Investigation of presence, distribution and flight period of oak leaf roller moth, Tortrix viridana (Lep.: Tortricidae) using pheromone traps in Kurdistan province

Forests cover about 5,200,000 hectares of the west of Iran, from which 500,000 hectares are located in Kurdistan province. One of the most important pests in the oak forests of this province is oak leaf roller moth, Tortrix viridana L. (Lep.: Tortricidae). This pest significantly damages the oak forest each year. Using pheromone trap is one of the suitable methods for monitoring of this pest. In this work, distribution and flight period of the pest were studied by pheromone traps during two years. Fifteen regions were trapped at the equal distances (40 km) from Kamyaran (south west of Kurdistan province) to Baneh (north west of Kurdistan province) to investigate the presence and distribution of this moth. Also, a region located between Sanandaj and Marivan was selected to study the flight period. Some traps were established in this region and checked every two days. Investigation of pest distribution showed that oak leaf roller moth was present all over the sites from Kamyaran to Baneh. Different populations of moth were trapped in all over the sites. The highest population was trapped in Colit region (mid-west of Kurdistan province). The study of flight period showed that first moths were trapped on May, 16th and the peak of the flight took place on May, 21st and finally the last moths were trapped on June, 24th. Therefore, adults activated during 40 days; mating and oviposition occurred during this period. Incubation period lasted 9 months and activation of larvae was coincident with flashing of foliar buds

Contribution to the knowledge of the jewel beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) fauna of Kurdistan Province of Iran. Part 1. Subfamilies Julodinae, Polycestinae and Chrysochroinae

60 species of jewel-beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) belonging to three subfamilies (Julodinae, Polycestinae and Chrysochroinae) were collected in Kurdistan Province of Iran during 2009–2011. Of these 7 species from 6 genera are new for Iranian fauna and 41 species from 9 genera are new for Kurdistan Province

Effects of various host plants on nutritional indices and some biochemical compounds in green oak leaf roller, Tortrix viridana L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

The green oak leaf roller, <em>Tortrix viridana</em> L., is one of the most destructive pests, causing damages to various species of oak, feeding on different host plants including <em>Quercus infectoria</em> Oliv, <em>Q. branti</em> Lindl, and <em>Q. libani</em> Oliv. Nutritional indices, activity of enzymatic and non-enzymatic compounds of <em>T. viridana</em> were studied under laboratory conditions. In addition, chemical components were analysed in the leaves of the three host plants. Fourth instar larvae reared on <em>Q. branti </em>showed the highest values of relative consumption rate (RCR), approximate digestibility, and consumption index (48.73±6.22; 90.45±1.06 and 97.45±12.44 respectively), while the lowest values were observed on <em>Q. libani</em>. Efficiency of conversion of ingested food in the fourth instar larvae was the highest (3.17±0.661) on <em>Q. libani</em> and the lowest (1.53±0.164) on <em>Q. branti</em>. The fifth instar larvae fed on <em>Q. libani</em> had the highest RCR (15.64±2.51). The highest amounts of triglycerides, uric acid, glucose, protein and the lowest activity of alkaline phosphatase were observed in the fifth instar larvae reared on <em>Q. libani</em>. The leaves of Q. libani highlighted the highest amounts of total nitrogen, total protein, water, potassium, magnesium and total carbohydrate. The present research suggested that the nutritional quality of the host plants have crucial effects on <em>T. viridana</em> larvae

Impact of Partial Root Drying and Soil Mulching on Squash Yield and Water Use Efficiency in Arid

Practical and sustainable water management systems are needed in arid regions due to water shortages and climate change. Therefore, an experiment was initiated in winter (WS) and spring (SS), to investigate integrating deficit irrigation, associated with partial root drying (PRD) and soil mulching, under subsurface drip irrigation on squash yield, fruit quality, and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). Two mulching treatments, transparent plastic mulch (WM) and black plastic mulch (BM), were tested, and a treatment without mulch (NM) was used as a control. Three levels of irrigation were examined in a split-plot design with three replications: 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc), representing full irrigation (FI), 70% of ETc (PRD70), and 50% of ETc (PRD50). There was a higher squash yield and lower IWUE in SS than WS. The highest squash yields were recorded for PDR70 (82.53 Mg ha−1) and FI (80.62 Mg ha−1). The highest IWUE was obtained under PRD50. Plastic mulch significantly increased the squash yield (34%) and IWUE (46%) and enhanced stomatal conductance, photosynthesis, transpiration, leaf chlorophyll fluorescence, and leaf chlorophyll contents under PRD plants. These results indicate that in arid and semi-arid regions, soil mulch with deficit PRD could be used as a water-saving strategy without reducing yields