SURVEY OF PREDATOR AND PARASITOID INSECTS IN DUHOK PROVINCE, KURDISTAN REGION, IRAQ

A total of 47 species belonging to 46 genera, 34 subfamilies, 23 families and 7 orders of predator and parasitoid insects were collected and identified. The survey was conducted throughout the program held by the General Directorate of Agriculture-Duhok, in cooperating with the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences in Duhok Province, Kurdistan Region, Iraq from May 2013 to April 2014. The species hosts, collecting date, locality and distributions are given. The current checklist also included some species previously collected by other researchers in Duhok Province.


INTRODUCTION
Duhok Province (Kurdistan Region), located at the Iraqi-Turkey borders, is famous for its agricultural diversity that provides suitable environment for insect's reproduction and adaptation. Usually, outbreaks of pest and natural enemy's populations are associated with changes in the ecological stability of ecosystems. The control of pest species is closely linked to their predation and parasitism by natural enemies that have occurred since the evolution of the first terrestrial ecosystems some 500 million years ago (Waage and Greathead, 1988).
The current study is the first attempt done in Duhok Province, Kurdistan region-Iraq, to document the predators and parasitoids present. The current survey also included some species previously collected by some Iraqi researchers in Duhok such as: Assaf (2001), Assaf (2007), Mahmoud et al. (2008), Akrawi (2011) andMirza (2014).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The specimens were collected from different districts in Duhok province, Kurdistan region, Iraq from May 2013 to April 2014 on fruit and forest trees, vegetables and wild plants using hand picking, aspirator and sweeping net with 2-3 field collecting trips per week. The large and medium size specimens were mounted by the insect pins, while small specimens were preserved in 70% alcohol. Then the predator and parasitoid specimens were sent to the Iraq Natural History Research Center and Museum, University of Baghdad for identification.

DISCUSSION
This study is the result of the field survey carried out in Duhok province, Kurdistan region-Iraq focuses on insect predators and parasitoids. In this paper, we listed 47 species, of which 24 were collected during the current survey; and the rest species previously collected in Duhok City. The plant biodiversity of Duhok is very rich that provides a suitable environment for insects to build up, therefore Duhok deserves further, more comprehensive entomological investigation to document the natural enemies.
The climate of Duhok is very favorable, and serves as a refuge for both plants and animals. Further studies may also lead to the discovery of host plants and biology of several poorly known species, improving our knowledge about the aspects of their life cycle, environmental conditions and needs of the nature conservation.