Diversity of Family Eulophidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) in Forest, Horticulture, and Habitats of Doon Valley of Uttarakhand, India

Doon valley, because of its location peculiarities, encompasses a rich floral and faunal diversity. Family Eulophidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) comprises of lesser known microscopic parasitoid insects which help in controlling the populations of mainly various lepidopterous insect of forest plants. Present study was conducted to assess the occurrence of eulophid species in Doon valley and to provide baseline informative inventory for further biodiversity and taxonomic studies. In the valley Eulophidae is represented by 17 genera and 45 species. Forest habitat was found to be the most diverse in number of genera and species followed by agriculture and horticultural land uses. A total of 31 species were collected from agriculture habitat, 23 from horticulture habitat and 45 species from forest habitat.