Twenty six new records of oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) for Iran fauna

During 2000-2004, in a faunistic survey of primitive oribatids (Acari: Oribatida: Macropylina), pycnonotic and poronotic oribatid mites in Mazandaran province, 26 species, 15 genera and 13 families that marked by asterisk are newly recorded from Iran. Also distribution of each species is presented together with the figures of some species. Macropylina: Trhypochthonius* tectorum (Berlese) (Trhypochthoniidae*); Malaconothrus* egregius Berlese (Malaconothridae); Nanhermannia* laevis Sitnikova & Gilyarov (Nanhermanniidae*).Pycnonota: Hermanniella* dolosa Grandjean (Hermanniellidae*); Amerobelba* decedens Berlese (Amerobelbidae*); Amerus* polonicus Kulczynski (Ameridae*); Eremaeus* cordiformis Grandjean (Eremaeidae*); Micreremus gracilior Willmann (Micreremidae); Scapheremaeus patella Berlese (Cymbaeremaeidae); Microzetorchestes* emeryi (Coggi) (Zetorchestidae*); Furcoribula* furcillata (Nordenskiold) (Astegistidae*); Liacarus (L.) coracinus (Koch); L. (L.) brevilamellatus (Mihelcic); L. (Dorycranosus) splendens (Coggi); L. (D.) zachvatkini Kulijev (Liacaridae); Xenillus* (X.) clypeator Robineau-Desvoidy (Xenillidae*); Gustavia* microcephala (Nicolet) (Gustaviidae*).Poronota: Scutovertex minutus (Koch) (Scutoverticidae); Eupelops* acromios (Herman); E. torulosus (Koch) (Phenopelopidae*); Oribatula (Zygoribatula) exarata Berlese; O. (O.) tibialis tibialis (Nicolet); O. (O.) tibialis allifera Subias; O. (O.) pallida Banks (Oribatulidae); Dometorina* plantivaga (Berlese) (Hemileiidae*); Oribatella* sp. (Oribatellidae*); Latilamellobates* naltschicki Shaldybina (Ceratozetidae)

Survey on natural occurrence of Cydia Pomonella granulovirus in apple orchards of Iran

The Cydia pomonella granulovirlls (CpGV) is a very effective biological control agent against codling moth, Cydia pomonella L. (Lep.: Tortricidae). Its isolation from natural populations of codling moth is difficult and only a few isolates have been described in the world, because diseased larvae usually rupture and disintegrate and can not be found on the trees. So, in this survey, lots of corrugated cardboard trap bands were placed around the trunks of apple trees in different regions of Iran and they were surveyed for codling moth larvae infected by CpGV. At least, 11 natural isolates from Northwest and Northeast of Iran were collected and surveyed. Viruses from single or pooled infected larvae were isolated and propagated in the fourth in star larvae of the codling moth. Light and electron microscopy studies confirmed the presence of granulovirus in codling moth populations of the above mentioned regions

A Study on the Application of Different Types of Mulches on Some Growth Characteristics of Two Varieties of Tagetes in Mashhad Urban Vegetation

In this study, the effects of four types of mulch including wood chips, municipal compost, sawdust and gravel in three different thicknesses on temperature soil, moisture and growth characteristics of two cultivars of Tagetes (Tagetes patella var Durango Bee and Tagetes erecta var Antigua) were examined in Mashhad area with semi-arid climate. The research was conducted as a split plot based on a completely random block design with four replications. Treatments included control (no mulching) and four types of mulch including wood chips, municipal compost, sawdust and gravel in three thickness levels (4, 8 and 12 cm). During the study, soil moisture and temperature, total flower number, fresh and dry weight of plant, plant height and fresh weight of root were measured. Sawdust mulch with 12 cm thickness had the highest soil moisture (23.62%) and lowest soil temperature (25.01ºC), and led to greater increases in growth characteristics of the two cultivars. In both cultivars, increasing of mulch thickness led to the increased rate of growth. The Antigua cultivar showed a better vegetative growth, smaller flower number, and larger flowers in comparison with Durango Bee cultivar. All mulch types were significantly different from control. Overall, in both cultivars the highest and smallest growth taits were detected in sawdust and control, respectively. It seems that sawdust by preserving soil moisture and reducing drought stress out performs the other mulches in dry and semi-arid areas

Life tables for sunn pest, Eurygaster integriceps (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae) in northern Iran.

Citation: Iranipour, S., A. Kharrazi Pakdel, G. Radjabi, and J.P. Michaud. 2011. “Life Tables for Sunn Pest, Eurygaster Integriceps (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae) in Northern Iran.” Bulletin of Entomological Research 101 (1): 33–44. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007485310000155.Iranipour, S., A. Kharrazi Pakdel, G. Radjabi, and J.P. Michaud. 2011. “Life Tables for Sunn Pest, Eurygaster Integriceps (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae) in Northern Iran.” Bulletin of Entomological Research 101 (1): 33–44. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007485310000155.Life table studies of sunn pest were carried out in Varamin, Iran, from 1998–2001 in order to determine stage-specific ortalities and the impact of specific natural enemies on population dynamics. Populations were sampled 2–3 times weekly in agricultural fields during the growing season and monthly during the period of dormancy at resting sites in nearby mountains some 30km away from cereal fields. Adults spend a period of 9–10 months in diapause and suffered overcompensatory, density-dependent mortality during this period. Variation in adult overwintering survival was inferred to be largely a function of the physiological condition of bugs that is reduced in a density-dependent manner by intraspecific competition for food among newly molted adults prior to migration to resting sites. Adult mortality emerged as the primary factor in key factor analysis, contributing 73% of the total variance in mortality. Other important factors were egg parasitism by Trissolcus vassilievi Mayr and adult parasitism by several species of Tachinidae. Although T. vassilievi made only a minor contribution to overall variance in total mortality, it had a significant effect on the number of newly molted adults, the life stage that is most damaging to cereal crops. The equilibrium level of the pest population in wheat fields was inferred to be ca. 72.6 adults m[superscript -2], a number that substantially exceeds the economic threshold that ranges from 3–5 adults m[superscript -2]