r. ebadi

Baha' al-Din Muhammad Ameli, known as Sheikh Baha'i (953-1030 AH), is one of the most virtuous scholars of the Safavid period, who wrote poems in Persian and Arabic. In this article, with a stylistic approach, his Persian and Arabic poems are analyzed in a comparative way in terms of structure and content.

The collection of research data has been done in a library manner, and the research findings are written in a descriptive and analytical way. The statistical population includes Sheikh Baha'i's Diwan and his Arabic poems, which were published in Al-Kashkul and various books.

gs: Sheikh Baha'i's Persian poems are simple and without language difficulties, and in Arabic poetry, he wrote simple poems according to Arabic Morph syntax. Macaronic language, the use of Arabic prosody, the use of Arabic words is some of the influences of the Arabic language that can be seen in his Persian poetry. In the comparative comparison, there are similarities in the structure and content of both his poems. There are many types of repetition in the form of puns, Alliteration, repetition of words, sentences rejection and reverse, similes, metaphors, Quranic Allusion, contrasts, allusions, Metonymy, in the rhetorical structure. And in the content, he pays attention to mystical, religious, educational, and lyrical themes, mysticism and religion are the main motifs of his poems. Love for God, Rogue and Qalandari, description of wine, condemnation of the hypocrisy of ascetics, attention to religiosity, advice to religion, seeking the infallible imams, seeking intercession from the imams are the main content in mystical and religious trends. And he has written the educational content with the elements of religion and mysticism. A small part of his poems is lyrical, which is more in Arabic poems than in Persian.

Sheikh Bahāyi is a bilingual poet who wrote to Persian poetry and poetry in Arabic, which was his First language, In the comparative comparison of his poetry, there are stylistic similarities in the linguistic structure, rhetoric and content. He has written poetry in Persian and Arabic with a simple language, common rhetoric of literature and common mystical and religious thought.

Sheikh Azari Tusi Esfarayeni is one of the poets and writers of the Timurid period. The book Jawahar al-Asrar is one of his famous writings on the subjects of the Muqattaah Letters, mysticism, hadith and poetry. In this article, by introducing the Manuscripts of the book, has been studied its linguistic, rhetorical and intellectual style.

Data collection in the article is library method and its writing is descriptive-analytical method. The statistical population is four manuscripts of Azeri Jawahar al-Asrar.

Jawahar al-Asrar is written in the general style according to the style of the Timurid period. in the introductions, is the rhyming prose and the text of the book is simple. At the phonetic level of the language style: rhyme, pun, word repetition, Alliteration, rejection and reverse, at the lexical level: Arabic words and at the syntactic level: synonyms of words, titles and adjectives, matching of adjectives and adjectives, use of Arabic sentences instead of adjectives, Has a light characteristic . At the literary level, has similes, Imitation, Allusion, metaphors, allusions, Metonymy, allegories and proverbs. In his intellectual style, he has described and interpreted the letters of the Qur'an, hadiths, the words of mystics and the problems of the poets' poetry. In his interpretations, can be seen his mastery of syntax, mathematics, rhetoric, medicine and astronomy.

Azari Tusi Esfarayeni in Jawahar al-Asrar in accordance with the style of prose of the Timurid era, with a tendency to use words, Arabic sentences, Persian and Arabic poems, prose in introductions and simple language in the text, the use of metaphors, Imitation, Allusion, adaptation, Metonymy, Allegory and proverb has succeeded. As a commentator and critic, he has been able to provide the audience with useful information about syllables, hadiths, mystical subjects, difficult descriptions of poets' poetry, as well as historical, religious, medical, astronomical and biographical information of elders from his book.

Taking advantage of genetically modified queens that have desirable productive traits and behavior is an important factor in beekeeping. The current study aimed to evaluate the performance of the 14th-17th generations of breeding improved queens in the Iranian Honey Bee Breeding Program, and their comparison with control queens kept in private apiaries.
To evaluate the queens, specific questionnaires were designed and completed by beekeepers in their apiaries based on the performance of queens in the third layer. Means comparison showed that the improved queens had better performance than control queens in terms of swarming, honey production, aggressive behavior, and calmness behavior in comparison to queens kept in private apiaries. This evaluation and comparison were performed in private apiaries of 12 provinces in 2016, 11 provinces in 2017, 12 provinces in 2018, and 12 provinces in 2019. During the project, colonies with control and modified queens had the same management in each apiary in terms of nutritional conditions, migration management, and pest and disease management. To compare the improved queen and local queens (as control), a paired sample t-test was used. In each apiary, the minimum number of the improved queen was 10. The t-test was done for all of the recorded traits in the SPSS program. To investigate the effects of the year (2016 to 2019) and queen type (improved and local queens), a two-way analysis of variance was done using the GLM procedure of the SAS program.
The obtained results revealed that the bred queens in 2016 and 2017 are significantly superior to control queens in terms of swarming, and had fewer queen cells, which is desirable for beekeepers. Despite the superiority of the improved queens during 2018 and 2019, the difference between control and improved queens was not significant for swarming behavior. Totally, during generations 14 to 17, the bred queens were significantly better than control queens in terms of swarming behavior in private apiaries. Honey production evaluation of improved queens and comparison with control queens in private apiaries showed that improved queens in 2016-2019 had a significant advantage over control queens (P<0.05). A comparison of improved and control queens in terms of honey production during generations 14 to 17 showed the superiority of improved queens. Aggressiveness behavior comparison of control and bred colonies in 2016-2017 showed the superiority of Iranian bred colonies (P<0.01). A comparison of colony calmness in 2016-2017 also showed the superiority of Iranian improved colonies (P<0.01). Overwintering comparison of control and improved colonies showed that in 2016 and 2018, despite the low superiority of bred colonies, there is no significant difference between the modified and control colonies. However, there was a significant difference between the two groups and the Iranian improved colonies were better than the control colonies in terms of overwintering in 2017 and 2019 (P<0.05).  In other words, the bred colonies were significantly superior to the control colonies (P<0.05). According to the results of variance analysis, the effect of queen type (bred queen and control queen of beekeepers) on calmness, aggressive, swarming behavior and honey production was significant (P<0.01), but did not affect overwintering. The effect of year and generation on calmness, aggressive behavior, swarming, and honey was significant (P<0.01), and it was also significant on overwintering at the lower level (P<0.05). The interaction effect of queen type×year was significant for calmness (P<0.01) and for swarming and honey (P<0.05), but had no significant effect on other traits.
The obtained results revealed that to protect the Iranian honeybee as a valuable genetic resource while preserving the superiority of genetically improved queens and genetic stabilization of improved traits, prevention of sex alleles homozygosity which have a direct effect on decreasing colonies' performance, conducting more investigations against new problems of beekeeping industry are required.

The presence of sufficiently light particles in the fundamental Lagrangian could trigger instability in rotating black holes, the so-called superradiance instability. In particular, axion and axion-like-particles (ALPs) are good candidates to prompt such an instability. As a result, a high-density axion cloud forms around the black hole. The system of black holes and the axion cloud surrounding it is called a gravitational atom. Examining the evolution of this gravitational atom could lead to the discovery of an axion or introduce new constraints on their parametric space. The axion cloud becomes unstable under certain conditions when axion-photon interactions and axion self-interactions are considered. The nature of these instabilities is the parametric resonance. In this paper, we obtain an upper bound for the rate of this instability. The results show that for the simplest axion models, this instability occurs at a very low rate because, before the resonance becomes effective, self-interactions cause the axion cloud to collapse. But for some exotic models, the resonance rate could be large enough to introduce observable effects. In addition, we will show that the parametric resonance caused by self-interactions never happens at a significant level.

The effect of mulberry leaves enrichment with riboflavin in 7, 37, 77 and 127ppm concentrations on larval growth and cocoon characteristics of Bombyx mori L., hybrid 103×104 was studied. Silkworm larvae were fed on fresh mulberry leaves of shin inche nevise enriched with riboflavin once a day. All biological and economical parameters were determined by using standard techniques in sericulture. The results showed that larval weight was greater in 77ppm among treatments on the 7th day of the fifth instar which had 47% increase compared to control. Maximum amount of female cocoon weight and female pupal weight were recorded 1.622g and 1.169g, respectively, in 127ppm while male cocoon weight and pupal weight were greater in 37ppm and recorded to be 1.169g and 0.895g, respectively. Maximum amount of cocoon shell weight and cocoon shell ratio were recorded in 77ppm for male (0.311g and 26.06%) and female (0.318g and 21.46%). Maximum weight of 50 eggs (0.027g) was recorded in 127ppm while high fertility and hatchability was recorded in 77ppm concentration. Effective rate of rearing was maximum in control treatment (72%) with no significant difference compared with other treatments. The overall results showed that riboflavin can be used at 77ppm concentration for the significant increase of cocoon weight, cocoon shell ratio and egg production of silkworm, Bombyx mori L.

In this study diflubenzuron as a chitin synthesis inhibitor with a dosage of 25 mg A.I/L, and Pyriproxyfen as a juvenile hormone analogue with a dosage of 0.4 mgA.I/L were incorporated in the wax diets of young and last instar larvae of greater wax moth and reared at different temperatures (25, 30, 35°C). Results showed that these compounds in comparison with control increased larval mortality. Diflubenzuron and pyriproxyfen caused 33.9% and 24.1% mortality respectively. The young larvae showed higher mortality with the mean of 57.8% in diflubenzuron and 31.5% in pyriproxyfen. In evaluation of pupation and emergence of adults, no significant differences were observed between diflubenzuron and control. Pyriproxyfen induced reduction in pupation about 48.4% and adult emergence about 44.8% and caused some abnormalities of pupae. Last larval instar was more sensitive to JHA in this respect. Maximum pupation disruption occurred at 25ºC and 30ºC in comparison with 35ºC which reduced abnormal pupae up to 19.7%. IGRs were effective in last larval instar at 35 ºC and increased abnormality of adult up to 49.4%. Reproductive potential (egg viability, hatchability) of adults reduced in F1 generation and was 70-90 percent. IGRs have unfavorable effects on biological aspects of larvae therefore, it is possible to use IGRs alone or in conjunction with other pesticides (Fumigants) in integrated control of these pests.

Because of many small florets and protandry, cross pollination in onion which is a biennial plant, by using polycross method for breeding is suitable and easy. To produce polycross seed, bulbs of 9 self onion genotypes were planted in the shape of equilibrium lattice design for 9 treatments with 10 replications on May 2002. To study some agronomical characteristicss, the polycross seeds produced from free pollination and original self-fed seeds (totally 18 genotypes) were planted in plots as a randomized block design with four replications. Samples were taken from each plot and different characteristics were measured. Results showed that polycross generally increased plant fresh and dry weight, plant height, percentage of off type bulbs and yield, with no effect on bulbing ratio and time to ripening. Although polycross increased most agronomical characteristics and yield in Kashan, Azarshahr and Kazeroon genotypes, in some genotypes little increase or even negative effects resulted due to interaction between genotype and polycross. With more assessment of polycross genotypes, good characteristics will be fixed and seeds with higher qualities will be produced.

Due to injuries of pesticides to natural enemies of pests and pollinator insects, especially honeybees, during the flowering periods, it is essential to protect them. Application of chemical compounds along with the pesticides on the plants could repel the non-target insects from the sprayed areas for sometime and lessen the hazards of pesticides to them. In this study, ten repellent chemicals whose repellency effect was proven in the laboratory in previous studies were screened in the field. Among tested repellents including, Acetophenon, Methyl ethyl ketone, Methyl isobutyl ketone, Cyclohexanone, Acetyl acetone, Methylsalicylate, Propionic anhydride, Maleic anhydrate, 2- Ethylhexylamine, and Dibutylamine, it was revealed that amino group compounds including 2- Ethylhexylamine and Dibutylamine and esteric compound, Methylsalicilate had the highest repellency effect on the honeybees under the field conditions. Repellency effect of these compounds was greater at 15 pm than other sampling times. Repellency effects of different concentrations of these three compounds, when mixed with 0.5% concentration of fixative compounds, showed that the mixture of 2- Ethylhexylamine with Benzylbenzoate, Dibutylphthalate and Benzylalcohole with concentration of 0.17, 0.4 and 0.03 % respectively, the mixture of Dibutylamine at the concentration of 1% with Benzylbenzoate and Dibutylphthalate and at the concentration of 0.08% and higher with Benzylalcohole, and also mixture of Methylsalicilate at the concentration of 1.8 % and higher with Benzylalcohole, all have repellency effect of more than 70% under the field conditions.

Onion thrips (Thrips tabaci Lind.) is one of the important factors which indirectly restrict the proper yield of onion (Allium cepa L.). Therefore, finding tolerant cultivars to onion thrips is important. Because of many small florets, cross pollination in onion which is a biennial plant by using polycross method for breeding is suitable and easy. To produce polycross seed, bulbs of 9 self pollinated onion genotypes were planted in the shape of equilibrium lattice design for 9 treatments in May 2002. To study tolerance to onion thrips and assess other agronomical characteristics, the polycross seeds produced from free pollination and self pollinated plant seeds (totally 18 genotypes) were planted in a randomized block design with four replications. The main plots were sprayed and not sprayed, and sub-plots were onion genotypes. From August to October 2003, samples were taken from each plot bi-weekly, and number of thrips, and percentage of injury on plants were recorded. As a result of this study, Azarshahr self pollinated genotype showed maximum population density of thrips (22.24) and injury, but Ghom and Abarkooh genotypes showed the lowest amount (2.65 and 5.68 respectively) among all genotypes. Among pollycross genotypes, Ghom and Kashan genotypes showed low population densities (4.3 and 4.24 respectively) and injury, but Azarshahr and Tarom showed high population densities (20.66 and 19.84 respectively) and percentage of injury. Generally, polycross reduced population density of thrips and percentage of injury.

In order to evaluate insecticidal potential of some botanical extracts, a factorial experiment of complete randomized design with three replications on Callosobruchus maculatus was adopted for a pilot experiment in the laboratory. Plant extracts were prepared from 22 plants with three solvents (Methanol, Acetone and N-Hexane) with 30% concentration. Experiments were carried out at 25˚C and 70 ± 5% RH under 16: 8 (D: L) conditions. Each unit of experiment was a petri dish covered with a filter paper and 1.5 ml of each treatment solution was poured in it and 25 insects were released. Mortality was recorded after 36 hours. In this experiment, each plant extract with more than 50% mortality on C. maculaus was selected for further laboratory screening. In this stage of experiment methanolic leaf extract of Teucrium polium (with 55.04 percent mortality), hexane extract of Sonchus oleraceus (with 54.64 percent mortality), acetonic leaf extract of Calotropis procera (with 53.6 percent mortality), methanolic extract of Fumaria parviflora (with 52.7 percent mortality), methanolic extract of Capsicum annuum (with 50.04 percent mortality), and acetonic extract of Thymus vulgaris (with 50 percent mortality) were selected. After carring out the pilot experiment, the effective extracts with five concentrations of 15, 22.4, 33.5, 50.2 and 75% and one control were evaluated on the C. maculaus. This experiment also was designed in the laboratory as a factorial experiment of complete randomized design with three replications and mortality was recorded after 36 hours. In the highest concentration (75%), extract of Fumaria parviflora and extract of Thymus vulgaris (with 88.3% mortality) and extract of Sonchus oleraceus (with 78.3%) had higher and lower percentage of mortality resectively. The LC50 values of effective extracts were calculated for C. maculaus after 36 hours of treatment with plant extracts. The results showed that C. maculatus with LC50 = 126.27 µl/ml has highest sensitivity against extract of Fumaria parviflora and has lower sensitivity against extract of Sonchus oleraceus with LC50 = 370.09 µl/ml in comparison to other extracts. Amongst the tested concentrations of plant extracts, 5 plant extracts with the concentrations that had the higher mortality on C. maculaus, were selected for experiment on Laphigma exigua in greenhouse. This experiment was carried out with complete randomized design with four replications. The acetonic leaf extract of Calotropis procera (with 57.5 %) caused the highest mortality and acetonic extract of Thymus vulgaris (with 27.5 %) caused the lowest mortality on L. exigua in comparison to other extracts.

Pollination and fertilization of canola flowers are the main factors of canola seed production. In order to study the effects of insect pollinators on seed quantity and quality of three chosen cultivars of canola, namly, S.L.M., Okapi and Talaye, a split plot experiment in a complete randomized block design with four replications was carried out in Isfahan region. Main plots consisted of canola cultivars, and subplots consisted of open pollination and non-pollination by insects. Results indicated that the time to seed ripening in pollinated plots was 10.5 days less than those of non-pollinated plots. Pollination by insects increased the number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod and weight of 1000 seeds, by 14.3%, 23.5% and 10%, respectively. Grain yield also increased by 53% in pollinated plots. Pollination decreased seed moisture percentage by 3.15%, but its effect on seed oil percentage and germination percentage were not significant. Time to seed germination of plants of pollinated plots decreased three hours. Cultivars were significantly different in seed oil percentage and time to seed germination. Talaye cultivar produced the highest amount of oil (45.5%), while Okapi produced the lowest (40.8%). There were significant interactions between cultivars and pollination in terms of seed ripening, oil percentage and moisture of seeds, and the effects of pollination was different in different cultivars.

Canola (Brassica napus) is one of the important oil seed crops cultivated in many parts of Iran. One of the main problems of seed production of canola is pollination and fertilization of flowers. Insects are the major pollinators. In order to study the fauna of insect pollinators of 3 cultivars of canola including Talaye, Okapi and S.L.M. and the difference between the attractiveness of these cultivars to insects during the flowering period, insects were collected by sweeping net and identified. Their abundance was determined at different periods of time during a day. Results showed that insect pollinators belonged to five orders and 18 families. The most abundant pollinators were Hymenopterous insects specialy honey bees (Apis mellifera) which were about 50%. Irrespective of Apis mellifera, the most abundant insects captured belonged to Diptera. Three Dipterous insects, Bibio hortulanus, Metasyrphus corollae and Platypalpus sp. were collected and identified. During the flowering period (March to mid April) in Isfahan, honey bees were more abundant in the warmer hours of the day, mostly noon and afternoon, but were less active in the early hours of the day, morning, because of cold weather and low nectar production. Honey bees were more active than other pollinators on Talaye at 9 a.m. and on Okapi at mid-day, noon, and during afternoon. Results also showed that insect pollinators could increase seed yield by 53%.

The predatory beetle Cybocephalus fodori minor has recently been reported in Iran. Also few studies have been reported on life cycle of Cybocephalus beetles, especially on that of C. f. minor. Thus, the life cycle and feeding rate of this predatory beetle was studied on pistachio oyster shell scale, Lepidosaphes pistaciae under laboratory conditions (temperature: 25 ± 2 °c relative humidity: 65 ± 5% and photoperiod: 16:8 L: D/h). Life cycle of C. f. minor was completed at six stages including egg, three larval instars, pupa and adult. Duration of the development for one generation (not considering preoviposition period) was 43-46 days for males and 38- 42 days for females. The developmental time length for the egg, larval instars1-3, pupa, male and female adults longevity, preoviposition and postoviposition periods was 8.8 ± 0.1, 5.2 ± 0.1, 34 ± 0.1, 6.8 ± 0.1, 17.3 ± 0.3, 59.2 ± 2.2, 65.8 ± 3.1, 6.8 ± 1.6 and 3.5 ± 0.5, respectively. Average fecundidity (number of eggs laid by a female per her life time) was 64.7 ± 6.2. Sex ratio in the laboratory and in the field was 1:1. Daily feeding rate for the female and male adults, larval instars feeding on adult female scale was 7.1 ± 3.5, 6.9 ± 2.2, 1.8 ± 0.2, 3.7 ± 0.2 and 5.9 ± 0.3, respectively. These parameters were also determined when those stages were fed on the eggs and second nymphal stages of pistachio oyster shell scale. Adult beetles over 60 days exhibited the highest feeding on this scale.

In order to study the nectar quantity and quality of some onion cultivars and honeybees foraging activity on them, a complete randomized block design with three replications was conducted. Ten selected onion cultivars consisting of Ghom, Kashan, Azarshahr, Dorcheh, Tarom, Kazeroon 1, Kavar, Abarkooh, Hurand, and Yellow Sweet Spanish were used. Sixty mm mother bulbs of different onion cultivars were planted in 3×4 m plots on 6 lines. The distance between rows was 35 cm and plants were spaced 25 cm apart on each row. At flowering time, bees’ activity on the inflorescences was studied and flower nectar was collected in 10 micro-liter capillary tubes. Nectar volume was determined and analyzed. Mean numbers of honeybees visiting on inflorescence every 10 minutes and the mean residing time of each honeybee on a seed stalk (inflorescence) were significantly different in different cultivars. Hurand flowers had the least number of visitors and Dorche flowers had the longest visiting time. The amount of nectar varied in different cultivars, so did glucose (G), fructose (F), and sucrose (S) contents. Except for the Abarkuh cultivar that had more glucose than it had other sugars, all the cultivars had higher quantities of fructose than they had other sugars while sucrose had the least quantities among the sugars. Nectar sugar ratio in most of the cultivars was hexose dominant, which was identified by the low S/(F+G) ratio. Potassium, calcium, and sodium contents in nectar were different in different cultivars, too. Finally, the results showed that foraging activity of honeybees on onion inflorescences depends on the interactions of several factors such as nectar quantity and, more importantly, on sugar quantity and ratio as well as potassium content.

In order to study the effects of different protein feeds on honey bees (Apis mellifera L), experiments were conducted in a completely randomized block design with 15 treatments and 4 replicates. The nutritional effects of different treatments on caged bees were studied through recording half-life time (50% mortality). Pollen substitutes were soybean flour, soybean meal, bread yeast, wheat gluten, soybean flour + soybean meal, soybean flour + bread yeast, soybean flour + wheat gluten, soybean meal + wheat gluten, and wheat gluten + bread yeast. Pollen supplements were wheat gluten + pollen , soybean flour + pollen, soybean meal + pollen, bread yeast + pollen and two controls as pollen and honey. The nutritional effects of different protein sources provided by pollen substitutes and supplements were recorded on the amount of carcass protein and fatbody of honey bee workers in experimental colonies. The wheat gluten supplement and the soybean substitute showed the longest (60.58 days) and the shortest (10.53 days) half-life time of worker bees, respectively. The amount of food consumption in different treatments was not significantly different (P>0.05). The greatest DM of worker bees (dry matter of carcass) was related to soybean (34%) and the least related to yeast supplement (31.54%), which were significantly different (P<0.05). The highest carcass protein belonged to wheat gluten supplement (22.57%) and the lowest was related to yeast supplement (20.01%). The greatest carcass fat was related to soybean supplement (4.75%) and the lowest to wheat gluten supplement (3.84%). Results of the present experiments showed that soybean flour, soybean meal, wheat gluten and bread yeast can be used in pollen supplement and substitute cakes.

To estimate the relationship between honey yield and some of the morphological characters, five queen-daughters from each of 30 queen-mothers were studied. The queen-mothers were selected randomly from the apiary of Research Center of Animal Science and Natural Resources in Isfahan Province. Summer honey yield was measured from the difference of honey comb before and after honey extraction while fall honey production was calculated from area of sealed honey combs. Morphological characters were recorded using a stereodissecting microscope fitted with a calibrated micrometer reticule according to Ruttner’s procedures. The mean of honey yield for a year was estimated to be 10.05 kg. Phenotypic correlations between yearly honey production and summer and fall honey productions were estimated to be 0.49 and 0.88, respectively, while the correlation between summer and fall honey yields was low (0.019). There were significant correlations between summer honey yield with cubital-b index, tibia length and forewing width (0.28, 0.27 and 0.25, respectively). Also there were significant correlations between metatarus width with total and fall honey yields (0.22 and 0.23, respectively). Genetic correlations between metatarus length and cubital index with summer honey yield were negative (-0.75 and -0.45, respectively). It may be concluded that due to the high correlation between summer honey production and total honey yield, one could improve yearly honey production by selecting on the basis of summer yield of colonies. Among morphological traits, metatarus length, forewing width and cubital index could be used in the breeding plan in order to increase honey yield.

Small honeybee (Apis florea) is one of the common species in Iran. Apis florea lives in southern Iran and plays an important role in the polination of plants in this region. In a series of studies during the years 1997-1998, the genetic populations of the Iranian small honeybee and the effects of geographic and climatic conditions on the morphological variation and separation of Iranian small honeybee were investigated. For this purpose, 400 samples of worker bees from 40 colonies from 26 cities in 9 provinces were collected and twelve morphological characters were measured, using Ruttner method (1978). To determine geographical and climatological variables, average values collected by synoptic stations and other meteorological stations of Iran Meteorological Organization were used. The principal components analysis was used in the statistical analysis of the data obtained. The results show that there exist two distinct groups of small honeybee populations in Iran. Southwest of Iran hosts a class of bigger bees forming one distinct group while southeast of Iran hosts smaller bees forming the second group. Latitude has a positive correlation with size of body, wings and legs. Amount of precipitation has a nagative correlation with size of body, wings and legs. Temperature, wind speed. relative humidity, freezing days and other parameters did not show any correlations with size of body. The results from this research proved that the more northern areas with higher altitudes and more precipitation have bigger honeybees. This finding is in accordance with the Bergman law about other animals.

In order to study the efficacy of Sunn pests' parasitoid flies, four overwintering sites of Sunn pest in Isfahan, including mountains of Kolahghazy, Panjeh, Jozdan and Sacepid were selected and from each site four different elevations were designated as sampling sites. During 1997, at least 6 and, in 1998, three samples were taken at each sampling site. In spring 1998, four wheat and barley fields were selected from Mahyar, Zeyar, Shahinshahr and Lavark regions and from each field eight samples were taken. In order to observe the larvae of parasitoids and to determine their efficiency, 100 Sunn pests were dissected from each sampling unit of aestivation, overwintering, wheat and barley fields. The parasitism of prevalent species (Phasia subcoleoptrata L.) in spring 1998 was 15.39% for the 1st generation and 1.5% in 1997 and 3.5% in 1998 for the second generation of the pest. All other parasitoid species parasitized less than 1% of the pest population. In some regions, such as Lavark and Zeyar, chemical application against nymphs of Sunn pest were accomplished in spring 1998 at the peak of adult activity of parasitoids' 2nd generation. This application had negative effects on the population of parasitoids but in Shahinshahr where chemical application was accomplished at pupal stage of parasitoid, it did not have any direct adverse effects on the population of dominant parasitoid.

In this study, the control method of greater wax moth using male sterilization technique with gamma ray and chemical control methods were examined and compared. In order to determine the safe and effective dosage of gamma-ray to sterilize male pupae of the greater wax moth, an experiment was conducted in a complete randomized design with 5 treatments and 3 replicates with 50 male pupae in each replicate. Treatments included different levels of gamma-ray dosages with zero, 250, 300, 350 and 400 gray. Release ratio of sterile to normal males was also studied in a similar experiment. Treatments included sterile-males, normal males and virgin females with the ratios of 1:1:1, 2:1:1, 3:1:1, 4:1:1 and 5:1:1. In this study, male pupae were irradiated with 350 grays of gamma-ray. The possible parthenogenetic reproduction of this pest was also studied. In order to compare the results from the male-sterile technique and the chemical control of this pest, another experiment was conducted in wax stores using 3 treatments with 3 replicates. Phostoxin was used as the most common chemical pesticide with a dosage of 1 tablet of 3 grams of 56% per 1 m3 space for the control of this pest. The results showed that the best dosage to sterilize male pupae of the greater wax moth was 350 grays of gamma-ray. Also the best release ratio was four sterile male, one normal male for each normal female (4:1:1). Our results indicated that the females of the greater wax moth were not able to reproduce through parthenogenesis. There was no significant difference between the chemical and male-sterile methods for the control of this pest.

In this study 130 honeybee colonies in 4 locations (Damavand, Tehran, Qum and Karaj-Savojbolagh) were sampled to determine the phenotypic correlations among 9 morphological and 3 production traits. The morphological traits were length (FL) and width (FB) of fore wing, cubital index (CI), length of hind leg (HL), length of probosics (LP), slender index (SI), length (WL) and width (WT) of wax mirror, distance between wax mirror (WD), index of wax mirror (IW) and corbicular area (CA). The production traits were honey yield (WH), pollen gathering (WP) and wax: production (WW). Data were subjected to analysis of variance, phenotypic correlations, stepwise regression and path coefficient analysis. Results of phenotypic correlations demonstrated that correlations between FL with FB (0.65), WL (0.361), WT (0.261), HL (0.555) and LP (0.257), WH with WP (0.300), WW with WH (0.560) and CA with WH (0.234) were significant (P≤0.01). FB with WH (r=0.204) was also significant but there was no significant correlation between CA and WP. Results of stepwise regression and path coefficient analysis showed that whereas morphological traits were settled as independent variables, much of the corresponding changes in production traits remain uninterpreted. In spite of the significant correlations among several morphological and production traits, body measurements alone are not suitable criteria to select colonies for high productions of honey, pollen and wax.

This experiment was conducted to estimate genetic parameters of some of the important traits of silkworm in two populations, namely, Japanese and Chinese lines in Iranian Silkworm Rearing Co-Natanz. Based on single pair mating method, 9 male moths mated with 9 female moths and then raised under standard environmental conditions. Performance of 30 progenies of each pair was recorded. Heritability coefficients (parental full-sib method) of single cocoon weight (CW), shell weight (SW), pupal weight (PW) and shell ratio (SR) were estimated to be 0.209±0.123, 0.228±0.129, 0.174±0.109 and 0.044±0.042 in the Japanese race and 0.196±0.1l8, 0.234±0.132, 0.159±0.103 and 0.00, in the Chinese race, respectively. Genetic and phenotypic correlation between CW & SW were 0.645 & 0.957, CW & PW, 0.962 & 0.982, CW & SR -0.351 & 0.123, SW & PW, 0.496 & 0.871, SW & SR, 0.265 & 0.457, PW & SR, -0.446 & 0.169, respectively. Selection, based on heritability coefficients of single cocoon weight and shell weight, can be applied successfully to genetic-gain in this trait. Based on correlation coefficients between traits, selection for shell weight can be applied successfully to improve other traits such as single cocoon weight and shell ratio.

In order to study the parasitoid flies of Sunn pest in Isfahan, this research was conducted during the years 1997-1998. The results indicated that the dominant species of parasitoid fly is Phasia subcoleoptrata L. This species has two generations per year and over winters as pupae in soil under the shrubs of aestivation and hibernation places of Sunn pest and remains there until the following spring. The adults of the first generation of this parasitoid emerge from the pupae before the Sunn pest migrate to the grain fields and parasitize on the Sunn pest at the time of migration. About 6-8 days after the flies lay eggs in the body of Sunn pests, parasitoid larvae hatch from the eggs and grow in the body of their host. Larval period of parasitoid lasts about 15-20 days and then they fall on to the soil and pupate. In the laboratory, the length of pupal period for males and females is 17 and 18.5 days, respectively, for the first generation. Flies of the second generation of the parasitoid parasitize the fifth nymphal instar and the new adults of the Sunn pest.

In order to estimate the heritability of morphological characters of worker honey bee and honey yield, 30 queen-mothers were selected randomly from the apiary of Research Center of Animal Science and Natural Resources in Isfahan Province. From each queen-mother, five queen-daughters were reared and introduced to equalize colonies after natural mating of queens. Summer honey yield was measured, while fall honey production was calculated from area of sealed honey combs. The total honey was calculated by adding summer honey production to fall honey production. Morphological characters were measured under a stereo-dissecting microscope fitted with a calibrated micrometer reticle according to Ruttners method (1985). Heritabilities were estimated by intraclass correlation method. Heritabilities of summer, fall and total yearly honey yields were estimated to be 0.64, 0.51 and 0.30, respectively. Estimates of heritability of morphological characters for probscis length, tibia length, femur length, metatarsus length, metatarsus width, forewing length, forewing width, cubital index, hindwing length and number of hamuli were 0.64±0.08, 0.45±0.07, 0.50±0.07, 0.47±0.07, 0.33±0.06, 0.42±0.06, 0.89±0.10, 0.5±0.07, 0.94±0.10 and 0.45±0.07, respectively. It could be concluded that in order to increase honey yield in either season (summer or fall), selection must be based on the amount of honey yield in the corresponding season. Thus, heritabilities of forewing and hindwing lengths were high selection according to these morphological characters would, therefore, change the size of these characters.

An important and fundamental step in breeding honeybees is the separation of honeybee populations in Iran. During the years 1992-1996, several research works were directed towards the investigation of genetic populations of the Iranian honeybee (Apis mellifera</em> L.), using biochemical methods. For this purpose, samples of worker bees were taken from 251 colonies of 115 apiaries in 84 cities in 21 provinces. The biochemical studies were conducted on thoracic proteins of worker bees using the horizontal electrophoresis. The thoracic proteins of worker bees from the north and east populations isolated by electrophoretic techniques lacked a protein band having molecular weight of about 100,000 daltons. The results obtained from morphological and biochemical techniques and segregation of populations, indicate that breeding centers can be established in northern as well as western and central regions of Iran to improve genetic potentials of Iranian honeybee population.