An Updated Checklist of Aphidiine Parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) of Aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae) Infesting Artemisia Species (Asterales: Asteraceae) in Different States/Union Territories of India

Abstract

Aphidiine parasitoids are important natural enemies of aphids and form key components of plant-mediated trophic networks. This review provides an updated checklist of aphidiine parasitoids associated with aphids infesting Artemisia species in India, with emphasis on tri-trophic associations and geographical distribution. Published records available up to 31 July 2026 were compiled and evaluated, and authenticated parasitoid–aphid–host-plant combinations were treated as the basic unit of analysis. The synthesis documented 47 tri-trophic associations involving 26 aphidiine parasitoid taxa, 19 aphid taxa and five Artemisia taxa across eight states and union territories. Praon flavinode was the most frequently recorded parasitoid, while Macrosiphoniella and Capitophorus were the dominant aphid genera. Macrosiphoniella pseudoartemisiae formed 10 associations, followed by Macrosiphoniella yomogifoliae with seven and Capitophorus formosartemisiae with six. Artemisia vulgaris supported the greatest number of associations, with 21 recorded tri-trophic links. Records were concentrated mainly in the Himalayan and northeastern regions, whereas central, western and southern India were poorly represented or lacked documented associations. Generic-level identifications and unidentified host plants further indicate that the available records provide a minimum estimate of the diversity represented in the literature. The checklist therefore establishes a consolidated baseline for future taxonomic, biogeographical and biological-control studies of Artemisia-associated aphid–parasitoid networks in India.