendly management in the area. Given the evidence of its expansion, A. illinoisensis is expected to expand further in several directions from the recently documented invaded area to all the grape-growing areas of the Mediterranean and even those of South-Eastern and Central Europe

Morfološkа i genetičkа kаrаkterizаcijа Aphidius colemani kompleksа vrstа (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) Rezime Aphidius colemani kompleks vrsta je definisan kao grupa vrsta sa pantropskosuptropskim rasprostranjenjem koja se odlikuje malim brojem brazdi, karakterističnog položaja, na anterolateralnom regionu petiolusa. Predstavlja jednu od 10 grupa vrsta (kompleksa) sa nerešenim taksonomskim statusom u okviru roda Aphidius. Morfološka i genetička karakterizacija Aphidius colemani kompleksa izvršena je primenom morfometrije i analize sekvenci barkoding regiona gena za subjedinicu jedan citohrom oksidaze (COI). Morfometrijskim analizama obuhvaćeno je 250 jedinki A. colemani kompleksa sа prostorа 23 države sa četiri kontinenta. Analizom varijabilnosti morfoloških karaktera pokazano je postojanje značajnih razlika u pogledu njihove informativnosti u pogledu razdavjanja različitih grupa ovog kompleksa. UtvrĎeno je koji su morfološki karakteri dovoljno informativni za razlikovanje taksona unutar ovog kompleksa parazitskih osa. Molekularne analize su obuhvatile 54 jedinke iz 8 država. Analizom sekvenci COI gena i rekonstrukcijom filogenetskih odnosa utvrĎeno je postojanje skrivenog taksona unutar A. colemani kompleksa. Kombinacijom rmorfometrijskih i molekularnih metoda utvrĎeno je da u okviru Aphidius colemani kompleksa vrsta postoje najmanje tri taksona: Aphidius colemani, Aphidius transcaspicus i Aphidius cf. colemani 1 (novi takson). UtvrĎeno je da novotkirvena vrsta naseljava Aziju (Iran) i Južnu Ameriku (Čile). Pokazano je da ne postoji jasna veza izmeĎu genetičke diferencijacije parazitoida ovog kompleksa i njihovih afidnih domaćina, kao ni izmeĎu genetičke diferencijacije i geografskog porekla.