New wasps keep coming: two parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) associated with Haloxylon in Iran

The first Iranian species of Copidosoma Ratzeburg, was described in 1970, followed by a second species in 2016. Both species are parasitoids of lepidopterous pests on Pistacia. This study expands the Iranian fauna of this genus through the discovery of a new species, Copidosoma haloxylonaeLotfalizadeh sp. nov., associated with the saxaul tree, Haloxylon ammodendron (C.A. Meyer). Additionally, we report the first record of PsyllaephagusogazaeSugonjaev for Iran, reared from the same host plant. To contextualize these findings, we provide a comprehensive checklist of all six Iranian Copidosoma species with distribution and biological data, a dichotomous key for their identification, and a redescription of P. ogazae based on Iranian specimens. These results significantly contribute to the understanding of chalcidoid wasp diversity and host associations in arid ecosystems of Iran.