Primary and secondary H ymenopteran parasitoids of scale insects ( H omoptera: C occoidea) in fruit orchards in S yria

A survey for primary and secondary H ymenopteran parasitoids of scale insects ( H omoptera: C occoidea) in fruit orchards (apple, plum, date, olive, fig, citrus), was conducted in S yria during 2009–2012. Thirty three species of parasitoids belonging to the families A phelinidae, E ncyrtidae, E ulophidae and P teromalidae were recorded as parasitoids on scale insects. Thirty two of these were primary parasitoids and one was a hyperparasitoid. The family with the greatest number of genera and species is E ncyrtidae with 8 genera (48% of the total) and 12 species (35% of the total). The genus with the greatest number of E ncyrtid species was M etaphycus . P arasitoids of scale insects identified included several species already included on the List of biological control agents widely used in the EPPO region ‘ EPPO Positive list' and suggestions for additions to this list were made.