During a faunistic study of mangrove habitats conducted between 2015–2019 along the Makran coast (southeastern Iran), we collected specimens initially classified under the former Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea). These were identified as Herbertia wallacei Burks, 1959 (Hymenoptera: Herbertiidae). This represents the first record of H. wallacei in Iran and the first documentation of the family Herbertiidae in the Middle East

Ali Ameri

Hossein Lotfalizadeh

Mohammadreza Nematian

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 3968-2783: eISSN – 9996-0259: pISSN Journal of Entomological Society of Iran   2025, 45 (3), 387−392   © 2025 by Author(s), Published by the Entomological Society of Iran This Work is Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 International Public License. Short Communication Herbertiidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea): a family previously unrecorded in the Middle East  Hossein Lotfalizadeh  , Ali Ameri  & Mohammadreza Nematian   Insects Taxonomy Research Department, Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection (IRIPP), AREEO, Tehran, Iran Abstract. During a faunistic study of mangrove habitats conducted between 2015–2019 along the Makran coast (southeastern Iran), we collected specimens initially classified under the former Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea). These were identified as Herbertia wallacei Burks, 1959 (Hymenoptera: Herbertiidae). This represents the first record of H. wallacei in Iran and the first documentation of the family Herbertiidae in the Middle East. Keywords: Herbertia, Herbertiinae, mangrove forests, Makran coast, Iran Article info Received: 08 January 2025 Accepted: 27 June 2025 Published: 26 July 2025     Subject Editor: Mar Ferrer-Suay Corresponding author: Hossein Lotfalizadeh E-mail: h.lotfalizadeh@areeo.ac.ir  DOI: https://doi.org/10.22034/jesi.45.3.5  The family Herbertiidae is a small group of chalcidoid wasps that was recently elevated to family rank (Burks et al., 2022). For a long time, its members were included in the family Pteromalidae sensu lato. Herbertiidae comprises 10 described species worldwide, classified into three genera: Exolabrum Burks, Herbertia Howard, and Versolabrum Burks and Krogmann (the latter is extinct).  Among these, Herbertia is the largest genus, with eight known species (UCD Community, 2023). This genus has been documented from the West Palaearctic, but there are no reports from the Middle East (Rahmani et al., 2022). Burks et al. (2022) provided the diagnostic characters of the family. However, Herbertiidae has been treated as incertae sedis due to a lack of consistent phylogenetic resolution in both morphological and molecular studies (Burks et al., 2022). Members of this family are commonly known as parasitoids or presumed parasitoids of leaf-mining flies (Diptera: Agromyzidae). This host association has been confirmed for two species, while the biology of the remaining species is unknown (Peck, 1963; Herting, 1978; Burks, 1979; Andriescu & Mitroiu, 2001). During the study of hymenopteran fauna in the mangrove forests along the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea coasts in southern Iran, ten species and nine genera from six families were reported (Ameri et al., 2024), but no records from the superfamily of Chalcidoidea. Our specimens were collected using a Malaise trap installed in the mangrove forests located on the Makran coast, the northern coast of the Oman Sea. The Makran region constitutes the southern part of Sistan and Baluchestan province and the eastern part of Hormozgan province. It is a semi-desert coastal region along the Oman Sea, located in southeastern Iran and southwestern Pakistan (Fig. 1).  The main objective of this study is to investigate and document the diversity and distribution of chalcidoid wasps, with a particular focus on the family Herbertiidae, in the mangrove habitats of the Makran coast, southeastern Iran. This research aims to provide the first record of Herbertia wallacei in Iran and contribute to the understanding of the faunistic composition of the Middle East region, where this family has not been previously reported. Additionally, the study seeks to clarify the taxonomic status and ecological role of Herbertiidae species in these unique coastal ecosystems. Herbertiidae Bouček, 1988  Herbertiinae Bouček, 1988. Type genus: Herbertia Howard, 1894 Herbertia Howard, 1894 388  Herbertiidae in the Middle East …  Journal of Entomological Society of Iran 2025  45 (3) Herbertia Howard, 1894: 98. Type species: Herbertia lucens Howard, 1894, by original designation. Herbertia wallacei Burks, 1959 (Figs 2A-I) Material examined  Iran, Sistan & Baluchestan province, Chabahar, Bahu-Kalat village, 25°42ʹ04ʺN & 61°25ʹ25ʺE, 23m, 13.ix.2016-17.iv.2017, Malaise Trap, Ameri, A. & Nematian, M. leg, 2♀♀. Diagnosis  Body length 1.3 mm; entirely black (Fig. 2A) with very faint metallic blue iridescence in some areas, antenna dark brown, tibiae and tarsi whitish-yellow; antenna (Fig. 2E) very short, with 10 antennal flagellomeres, antennal formula 11163; labrum rigidly sclerotized and exposed; mesopleuron entirely smooth (Fig. 2D); notauli complete, shallow (Fig. 2F); propodeum (Fig. 2H) smooth and shining medially, between submedian carinae; marginal vein very long, twice as long as postmarginal, stigmal vein very short, without an elongate uncus, postmarginal vein twice as long as stigmal vein (Fig. 2I); head, eyes, mesosoma, and fore wing densely pilose; hind coxa with a patch of hairs posteriorly; first gastral tergite very large and convex, covering about half of the metasoma (Fig. 2G), with a pattern of hair rows anteriorly, without a median basal lamina. Biological association  We collected our studied specimens from mangrove forests on the southern coast of Iran. Burks (1959, 1979) reported this species as a parasitoid of Phytomyza ilicicola Loew, 1872 (Diptera: Agromyzidae).  Distribution  Kazakhstan (Dzhanokmen, 2005), Romania (Andriescu & Mitroiu, 2001), Mexico (De Santis, 1983), United States (Burks, 1959, 1979), Europe (Andriescu & Mitroiu, 2001; Dzhanokmen, 2005) and Iran (new record).     Fig. 1. Map of Iran including Makran coast and collection locality of Herbertia wallacei Burks, 1959.  Lotfalizadeh et al. 389  Journal of Entomological Society of Iran 2025  45 (3)     Fig. 2. Herbertia wallacei, female: A- Habitus lateral view; B- Head, frontal view; C- Head and pronotum dorsal view; D- Head and mesosma, lateral view; E- Antenna; F- Head and mesosoma, dorsal view; G- Metasoma, dorsal view; H- Propodeum, dorsal view; I- Fore wing.  The identification of H. wallacei in Iranian mangrove forests emphasizes the ecological significance of these habitats as reservoirs for parasitoid wasp diversity, many of which play critical roles in regulating populations of leaf-mining flies (Diptera: Agromyzidae). Although the biology of most Herbertiidae species remains insufficiently understood, established parasitoid relationships with agromyzid flies suggest promising applications in sustainable pest management strategies. 390  Herbertiidae in the Middle East …  Journal of Entomological Society of Iran 2025  45 (3) Taxonomically, the family Herbertiidae remains somewhat enigmatic due to limited phylogenetic resolution, as recently documented by Burks et al. (2022). Our study highlights the need for further morphological and molecular investigations to clarify the evolutionary relationships within Chalcidoidea and to better understand the diversity and host associations of Herbertiidae. In conclusion, this research contributes valuable faunistic data to the Middle Eastern hymenopteran fauna and highlights the significance of ongoing biodiversity surveys in mangrove and coastal ecosystems. Future studies should aim to explore the life history traits, host specificity, and conservation status of Herbertiidae species to enhance our understanding of their ecological roles and to support the preservation of these vulnerable habitats. Author's Contributions Hossein Lotfalizadeh: Identification, imaging the specimens, preparing the diagnostic characters, preparation of the draft, corrections on the final contents of the manuscript; Ali Ameri: collection of specimens; Mohammadreza Nematian: sorting and preparation of specimens. The authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript Author's Information Funding This research was funded by the Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection (IRIPP, Tehran, Iran), Iran and the National Science Foundation (INSF), grant No. 99026159. Data Availability Statement The specimens listed in this study are deposited in the Hak Mirzayans Insect Museum (Insect Taxonomy Research Department of the Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Tehran), and are available upon request. Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank Dr J.-Y. Rasplus (CBGP, France) for providing all the facilities to take photographs of the studied species. Ethics Approval Insects and mites were used in this study. All applicable international, national, and institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors. Conflict of Interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper. Generative AI statement The authors declare that no Gen AI was used in the creation of this manuscript. REFERENCES Ameri, A., Lotfalizadeh, H., Talebi, A. A., Bagheri, A. & Ebrahimi, E. (2024) A preliminary survey of hymenopteran fauna of Iranian mangrove ecosystem, northern part of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea. Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 10(2), 401–413. https://doi.org/10.61186/jibs.10.2. Hossein Lotfalizadeh  h.lotfalizadeh@areeo.ac.ir   https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7927-819X  Ali Ameri  aameri@iripp.ac.ir    https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2372-8494 Mohammadreza Nematian  mnematian2003@gmail.com  Lotfalizadeh et al. 391  Journal of Entomological Society of Iran 2025  45 (3) Andriescu, I. & Mitroiu, M. D. (2001) Contributions to the knowledge of the pteromalids (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Pteromalidae) from David's Valley hay fields natural reserve, Iasi (II). Analele Stiintifice ale Universitatii "Al. I. Cuza" din Iasi. (Serie Noua) (Biologie Animala) 47, 21–28. Bouček, Z. (1988) Australasian Chalcidoidea (Hyme-noptera). A biosystematic revision of genera of fourteen families, with a reclassification of species. Wallingford (UK): CAB International; p. 832. Burks, B. D. (1959) The species of the genus Herbertia How. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 61(6), 249–255.  Burks, B. D. (1979) Torymidae (Agaoninae) and all other families of Chalcidoidea (excluding Encyrtidae). In K.V. Krombein, P.D.jr. Hurd, D.R. Smith, & B.D. Burks (Eds.). Catalog of Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico. Smithsonian Institute Press, Washington, D.C. Vol. 1, 748–749.  Burks, R., Mitroiu, M. D., Fusu, L., Heraty, J. M., Janšta, P., Heydon, S., Dale-Skey Papilloud, N., Peters, R. S., Woolley, J. B., van Noort, S., Baur, H., Cruaud, A., Darling, C., Haas, M., Hanson, P., Krogmann, L., Rasplus, J. Y. (2022) From hell’s heart I stab at thee! A determined approach towards a monophyletic Pteromalidae and reclassification of Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 94, 13–88. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.94.94263  De Santis, L. (1983) Catalogo de los Himenopteros Calcidoideos de America al Sur de los Estados Unidos - Primer Suplemento. Revista Peruana de Entomología 24(1), 1–38. Dzhanokmen, K. A. (2005) Synoptic list of the Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) from Kazakhstan and middle Asia. TETHYS Entomological Research 11, 47–70. Herting, B. (1978) Neuroptera, Diptera, Siphonaptera. A catalogue of parasites and predators of terrestrial arthropods. Section A. Host or Prey/Enemy. 5, 156pp. Peck, O. (1963) A catalogue of the Nearctic Chalcidoidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera). The Canadian Entomologist (Supplement) 30, 1–1092.  Rahmani, Z., Rakhshani, E., Lotfalizadeh, H. & Mokhtari, A. (2022) Annotated checklist of Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) in the Middle East and North Africa. Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 8 (2), 265–377. https://doi.org/10.52547/jibs.8.2.265 UCD Community (2023) Universal Chalcidoidea Database Website. Available from: https://ucd.chalcid.org. [Accessed May 1, 2025].   Citation: Lotfalizadeh, H., Ameri, A. and Nematian, M. (2025) Herbertiidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea): a family previously unrecorded in the Middle East. J. Entomol. Soc. Iran, 45 (3), 387–392.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.22034/jesi.45.3.5 URL: https://jesi.areeo.ac.ir/article_131275.html            3968-2783: eISSN – 9996-0259: pISSN Journal of Entomological Society of Iran   2025, 45 (3), 387−392   © 2025 by Author(s), Published by the Entomological Society of Iran This Work is Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 International Public License. Short Communication Herbertiidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea)   است نشده گزارش خاورمیانه از تاکنون که  ايخانواده   محمد رضا نعمتیان  و   علی عامري ، زادهلطفعلی حسین ایران تهران، کشاورزي، ترویج و آموزش تحقیقات، سازمان کشور، گیاهپزشکی تحقیقات موسسه حشرات، بندي رده تحقیقات بخش -۱ مقاله  اطالعات 1403/ 19/10 :دریافت 1404/ 06/04 :پذیرش 1404/ 04/05 :انتشار  مار فرر سوايدبیر تخصصی: لطفعلی زادهحسین  نویسنده مسئول: h.lotfalizadeh@areeo.ac.ir :پست الکترونیکDOI: https://doi.org/10.22034/jesi.45.3.5 تا  1394هاي طی سال هاي حرا در منطقه مکران در سواحل جنوب شرق ایرانطی بررسی فونستیک جنگل :چکیده (Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoideaاي که در گذشته تحت عنوان هایی از خانواده، نمونه1398 Herbertiidaeاز خانواده  Herbertia wallacei Burks, 1959ها با نام آوري شد. این نمونهشد، جمعشناخته میدر خاورمیانه  Herbertiidaeاز ایران بوده، همچنین حضور خانواده   H. wallaceiشناسایی گردید. این نخستین گزارش  گردد.براي اولین بار مستند می تخصص  ،ترجیح زمانی، تغییرات شته، پارازیتوئیدهاي ي:کلیدکلمات    

Herbertiidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea): a family previously unrecorded in the Middle East

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Herbertiidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea): a family previously unrecorded in the Middle East

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