ON THE ENTOMOFAUNA OF MT . DURMITOR ( NORTHERN MONTENEGRO ) : BRACONID WASPS OF THE SUBFAMILY OPIINAE ( BRACONIDAE , HYMENOPTERA )

Braconids are primary parasites of other insects and their eggs, larvae, and adults, and species have been recently discovered that lay their eggs in plant seeds. Classified into about 25 genera, more than 1,400 species of Opiinae are known at the present time in the world fauna. They have been registered in all zoogeographic regions. The Opiinae are solitary endoparasites of the larvae of cyclorhaphous Diptera, most often those of species belonging to the families Agromyzidae, Tephritidae, Anthomyiidae, Ephydridae. In investigations conducted on Mt. Durmitor since 1982, we have up to now established 10 species of braconids of the subfamily Opiinae (Opius peterseni Fi., O. caudatus Wesm., O. parvungula Th., O. levis Wesm., O. pallipes Wesm., O. quasiquisti Fi., O. exilis Hal., O. filicornis Th., O. lugens Hal., and O. meracus Fi.), eight of which are new for the fauna of Serbia and Montenegro. UDC 595.79(497.11+497.16-17)


INTRODUCTION
The Opiinae are one of the most voluminous subfamilies of parasitic wasps of the family Braconidae.Braconids are primary parasites of other insects and their eggs, larvae, and imagoes, and species have been recently discovered that lay their eggs in plant seeds (Macedo et al. 1989(Macedo et al. , 1998;;Marsh, 1991;Infante et al. 1995).Phytophagy in this group has shaken all ideas held to date about the phylogenetic place of the Doryctinae, which were regarded as the most primitive.The evolution of braconids has apparently proceeded in several directions at the same time.This has resulted in the development of more than 30 subfamilies with about 45,000 species, which cannot be considered the final number because the fauna of tropical regions -known to be the richest -has been least investigated.
Two groups -ectoparasitic and endoparasitic -developed within the family Braconidae.Egg, larval, and imaginal parasitism developed among endoparasitic braconids.The evolution of endoparasitic braconids pro-ceeded in the direction of specialization for parasitization of certain groups of hosts.Three groups (subfamilies) of endoparasitic braconids became narrowly specialized: Alysiinae, for parasitism of dipteran larvae; Opiinae, also for parasitism of dipteran larvae; and Aphidiinae, for parasitism of the larvae and imagoes of plant lice of the subfamily Aphidiinae.
Classified into about 25 genera, more than 1,400 species of Opiinae are known at the present time in the world fauna (Fischer, 1981).They have been registered in all zoogeographic regions.The Opiinae are solitary endoparasites of the larvae of cyclorhaphous Diptera, most often those of species belonging to the families Agromyzidae, Tephritidae, Anthomyiidae, Ephydridae, etc.A smaller number of species are egg and larval parasites (VandenBoschand Haramoto, 1951), while some species parasitize larvae of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, although these findings are doubtful for the time being and need to be verified (Fischer, 1981).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Durmitor is one of the most beautiful mountains in the Dinarid Range.It is surrounded by the canyons of the rivers Tara, Piva, and Komarnica.A peculiarity of the region is the great difference in elevation of some parts and great complexity of the relief with more than 30 peaks higher than 2,000 m.Opius caudatus Wesm.-One male, 3 September 1989, Žabljak (collected by M. Brajković) (Fig. 1).This species has been registered to date in the whole of Europe, including our country.Fischer(1981) lists it as a parasite of larvae of Cerambycidae (Callidium sp., Pogonohaerushispidulus L., and Pyrrhidiumsanguineum L.).Opius filicornis Th. (Fig. 8) -One male, 18 August 1982, Pitomine (collected by M. Brajković); one male, 4 September 1982, canyon of the Tara (collected by M. Brajković); one male, 3 September 1982, Žabljak (collected by M. Brajković); one male, 4 August 1982, the lake Zminje Jezero (collected by M. Brajković).This is a new species for the fauna of our country.Registered in Western Europe and Central Asia, it is a parasite of the species Phytomyza scotina Hendel.

Opius pallipes
Opius meracus Fi. (Fig. 9) -One female, August 1982, the lake Malo Jezero (collected by M. Brajković).This species was found for the first time in our country.Registered to date in Western Europe and the central part of Russia, it is known as a parasite of the species Napomyza nigritula Zett.(Tobias et al. 1986).tember 1982, canyon of the Tara (collected by M. Brajković).This too is a new species for the fauna of our country.The distribution of the given species is fairly limited, and its hosts for the time being are unknown.

О ФАУНИ БРАКОНИДА ПОДФАМИЛИЈЕ OPIINAE (BRACONIDAE, HYMENOPTERA)
ДУРМИТОРА , СЕВЕРНА ЦРНА ГОРА Opiinae are small wasps, 151 Key words: Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Opiinae, Opius, distribution, ecology, Mt.Durmitor, Montenegro PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.comusually 1-3 mm long, and only some of them are larger (4-4.5 mm).Their wings have an elongated pterostigma.The radial cell extends to the tip of the wings.A preoral pit is developed in most species, as in cyclostomate braconids (Doryctinae, Braconinae, Rogadinae), the presence of such a pit being considered a plesiomorphic characteristic.The parasitic wasps of the family Braconidae of Mt.Durmitor (and indeed the whole of Montenegro) have been very little investigated.Up to now, there have been no systematic investigations of this group, as is also the case with the majority of other groups of insects.Species of the subfamily Opiinae in the fauna of Montenegro have been almost completely unstudied to date.
The present study is based on specimens collected in investigations conducted at various localities on Mt.Durmitor since 1982.RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONIn the investigations we have up to now established 10 species of braconids of the subfamily Opiinae (Opius peterseni Fi., O. caudatus Wesm., O. parvungula Th., O. levis Wesm., O. pallipes Wesm., O. quasiquisti Fi., O. exilis Hal., O. filicornis Th., O.lugens Hal., and O.meracus Fi.), eight of which are new for the fauna of Serbia and Montenegro.