The present work covers original information on the aphid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) of Southeastern Europe. The individual parasitoid species were reared from identified host aphid and plant associations which are listed alphabetically. Twenty two aphidiine genera and 115 species from 208 aphid taxa occurring on 422 plant taxa were identified and 561 parasitoid-aphid associations are reported. The determined parasitoid fauna was divided into 9 faunal groups. Local information on some important biocontrol agents (Aphidius colemani Viereck) as well as on expansive/introduced species (Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson)) in the area are presented.

Agricultural intensification (AI) is currently a major driver of biodiversity loss and related ecosystem functioning decline. However, spatio-temporal changes in community structure induced by AI, and their relation to ecosystem functioning, remain largely unexplored. Here, we analysed 16 quantitative cereal aphid–parasitoid and parasitoid–hyperparasitoid food webs, replicated four times during the season, under contrasting AI regimes (organic farming in complex landscapes vs. conventional farming in simple landscapes). High AI increased food web complexity but also temporal variability in aphid–parasitoid food webs and in the dominant parasitoid species identity. Enhanced complexity and variability appeared to be controlled bottom-up by changes in aphid dominance structure and evenness. Contrary to the common expectations of positive biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships, community complexity (food-web complexity, species richness and evenness) was negatively related to primary parasitism rates. However, this relationship was positive for secondary parasitoids. Despite differences in community structures among different trophic levels, ecosystem services (parasitism rates) and disservices (aphid abundances and hyperparasitism rates) were always higher in fields with low AI. Hence, community structure and ecosystem functioning appear to be differently influenced by AI, and change differently over time and among trophic levels. In conclusion, intensified agriculture can support diverse albeit highly variable parasitoid–host communities, but ecosystem functioning might not be easy to predict from observed changes in community structure and composition.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00442-012-2366-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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.

Original information on aphidiine braconids from Thailand is presented. Collections of specimens from 2006 through 2008 using Malaise traps and yellow pan traps yielded 7 new species records for the country, i.e., Binodoxys indicus Subba Rao et Sharma, Bioxys japonicus Starý et Schlinger, Diaeretus leucopterus (Haliday), Ephedrus lacertosus (Haliday), Fissicaudus thailandicus Starý et Rakshshani, Indaphidius curvicaudatus Starý and Parabioxys songbaiensis Shi et Chen. The new records demonstrate faunal connections with India, Vietnam, the eastern Palaearctic, and more interestingly disjunct connections with the western Palaearctic, i.e. Ephedrus lacertosus (Haliday), Diaeretus leucopterus (Haliday), Lipolexis gracilis Förster, and afrotropical regions, i.e. Aphidius autriquei Starý. In all, 11 species belonging to 10 genera are presented.

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