First report of Ischnopterapion subglabrum (Desbrochers, 1870) (Coleoptera: Apionidae), a seed-feeding pest of Astragalus in Iran

During the study of seed predator insects of milkvetchs (Astragalus species) in East-Azarbaijan province rangelands (In the summer of 2010), some specimens of infected seeds were collected on Astragalus onobrychis L. and A. aureus Wild (Fabaceae) from Horand (altitude 1300 m) and Sahand ski resort (altitude 2400 m) rangelands, respectively. Rearing was made in the entomological laboratory (24°C and 65% humidity) which led to the emergence of a seed weevil species of the family Apionidae. The emerged beetles were preserved in ethanol 75% and prepared for identification. The specimens were identified as Ischnopterapion subglabrum (Desbrochers) by Karel Schone in Czech Republic. This species belongs to the superfamily Curculionoidea, family Apionidae, subfamily Apioninae, tribe Oxystomatini (1, 4) and according to available sources, is new record for Iranian fauna. Specimens deposited in the insect collection of Research Center of Agriculture and Natural Resources of East-Azarbaijan Province, and Research Institute of Forests and Rangelandes, Tehran, Iran. Previously, only the species M. insidiosuom was reported from Iran, that the changes made in the taxonomy of Apioninae, its scientific name will be Ischnopterapion insidiosuom. Other areas of distribution of I. insidiosuom, CIS countries and Syria have been reported. So far, about 15 species of the genus Ischnopterapion have been introduced from the Palearctic region that many of them have been reported in European countries, but given the several synonym names and some taxonomic difficulties in some genera of the family Apionidae, in relation to the number of introduced species in this family cannot be expressed in terms of decisive (2, 3). Ischnopterapion subglabrum so far has been reported from southern parts of central Europe and some countries in the Levant region including Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine (3). This species is mostly seed predator of leguminous plants.Morphological characteristics of I. subglabrum were as the following items: Most parts of the body metallic green. Compound eyes, antennae and tarsi brown. Rostrum elongated and tubular, 1.4-1.7 times as long as pronotum, in males slightly wider at the base of the antennae. Antennae longer and narrower. Pronotum usually not narrowing based and apical, coarsely punctate. Elytra widened behind middle. White hairs present over the inner surface of pygidial apex.