Contribution to the knowledge of Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera) of Biskra, Algeria

Study Extent

The study area is located in the Saharan bioclimatic zone, where the winter is temperate and summers are hot and dry (fig. 1). The climatic conditions of the region favour a diversified agricultural practice. Samples were collected from various locations and habitats: Ain Naga (fields producing aromatic and medicinal plants), Tolga (palm groves), Ain Naga (Horaya) (vegetable cultivation) and El Outaya (olive groves).

Sampling

This faunistic study was based on samples of Chalcidoids collected between December 2016 and August 2017. Sampling was performed by the main author using yellow pan traps and malaise traps. The samples were preserved in 70% ethanol until their transfer to the laboratory.

Quality Control

Samples were identified using available keys and the original descriptions (Graham, 1969; Gibson, 1986; Noyes and Valentine, 1989; Dawah and Rothfritz, 1996; Baquero and Jordana, 1999; Doğanla and Mendel, 2007; Guerrieri and Viggian, 2005; Yefremova et al., 2007; Dzhanokmen, 2009; Gómez et al., 2013; Bayegan et al., 2014; Shirley et al., 2017).

Method steps

1. Nomenclature is taken from Burks (1979), Ferrière and Delucchi (1957), Triapitsyn and Berezovskiy (2001), Delvare (2005), Japoshvili and Noyes (2006), Zimmermann and Schöller (2008), Dzhanokmen (2009), Dale-Skey et al. (2016), Ghahari and Doğanlar (2017), Shirley et al. (2017), Noyes (2018).

1. Insecta
   rank: class
2. Hymenopetra
   rank: order
3. Chalcidoidea
   rank: superfamily
4. Aphelinidae
   rank: family
5. Aphelinus
   rank: genus
6. Encyrtidae
   rank: family
7. Prochiloneurus
   rank: genus
8. Syrphophagus
   rank: genus
9. Eulophidae
   rank: family
10. Ceranisus
    rank: genus
11. Cheiloneurus
    rank: genus
12. Pnigalio
    rank: genus
13. Ophelimus
    rank: genus
14. Eurytomidae
    rank: family
15. Tetramesa
    rank: genus
16. Eurytoma
    rank: genus
17. Sycophila
    rank: genus
18. Mymaridae
    rank: family
19. Anagrus
    rank: genus
20. Mymar
    rank: genus
21. Pteromalidae
    rank: family
22. Pachyneuron
    rank: genus
23. Sphegigaster
    rank: genus
24. Torymidae
    rank: family
25. Podagrion
    rank: genus
26. Trichogrammatidae
    rank: family
27. Trichogramma
    rank: genus

The study area is located in the Saharan bioclimatic zone, where the winter is temperate and summers are hot and dry (fig. 1). The climatic conditions of the region favour a diversified agricultural practice. Samples were collected from various locations and habitats: Ain Naga (fields producing aromatic and medicinal plants), Tolga (palm groves), Ain Naga (Horaya) (vegetable cultivation) and El Outaya (olive groves).