Four new species and new records of Platygastrinae (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) from Iran

. The following four species new to science are described: Platygaster azarbaijanica Buhl & Asadi sp. nov., Platygaster lotfalizadehi Buhl & Asadi sp. nov., Platygaster karimpouri Asadi & Buhl sp. nov. and Synopeas calecai Buhl & Asadi sp. nov. Diagnostic characters are discussed, and figures are provided to distinguish the new species. In addition, ten species of Platygastrinae Howard, 1892 belonging to the genera Platygaster Latreille, 1809, Synopeas Förster, 1856 and Leptacis Förster, 1856 are reported as new records for the fauna of Iran. Four species of Platygaster and one species of Synopeas are recorded as ʻconferʼ. and of

The genus Platygaster consists of well over 600 described species worldwide, representing more than one-third of the subfamily Platygastrinae (Johnson 2019;Popovici et al. 2019). Most species of Platygaster are very similar from a morphological point of view, dark-colored and 1-2 mm long.
The genus Synopeas has a worldwide distribution and is represented by 376 species (Rajmohana & Divya 2011;Veenakumari et al. 2014Veenakumari et al. , 2015Johnson 2019). Species of Synopeas are shiny micro wasps (1-2 mm body length) with metasomal tergites I and II fused in both sexes (Buhl 1997;MacGown & Evans 2003 add to refs). Finally, species of Leptacis are smooth and shiny wasps with around 271 species known worldwide (Johnson 2019).
Platygastrids are taxonomically challenging insects and in many countries these tiny wasps have been largely neglected and are very poorly known (Buhl 2016). The Palearctic is the best-studied zoogeographical region, and Europe, Denmark and Fennoscandia with about 220 recorded species of Platygastrinae are the most studied part (Buhl 1999). Even though Iran is regarded as a unique biogeographic location in the Palearctic, its position makes it transitional between the Palearctic, Afrotropical and Oriental regions, little taxonomic work has been done on Iranian species. Only 11 species of the subfamily Platygastrinae have been reported in Iran (Ghahari & Buhl 2011). Lotfalizadeh (2018) and Asadi-Farfar et al. (2020a, 2020b considered the family Platygastridae a poorly known group in Iran. Our recent collecting, especially from northwest Iran, led us to find some new records, as well as some new species. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is the description of four new species and ten new records for the Iranian fauna.

Material and methods
Studied wasps in this research were collected using Malaise traps, sweep nets and Berlese funnels from different localities of Iran: East Azarbaijan, West Azarbaijan, Fars and South Khorasan Provinces. Collected specimens were card mounted and labeled. Examination of the external morphology of drymounted specimens was done using an Olympus™ SZH. Morphological terminology and abbreviations follow that of Masner & Huggert (1989).
Abbreviations in descriptions: A1-A10 = antennal segments 1-10 LOL = distance between lateral and anterior ocelli OOL = distance between lateral ocellus and eye POL = distance between posterior ocelli T1-T6 = tergites 1-6 Photomicrographs were taken using a CanonTM EOS 700D (Canon Inc., Japan) camera mounted with an adapter on a HundTM stereo microscope. Photos of some holotypes were taken using a BK Lab System by Visionary Digital and also Zerene Stacker ver. 1

Biology
Parasitoids of Cecidomyiidae (Austin et al. 2005;Buhl 2006aBuhl , 2006b. From eleven species of Platygaster discussed below, three are described as new and three are new records for Iran. Buhl & Asadi sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4182ECAC-DE6A-447C-A266-71082E32D380 Fig. 1 Diagnosis (female) A9 about 1.7 times as long as wide; head 2.1 times as wide as long, mostly reticulate-coriaceous behind, with only a few short carinae; notauli indicated in about posterior half, meeting in a fine point; female metasoma about as long as rest of body, T2 striate to 0.5 of length, shorter medially.

Etymology
The name of the new species is derived from the name of the province where it was first found, East Azarbaijan. Color. Black; antennae, mandibles, tegulae and legs including coxae medium brown; base and apex of fore tibiae, base of mid and hind tibiae, and segments 1-4 of all tarsi light brown.
Mesosoma. 1.45 times as long as wide, higher than wide (19 : 18). Sides of pronotum weakly reticulate, in lower half longitudinally so, smoother along narrow upper and hind margins. Mesoscutum with a few setae, most of them anterolaterally and along hind margin, weakly reticulate, smoother medially on lateral lobes and posterior 0.25; notauli distinct in about posterior half, then fade out, meeting in a fine point just touching base of scutellum; scuto-scutellar grooves narrowly triangular, each covered by about seven setae. Mesopleuron smooth. Scutellum evenly convex, smooth, anterolaterally slightly leathery, medially bare, towards margins dense setose. Metapleuron with pilosity all over, though not dense. Propodeal carinae short, parallel; area between them distinctly wider than long, smooth.
Wings. Fore wing 0.85 as long as entire body, 2.7 times as long as wide, surpassing tip of metasoma by a distance equal to 1.25 times combined length of T3-T6, clear, with fine and dense microtrichia; marginal cilia 0.08 width of wing. Hind wing 5.6 times as long as wide, with two hamuli; marginal cilia 0.3 width of wing.

Remarks
Similar to the species complex around P. splendidula Thomson, 1859, but with more slender antennae (A5 hardly transverse and A7-A9 each as wide as long in P. splendidula). As with P. karimpouri Asadi & Buhl sp. nov., P. azarbaijanica sp. nov. has slightly slender antennae than P. pedasus Walker, 1835, which, however, has head less transverse than P. azarbaijanica sp. nov. (about 1.7 × as broad as long in P. pedasus vs about 2.1 × as broad as long in P. azarbaijanica sp. nov.); T2 smooth medially (vs densely strigose in P. pedasus); and mid lobe between notauli not quite reaching scutellum (vs nearly complete in P. pedasus). Platygaster azarbaijanica sp. nov. has antennae slightly less slender than P. ennius Walker, 1835 (all funicular segments distinctly longer than wide in both species except relatively shorter A3 in P. azarbaijanica sp. nov.) which also has occiput transversely striate, nearly complete notauli, and T2 striate only in the basal third. Platygaster azarbaijanica sp. nov. also has the head slightly more transverse and mesoscutum slightly more sculptured than in the splendidula group; but antennae are distinctly slender than in this group. Color. Black; metasoma towards apex with brownish tint; antennae, mandibles, tegulae, coxae and legs dark brown; A2-A5, trochanters, most of fore femora, entire fore tibiae, base of mid and hind tibiae, and all tarsi light brown.

Platygaster karimpouri
Head. From above 1.7 times as wide as long, 1.15 times as wide as mesosoma; occiput rounded, finely but distinctly half-circularly striated all over; vertex smooth; frons with fine oblique striation on each side of a smooth midline. OOL : POL : LOL = 3. Mesosoma. 1.5 times as long as wide, hardly 1.1 times as high as wide. Sides of pronotum smooth except for sparse hair sockets in upper half and very weak rugosity in upper anterior corner. Mesoscutum with scattered hairs towards sides, bare on mid 0.4 of width, smooth, only slightly rugose at anterior ends of notauli, these weakly indicated in slightly more than posterior half; mid lobe broad, at hind margin slightly but distinctly prolonged, covering extreme base of scutellum; numerous greyish hairs cover rather narrow scuto-scutellar grooves. Mesopleuron smooth. Scutellum weakly and evenly convex, almost bare along the middle, towards sides moderately densely hairy, smooth except for hair sockets. Metapleuron with pilosity all over, though in anterior half very sparse, smooth. Propodeal carinae short, parallel; area between them smooth, much transverse.
Wings. Fore wing 0.75 as long as entire body, 2.4 times as long as wide, surpassing tip of metasoma by a distance equal to length of T6, clear, with fine and dense microtrichia; marginal cilia about 0.05 width of wing. Hind wing 5.0 times as long as wide, with two hamuli; marginal cilia very slightly more than 0.2 width of wing.
Metasoma. Around 1.1 times as long as rest of body, 2.1 times as long as wide, slightly wider than mesosoma (about 18 : 17). Length : width of T1-T6 = 5.0 : 8.5; 19.0 : 18.0; 3.5 : 17.0; 3.0 : 14.5; 3.0 : 11.0; 5.0 : 7.5. T1 with about six somewhat uneven, rather weak longitudinal carinae and a few even weaker additional ones, bare dorsally, along sides with a few inconspicuous hairs. T2 weakly striated from basal foveae to 0.65 of length of tergite, medially with four short striae to 0.15 of length, rest of tergite as well as following tergites smooth. T3-T6 with moderately strong punctures with inconspicuous hairs: about four on T3, 12 in a transverse row on each of T4-T5, slightly fewer and more scattered on T6.

Remarks
Very similar to P. papei Buhl, 2007 (from the United Arab Emirates) but with more slender antennae, more striate occiput and T2 (vs occiput finely and irregularly transversely striate in posterior half, rest of occiput and vertex almost smooth except for fine and weak reticulation around ocelli in P. papei), and more distinct notauli (vs absent in P. papei). Platygaster karimpouri sp. nov. has slightly more slender antennae than P. pedasus Walker, 1835 which also has the occiput and T2 less striate, and mid lobe between notauli not quite reaching scutellum. Platygaster karimpouri sp. nov. has antennae slightly less slender than P. ennius Walker, 1835 which also has head 2.2 times as wide as long, nearly complete notauli, and T2 striate only in the basal third.  Color. Black; antennae, mandibles and legs including coxae dark brown; trochanters, tibiae and tarsi lighter brown.
Head. From above 1.9 times as wide as long, 1.15 times as wide as mesosoma; occiput rounded, behind eyes partially finely coriaceous, partially smooth, behind ocellar area with distinct oblique striation over whole length, medial striae almost longitudinal. Vertex smooth and laterally with traces of reticulation. Frons smooth, with a longitudinal midline from anterior ocellus, halfway to antennal insertions this impression fans out in numerous striae, this striate area becomes slightly wider than width of antennal Mesosoma. 1.5 times as long as wide, higher than wide (20 : 19). Sides of pronotum smooth, with sparse setae, most numerous on anterior part. Mesoscutum with a row of setae along inner margins of notauli, and along outer and posterior margins of lateral lobes, otherwise bare; disc smooth except for weak rugosity at anterior ends of notauli, these strong and almost complete; mid lobe rather narrowly pointed, covering the extreme base of scutellum; scuto-scutellar grooves narrowly triangular, each of their front margins with six short setae. Mesopleuron smooth. Scutellum with very few setae, smooth, evenly convex. Metapleuron smooth, with very sparse pilosity except for a short white fringe along hind margin. Propodeal carinae short, parallel, dark; area between them smooth, distinctly wider than long.

Remarks
In general, body shape much as in P. iberica Buhl, 1999 (though this has metasoma somewhat longer) but occiput of P. lotfalizadehi sp. nov. characteristically striate, in this approaching P. marginata Thomson, 1859, but P. lotfalizadehi sp. nov. with distinctly more slender antennae.

Remarks
Our studied specimens are similar to Platygaster dryope, but can be distinguished from it by the following morphological characters: smooth body, short female antennae, non-pointed female metasoma.

Remarks
Our studied specimens are similar to Platygaster papei, but can be distinguished from it by the following morphological characters: occiput finely transversely striate; female A9 very slightly longer than wide; scutellum convex; metasoma short, with basal foveae very faintly striate to less than half of length.

Host
Unknown.

Biology
Parasitoids of Cecidomyiidae (Austin et al. 2005;Hernández Mahecha et al. 2018). From seven species of Synopeas discussed below, one is described as new and five are new records for Iran.

Holotype
Head. From above 1.8 times as wide as long, hardly 1.1 times as wide as mesosoma, very faintly reticulate-coriaceous, just behind ocellar area with a short, incomplete, weak hyperoccipital carina. OOL : POL : LOL = 2.0 : 8.0 : 3.5. OOL very slightly longer than longest diameter of lateral ocellus. Eyes bare. Head in frontal view 1.15 as wide as high. Antenna with A1 0.8 as long as height of head, longer than distance between inner orbits ( Mesosoma. 1.4 times as long as wide, about as high as wide. Sides of pronotum reticulate-coriaceous (in lower half longitudinally so). Mesoscutum with very sparse, scattered setae, very finely and evenly reticulate-coriaceous; notauli faintly indicated in posterior two-thirds; mid lobe slightly prolonged, somewhat bluntly, to base of scutellum, dark and swollen here. Scuto-scutellar grooves wide, each with six strong, pale setae in anterior half. Mesopleuron smooth, with two strong longitudinal furrows and some weaker ones just below tegula. Scutellum smooth and bare on large medial area, finely coriaceous on anterior slope, along sides with dense white setae, posteriorly obliquely angled in lateral view, bluntly triangular in dorsal view. Metapleuron in anterior half smooth and bare, in posterior half with dense, white adpressed pilosity. Propodeal carinae low, dark, well separated, slightly diverging; area between them only slightly longer than its posterior width.
Wings. Much damaged in a unique specimen, but fore wing seems to be of average size (reaching at least base of T6), with whitish tint and without visible microtrichia or marginal cilia. Metasoma. About 1.3 times as long as rest of body, 2.3 times as long as wide, 1.3 times as wide as high, very slightly wider than mesosoma. Length : width of T1- T6 = 4.0 : 9.0; 34.0 : 22.0; 3.0 : 20.5; 2.5 : 18.0; 3.0 : 15.0; 7.0 : 11.0. T1 with numerous fine longitudinal carinae, only laterally with pubescence. T2 anteromedially convex, here longitudinally striate to 0.2 of length, at each side with a longitudinal fovea of similar length, pubescent in basal half. T3-T5 each with a transverse stripe of weak reticulation and about ten inconspicuous setae. T6 with faint reticulation all over, with very few scattered setae.

Remarks
Similar to the hitherto differentiated species S. latvianum Buhl, 2009 in shape of the anterior part of T2, but S. latvianum has preapical antennal segments transverse (vs distinctly longer than wide in S. calecai sp. nov.), and lacks hyperoccipital carina and notauli. Buhl, 2004 Material examined

Host
Unknown.

Remarks
Our studied specimens are similar to S. lugubre but with having the following morphological character can be separated from it: larger, with lighter body appendages, stronger hind lamella on scutellum. Buhl, 2009 Material examined

Host
Unknown.

Host
Unknown.

Host
Unknown.

Discussion
In neighboring countries of Iran, very limited studies have been conducted on the fauna of the family of Platygastridae, despite their important role as biological control agents in various ecosystems. Most studies have been conducted in the former Soviet Union (Kozlov 1971(Kozlov , 1974(Kozlov , 1977(Kozlov , 1978(Kozlov , 1989Proshchalykin 2012;Timokhov 2019aTimokhov , 2019b. More recently, Timokhov (2019a) has reported new data on distributions of nine species of platygastrid wasps in the fauna of Russia. Of them, Leptacis laodice (Walker, 1836) is recorded in the fauna of Russia for the first time. Also, three platygastrid species are reported as new for the fauna of Georgia, Acerotella boter (Walker, 1838), Amblyaspis aliena (Nees, 1834) and A. nodicornis (Nees, 1834). In other neighboring countries, Baryconus graeffei (Kieffer, 1908) has been reported from Turkey (Popovici et al. 2013). Some species of Platygastroidea were reported by Kononova & Kozlov (2008) from Turkey. Three species of Scelio Latreille, 1805 (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea: Scelionidae) (Polaszek et al. 2019) and Platygaster oebalus Walker, 1835 (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) (Kareem et al. 2020) have been reported from Iraq. A new genus and species of platygastrid flies, namely Psix abnormis Kozlov & Le, 1976, were described from Afghanistan (Kozlov & Le 1976). Odontacolus harteni Valerio, Masner & Austin, 2010 (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) has been reared from an unknown spider egg sac from Pakistan (Valerio et al. 2010). The study of platygastrid wasps in Iran is in the early stages of development and relatively good results have been obtained from these studies. Hitherto only five species of Platygaster have been reported from Iran (Ghahari & Buhl 2011): Platygaster demades (Walker, 1836) and Platygaster laticeps Thomson, 1859 from Arasbaran Forest; Platygaster oebalus Walker, 1835 from East Azarbaijan, Guilan and West Azarbaijan Provinces; Platygaster oleae Szelenyi, 1940 from Mazandaran Province; and Platygaster pelias (Walker, 1836) from East Azarbaijan, Golestan and Isfahan Provinces. With three new species and three new records, this paper raises the number of Platygaster species from Iran proper to eleven. Only one species of the large cosmopolitan genus Synopeas has been reported from Iran: Synopeas tarsa (Walker, 1835), from Hormozgan Province (Ebrahimi 2008). In this research, we included one new species and five new records; therefore, the number of Iranian species of Synopeas is raised to seven. Also, in the present study a number of species are recorded as ʻconferʼ. More samples are needed to identify them more accurately. Since Iran is very rich in terms of plant, animal, climatic and topographic diversity, it is expected that the number of species of this family will be increased by conducting further studies.