A survey of aphid parasitoids (Hymenoptera : Braconidae : Aphidiinae) in Diyarbakir, Turkey

WOS: 000186427200012Aphids (Homoptera: Aphidoidea) are among the most important agricultural pests worldwide, causing damage directly by plant feeding and indirectly as vectors of plant viruses (4,5,15). Aphid parasitoids play a significant role in reducing aphid populations (9,24). Aphids are known to have many natural enemies from different taxa. Among these, aphidiids (Braconidae: Aphidiinae) are small wasps, with an adult size ranging from approximately one to several mm. They are strictly specific solitary endophagous parasitoids of aphids (14,18,22,24). Approximately 60 genera and subgenera and more than 400 species of Aphidiinae are known from all over the world. Host finding starts with the selection of a suitable habitat, with the food plants of the host aphids playing an important role, because the parasitoids are attracted to odors released from aphid-infested plants (6,20). A few investigations have been conducted on aphid parasitoids in Turkey. The aim of this study was to determine aphid parasitoids in Diyarbakir Province of Turkey