Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) aphid parasitoids of Malta : review and key to species

Abstract

This paper brings an annotated list of the 16 aphid parasitoids detected up to 2015 in Malta. All the species were reared from identified aphid-plant associations. An illustrated key to the identification of the recorded species from Malta is provided. Taxonomy and peculiarities of the individual taxa are discussed and research outlines are also presented. Two species, Aphidius absinthii and Trioxys pallidus are newly recorded for the Maltese fauna, in association with Uroleucon inulae and Hoplocallis picta, respectively. The first host association has never been reported so far. The documented aphid fauna of the Maltese Islands indicates the probable existence of other species of aphid parasitoids that may be present in the archipelago, especially those already known in nearby Mediterranean territories.