نشریه نامه انجمن حشره شناسی ایران
سال چهلم شماره 4 (پیاپی 84، زمستان 1399)

Nowadays, use of botanical compounds as pesticides is becoming increasingly important, because of their acceptable efficiency and relative safety to human and environment. The present study aimed to investigate oral toxicity of different extracts of Achillea millefolium L. and Marrubium vulgare L., against larvae of potato tuber moth and compare their potency with some conventional insecticides. Larvae of potato tuber moth, reared on potato tubers in controlled conditions. Extraction was carried out by maceration method using hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol and water as solvents. Foliage of A. millefolium and M. vulgare collected, well washed with distilled water, air dried in shadow then used for extraction. For bioassays fresh potato leaves dipped in each concentration of extracts for 5 seconds, air dried for 20 minutes. Potato tuber moth larvae transferred on treated leaves. Mortality was recorded after 48 hours. The results revealed that, aqueous and ethyl acetate extracts of A. millefolium showed the most and the least toxicity against 1st larval instar, with LC50 values of 2.96 and 44.03 gr/lrespectively. Methanol extract of A. millefolium and ethyl acetate extracts of M. vulgare were more and less toxic against 2nd larval instar of PTM with LC50 values of 9.03 and 34.79 gr/l, respectively. The toxicity comparison of plants extracts with Fenvalerate, Imidacloprid and Acetamiprid showed that, in all cases the synthetic pesticides were more toxic than plant extracts. Acetamiprid with LC50 values of 0.18 and 0.31 gr/l was more toxic than other pesticides against 1st and 2nd larval instars of PTM, respectively but relative potency of plant extracts was comparable with Fenvalerate.

Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly), Ceratitis capitata Wied is one of the most destructive pest of fruit trees in Iran and worldwide. Comparison of different traps and Medfly attractants was tested in a randomized complete block design with 11 treatments (1. Tephri trap baited with Cera trap liquid, 2. Mcphil trap baited with Cera trap liquid, 3. Tephri trap baited with Trimedlure (EXC453), 4. Mcphil trap baited with Trimedlure (EXC453), 5. Tephri trap baited with Indian hydrolyzed protein + Malathion, 6. Tephri trap baited with Iranian hydrolyzed protein + Malathion, 7. Plastic bottle trap baited with Indian hydrolyzed protein + Malathion, 8. Plastic bottle trap baited with Iranian hydrolyzed protein + Malathion, 9. Plastic bottle trap baited with Cera trap liquid, 10. Yellow sticky trap and 11. Jackson trap baited with Trimedlure (TM020A); and 3 replications, in citrus and persimmon fruit orchards of Sari, Noor and Qaemshar in 2007 and 2008. The area of each orchard was about 2 ha. The number of trapped Medfly was recorded weekly for 8 weeks. Data analysis indicated a significant difference among treatments in 5% probability level. Grouping of the treatments based on LSD test revealed that Jackson trap baited with Trimedlure (TM020A) with the maximum mean number of captured male and Cera trap liquid baited in Tephri trap, with the maximum mean number of female were in highest class. The Indian and Iranian formulated hydrolyzed protein baited in plastic bottle traps with the minimum mean number of captured flies was placed in lowest class.

The small date moth Batrachedra amydraula Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Batrachedridae) and other date palm moths are among the most important date fruit pests, causing the date fruits to dry and fall. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the density of B. amydraula population and the extent of its injury level as well as between the rate of damage and reduction of date yield indices on six commercial date palm cultivars in five provinces of Iran including Khuzestan, Bushehr, Hormozgan, Kerman and Saystan & Baluchestan durying 2018 and 2019. Production management costs in both chemical and biological control approaches were considered. Also, crop prices in each region were calculated based on a six-month average prediction. Sampling were done at 15-days intervals from May to early September. To this end, four clusters were selected from four different geographical directions of each tree and in each cluster, 25 fruits were checked to determine the number of healthy and infested fruits. Finally, the Norton model was used to calculate EIL under biological and chemical control conditions. Based on the results, the cost of biological control was lower than that of chemical control. The highest cost in both methods was the cost of purchasing the controlling materials. The highest rate of injury (symptoms of nutrition) to the crop was observed in Mazafati cultivar and the lowest one was in Kabkab. Also, the highest crop damage (nutrition losses) caused by pest damage unit was observed in Rabi cultivar and the lowest one was in Kabkab cultivar. In all studied cultivars, the economic injury level in 2018 was lower than 2019 in both chemical and biological control methods. On the other hand, in biological control method in both years and on all cultivars, costs were lower than chemical control method. The highest value of economic injury level in 2019 was estimated for cultivar Sayer in biological control method (1546.1 larva-day) and the lowest one was estimated for cultivar Rabi in chemical control method (13.81 larva-day).

The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, is an important pest of agricultural crops in Iran. In this study, intercropping pepper (P),Capsicum annuum L., with garlic (G), Allium sativum L., in the three patterns 3T:5G, 3T:8G and 3T:11G (row ratios) along with sole pepper crop were assessed on the densities of T. urticae,diversity of natural enemies and crop yield in an experimental field, based on a randomized complete block design during the two growing seasons 2017 and 2018. The densities of T. urticae eggs and mobile forms were lower in the three intercrops compared with sole pepper crop (p < /em> ≤ 0.05). The values of the Shannon diversity index (H´) and the Pielou’s evenness index (J´) for the composition of T. urticae predators were greater in the three intercrops compared with sole pepper crop. In the present study, Stethorus gilvifrons (Mulsant) and Orius niger (Wolff) were the main predators of T. urticae on pepper plants. The abundance of O. niger was higher in the three intercrops compared with sole pepper crop, but the populations of S. gilvifrons had not significant difference between intercrops and sole pepper crop (p < /em> ≤ 0.05). Moreover, the values of land equivalent ratio (LER) were greater than one in the three intercrops (LER ≥ 1.14) compared to sole crops. These results revealed that intercropping pepper with garlic could be an effective method in the integrated management of T. urticae in pepper fields.

The Syrian bean-caper hawk moth, Hyles zygophylli L., is distributed in the eastern Palaearctic region and feeds on the leaves of the Syrian bean caper, Zygophyllum fabago L. In order to study the life history traits and its parasitoids, continuous rearing was conducted in field and laboratory conditions. The results showed that H. zygophylli completed four generations within the growing season and hibernate as pupal stage in the soil at a depth of 2 to 6 cm. The annual life cycle of the species begins in late April with the emergence of adults from overwintering pupae and ends in early October with the pupation of fourth-generation larvae. Adult hawk moths 2-3 days after emergence mates and begin laying eggs in irregular shape on the stems and underside of leaves. They are spherical shape, light green and 1.1 ± 0.1 mm in diameter. Depends on daily temperature, the incubation period takes 3-5days. The larval development time takes 18-25 days and pupal stage lasted 12-16 days. Laval development were completed in five larval instars. The maximum length (in rest position), head capsule, and weight of completely developed larvae were 6.6-6.9 mm, 4.9 mm, and 3.8-4.9 gr, respectively. The larvae and pupa of H. zygophylli were parasitized by two species of tachinid and chalcid flies namely, Masicera sphingivora (R.-D.), Tachina praeceps Meigen and Proconura barbara Masi in Urmia region. The association of parasitoids with H. zygophylli are reported for the first time.

An isolate of entomopathogenic fungus was isolated from the soil samples by using the Galleria bait method. Species identification was carried out using morphology and phylogenetic analysis of ITS-rDNA region and ß-tubulin gene sequences by Maximum parsimony (MP) method. Based on the both morphological and molecular characterization, the isolate KJ3 was identified as Cordyceps farinosa. The isolates showed an ellipsoidal conidial shape with overall dimensions of 3.83 × 1.98 µm (length ×width). The phialide of the isolate was characterized by a wide globose basal portion and overall dimensions of 4.98 × 2.21 µm. The PCR-amplified ITS and ß-tubulin regions were 615and 355 bp, respectively. In all constructed phylogenetic trees, C. farinosa isolate KJ3 grouped together with C. farinosa CBS 541.81 as a monophyletic group. Based on the ITS-rDNA sequence, in reconstructed phylogenetic tree, a group including C. albocitrina and C. coccidioperitheciata appeared as sister group of C. farinose. Cordyceps confrogasa was the genealogically closest species to I. farinosa based on the ß-Tubulin sequence. With the aim of comparing the efficiencies of ITS-rDNA and ß-Tubulin sequences for Cordyceps spp. genealogic studies, MP phylogenetic trees with the similar sets of species were reconstructed based on the both genomic regions in combination and alone and then compared in terms of consistency index, retention index and topology. The results showed that phylogenetic analysis based on the ß-Tubulin sequence is more efficient way for genealogical studies in Cordyceps spp..

During a parasitoids sampling in Arasbaran forest in East Azarbaijan province, a male specimen of an interesting Trichogrammatid wasp (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) was collected.  This specimen was collected on Matricaria camomilla L. (Asteraceae) in July 2020. It was identified as Pterandrophysalis levantina Nowicki, 1935. This is the first record of the genus and species from Iran.