فصلنامه تحقیقات حشره شناسی
سال هفتم شماره 1 (پیاپی 25، بهار 1394)

The family Syrphidae is one of the largest families of Diptera. Their adults feed mainly on nectar and pollen and the larvae eat a wide range of foods. Some species are predators of different pests especially aphids. A survey was conducted during 2009-2010 on the fauna of Syrphid flies in Lorestan province, Iran. A total of 27 species belonging to 16 genera and two subfamilies were identified, which 22 of them were new records from Lorestan province and one species were new record for the faune of Iran. The list of collected species is as follow:Subfamily Syrphinae:Episyrphus balteatus (DeGeer, 1776); Ischiodon aegyptius (Wiedemann, 1830)*; I. scutellaris (Fabricius, 1808)*; Syrphus vitripennis Meigen, 1822*; Xanthogramma maculipenne (Mik, 1887)*; Eupeodes (Eupeodes) corollae (Fabricius, 1794); E. (E.) nuba (Wiedemann, 1830)*; Scaeva albomaculata (Macquart, 1842); S. dignota (Rondani, 1857)*; Sphaerophoria rueppelli (Widemann, 1830)*; S. scripta (Linnaeus, 1758)*; S. turkmenica (Bankowska, 1964)*; Melanostoma mellinum (Linnaeus, 1758)*; Chrysotoxum parmense (Rondani, 1845)*; Paragus (Padasyophthalumus) tibialis (Fallen, 1817)*; P. (Paragus) bicolor (Fabricius, 1794)*; P. (P.) compeditus Wiedemann, 1830
Subfamily Milesiinae (Eristalinae):Eristalinus taeniops (Wiedemann, 1818) *;E. (Lathyrophthalmus) aeneus (Scopoli, 1763) *;E. (L.) megacephalus (Rossi, 1794)*; E. (Eristalinus) sepulchralis (Linnaeus, 1758)*; Eristalis (Eoseristalis) arbustorum (Linnaeus, 1758) *; E. (Eristalis) tenax (Linnaeus, 1758)*; Eumerus kazanovskeye Param., 1927**; Merodon (Merodon) pruni (Rossi, 1790)*; Syritta pipiens (Linnaeus, 1758)*and Volucella zonaria (Poda, 1761)*. The species marked with one asterisk are new records for Lorestan province and the Eumerus kazanovskeye is recorded for the first time form Iran and appeared with two asterisks.

The indian meal moth is one of the most important pest of stored product. In this study‚ the repellency effect of the alcoholic and hexanic plant extract and powder of four medicinal plants , lavandula angstifolia, artemistia dracunculus, anethum graveolens, and petroselimun sativum have been studied on adults and last instar larvae of this pest. To prepare the extracts, plants were powdered, then dissolved in solvent and filtered after 24 houres. These crude plant extracts have been used in experiments. In contact repellency experiment, the 9 cm whatman filter paper divided into two parts from the middle. Half of it was weted with definite plant extract dose and another half was weted with solvent. after they dried, 20 last instar larvae released from centes each petri dish. then the repellency effect of plant extracts was measured after 24 hours. The results showed all plant extracts except hexanic extract of L. angstifolia, had the contact repellency effect on adult insect. The Y-shaped olfactometer has been used for dtermining fumigant repellency effect of the plant extracts. The repellency effect of treatment were measured on the last instar larvae and adults. In most cases the plant extracts showed a significant repellency effect at1% level on larveae and adults. But the repellency effect of the powders on adults was less than plant extracts, and had attractive effect on, the Indian meal larvae.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Iranian formulation of diatomaceous earth (Sayan®), and other two DE formulations (Insecto® and SilicoSec®) on seed germination and seedling growth rate, under laboratory conditions (16 hrs light and 20±2 °C). Wheat seeds (vr. Falät) were treated with 250, 500, 1000 and 1500 ppm of each DE formulations at four replicates. Seed germination was tested in standard methods and the length of seedling was measured, 8 days after treatment and compared with control. The results showed a significant difference between Sayan and two other formulation of DEs in seed germination and seedling growing rate of wheat seeds. How ever there was no significant difference between Insecto and SilicoSec. For Sayan, seed germination increased with increasing dosage. The highest seed germination (89%) and the least (54%) occurred in 1500 and 250 ppm respectively. Seedling length was not influenced by increasing Sayan concentrations. According to results of this study, Iranian formulation of diatomaceous earth (Sayan®) has lower effects on seed germination and seedling growing rate of wheat and can improve the storage longevity of wheat in compare to other formulation of DE.

The lethal impact of Kaolin (Clay®) and diatomaceous earth (Sayan® and SilicoSec®) on four major stored-product insects was determined under laboratory conditions. The lethal effects were investigated in two different methods. In the first, experimental surface was permeated with test material, and in the second method, the test compounds were mixed with rearing mediums separately. In both techniques, adults of Sitophilus granarius, Tribolium confusum, Oryzaephilus surinamensis and Cryptolestes ferrugineus were placed in a petri-dish, which was contaminated with a known amount of Sayan®, Clay® and SilicoSec®. In the first method, mortality rate was recorded after 24, 48 and 72 h of exposure. In the second method, the lethal impact of test compounds which were mixed with wheat was investigated against S. granarius, T. confusum, O. surinamensis and C. ferrugineus for 1, 7 and 14 days of exposure. In the first technique, the maximum mortality rate was achieved with SilicoSec® (88.56%) and Sayan® (75.85%) on S. granarius and C. ferrugineus respectively. In the second method, the results were demonstrated, the maximum mortality caused by Sayan® (88.56%) SilicoSec® (75.68%) and Kaolin® (55.25%) in S. granarius. In S. granarius case, mortality rate caused was more than the other species. The protective effects of test compounds on life span of S. granarius and T. confusum showed no significant differences among the emerged adult insects in Sayan® and SilicoSec® treatments while showed significant differences among the emerged adult of insects in Sayan® and SilicoSec® with Clay®.

The diamondback moth is one of the most destructive insect pests of cruciferous crops in worldwide especially in Iran that has shown major outbreak in cabbage and cauliflower fields in province Isfahan during recent years. This study aimed to investigate the performance of three bio-pesticides containing two commercial Bacillus turingiensisssp. kurstaki (Belthirul, Lepinox­Plus) and one entomophagous fungus Beauveria bassiana (Naturalis), a hormonal insecticide (Atabron) and a chemical insecticide (Sumipleo) against this pest in the field. The experiment was conducted in 5 treatments in 4 replications in a randomized complete block sketch. Area of each plot was assigned about 50 square meters and the number of live larvae of the pest was counted on 10 plants in each plot on one day before and 5 and 10 days after spraying. The difference in mortality percentage between treatments was modified by Henderson-Tilton formula and analyzed by one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) The results showed significant differences between treatments for the mean mortality percentage on DBM larvae at 5 and 10 days after spraying. The highest and lowest mean mortality was seen in Sumi­pleo with 88.2% and 87.8% and Naturalis with 35.3% and 36.5% in 5 and 10 days after spraying, respectively. Also, results of Logistic analysis of deviance showed significant differences between treatments for the mean mortality percentage on DBM larvae at 5 and 10 days after spraying. Therefore Sumi­pleo had the highest performance in both 5 and 10 days after spraying with 88.3% and 88.6% mortality, respectively, and then Atabron (77%, 62.7%), Belthirul (67.8%, 71.9%), Lepinox­Plus (71%, ­72.4%) and finally Naturalis (37.9%, 43.7%) with lowest performance. Due to good performance and compatibility with natural enemies, lower hazard than chemical pesticide and the result of this study the biological pesticide Lepinox Plus and Belthirul are recommended against DBM.

During 2010-2011, studies were carried out in 17 areas of Khomein, Iran (Markazi province), using insect nets, malaise traps, yellow pan traps, and window traps to collect and identify the fauna of sphecid wasp. Twenty four species belonging to seven genera and four subfamilies were collected and identified. Identifications were confirmed by Dr. Schmid-Egger from Berlin, Germany. The species are as follows. All species are recorded for the first time for Markazi province the tow astrisked species are recorded for the first time from Iran.
Sphex flavipennis Fabricius, 1793
Sphex melas* Gussakovskij, 1930
Sphex pruinosus Germar, 1817
Sphex sp1.
Sphex sp2.
Sphex sp3.
Prionyx nudatus (Kohl), 1885
Prionyx songaricus (Eversmann), 1849
Prionyx stschurowskii (Radoszkowski), 1877
Chlorion magnificum* F .Morawitz, 1887
Chlorion splendidum Fabricius, 1804
Sceliphron arabs (Lepeletier), 1845
Sceliphron destillatorium(Illiger), 1807
Sceliphron funestum Kohl, 1918
(Fabricius), 1781 Sceliphron madraspatanum
Sceliphron rectum Kohl, 1918
Chalybion femoratum Fabricius, 1781
Ammophila heydenii Dahlbom,1845
Ammophila sabulosa (Linnaeus), 1758
Ammophila sp.
Podalonia hirsuta (Scopoli), 1763
Podalinia hirsuta mervensis Radoszkowski, 1887
(Le Guillou), 1841 Podalonia tydei
Podalonia sp.
This is the first report if all species for Markazi province, among them tow species with asterisks are new records to Iranian insect fauna.

Populations of honeybees from 5 provinces of Iran were compared using morphometric tecnques. Five workers from each of 10 hives from 3 apicultures belonging to each province were selected randomly. Eight characters of the forewing consisted of length, width, A4 angle, D7angle, G18, cubital index, anal length and ratio of forewing length to width of honeybees were measured and analysed. Results showed that populations of Markazi and Khuzestan provinces were distincthy located in two different places Ι and ΙΙ respectively and populations of Esfahan, Kordestan and Fars provinces had the most similar wing characters and located in place ΙΙΙ.

A survey was conducted to identify the part megachilid bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea, Megachilidae) in the Yazd province located in central of Iran during 2011–2013. The specimens were collected using sweeping net from different habitats. In total, 4436 Megachilid specimens were collected from 13 genera, 18 subgenera and 55 species. Seven species including Osmia (Helicosmia) peregrina, Megachile (Eutricharaea) semicircularis, Megachile (Entricharea) basilaris, Megachile (Pseudomegachile) cinnamomea, Megachile (Pseudomegachile) seraxensis, Megachile (Pseudomegachile) sanguinipes,and Icteranthidium ovasi are new records for Iran. Host plant association and geographical distributions of the known species from Yazd province are given.