Diversity of Parasitic Hymenoptera in Agroclimatic Zones of Andhra Pradesh

From December 2022 to July 2024, surveys were conducted across six agro-climatic zones in Andhra Pradesh- viz., Scarce rainfall, Southern, Krishna, Godavari, North coastal and High-altitude zone, which yielded 6,084 parasitic Hymenoptera specimens. The Godavari zone contributed the most (1,442 specimens), followed by Krishna (1,185), southern (956), High altitude (919), North coastal (810) and Scarce rainfall (772). Dominant families included are Braconidae, Ichneumonidae, Platygastridae and Chalcididae. Ecological indices such as Simpson’s index, Shannon-wiener and margalef revealed the highest species diversity in the Godavari zone and the lowest in the scarce rainfall Zone. Jaccard’s index indicated 85–90% species similarity across the zones. This study highlights the significant regional variation in parasitic Hymenoptera diversity, emphasizing the Godavari Zone as a rich habitat. Understanding this diversity is crucial for improving pest management strategies in different agro-climatic regions.