Bioecological study of poplar clearwing moth, Paranthrene tabaniformis Rott. (Lep.: Sesiidae) and its control methods in Guilan Province

Poplar clearwing moth, Paranthrene tabaniformis Rott. (Lep.: Sessiidae) is an important poplar pest in Asian, European, African and North America and it's reported by Farahbakhsh from Iran in 1962. In current research, biology of P. tabaniformis was studiedmainly in Safrabasteh Poplar Research Station,as well as Fakhr Abad (Lasht-e nesha) and Pillambara (Paresar) stations, the Lakan nursery and some private nurseriesin Kiashahr and Ziabar in Guilan province. Adults of this pest are resemble wasps, emerge from Mid-Mayand  operate until Mid-September.Females mate after emergence and the eggs are laid individually, pairs, and rarely more in different directions at a height of 30 cm to 2.5 m on the creases of the stems, as well as under the leaves and margins of the lateral buds. The embryonic period is 10 to14 days and the larvae create a small cavity in the bark, usually at the petiole-to-stem junction, after hatching and then they penetrate into the soft stems and gradually form galleries.The maximumlength of larval galleries was 25 cm.Larval activity of this pest was observed by creating galls on one-year-old poplar stems of different poplar clones of euramericana and deltoides species with different intensities in Guilan province. Severe infestations of seedlings can result in stem breakage under wind impact. Wintering of the insect is the form of third to sixth stages of larvae. Theactivity of larvae is resume in April and become pupae after a while. The pupal period is between 17-19 days. P. tabaniformis has one generation per year.