To the Knowledge of the Aphidiid Wasps of the Genera Dyscritulus Hincks, 1943 and Pseudopraon Starý, 1975 (Hymenoptera, Aphidiidae: Prainae)

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

“…While D. planiceps is distributed throughout Europe, D. pygmaeus has been recorded only twice since its description, in Finland and Hungary ( Hellen 1971 ; Polgar 1983 ). Dyscritulus trjapitzini is known only from its type locality Georgia (Abkhazia) ( Davidian 2018 ) and D. dzhungaricus is described from Kazakhstan ( Davidian 2019 ) and also reported from Russian Siberia and Mongolia ( Davidian 2020 ), In this article, the new species has a southern European distribution, having been recorded in Spain (Málaga), Serbia and France (Mt. Ventoux, southern France).…”

“… Dyscritulus dzhungaricus ( A, D ) and D. trjapitzini ( B, C ), not to scale A propodeum– dorsal aspect B scape, pedicel, and F 1 and F 2 flagellomeres C petiole – dorsal aspect D fore wing. Redrawn from Davidian 2018 , 2019 . …”

“…nov. were collected in both urban and protected areas (national parks), i.e., on cultivated and forest trees. Even after its revision ( Starý 1959 ) and additional species descriptions ( Davidian 2018 , 2019 ), the biology of the genus still remains poorly known. It is likely that these five currently known species represent only a fraction of its actual diversity.…”

“…Distributed in Europe and Central Asia ( Starý 1959 ; Davidian 2018 , 2019 , 2020 ), Dyscritulus species are parasitoids of the aphid genera Drepanosiphum Koch and Periphyllus van der Hoeven, which are almost exclusively associated with sycamore and maple species of Acer L. However, Periphyllus aphids are associated with specific parasitoid complexes [ Aphidius setiger Mackauer, Areopraon silvestre (Starý) and Trioxys falcatus Mackauer] ( Starý 1972 ) and records of parasitization by D. planiceps ( Davidian 2018 ) should be re-evaluated. Only the biology of D. planiceps has been studied and is all that is known at the moment.…”