Multiparasitism of stink bug eggs: competitive interactions between Ooencyrtus pityocampae and Trissolcus agriope

Females of Trissolcus agriope (Platygastridae) avoid host (Brachynema signatum) eggs parasitized by conspecifics or Ooencyrtus pityocampae (Encyrtidae), but females of the latter species will superparasitize and multiparasitize, although they mostly attack unparasitized eggs. Females of T. agriope were more efficient in the laboratory and parasitized more hosts in 24 and 48 h. In multiparasitized hosts, O. pityocampae was a superior larval competitor and could complete also development as a facultative hyperparasitoid. When females of both species foraged together, T. agriope parasitized significantly more than O. pityocampae, about 50%in both cases, although O. pityocampae almost doubled its parasitism rate as the exposure period was lengthened from 24 h to 48 h. When O. pityocampae followed T. agriope in sequential foraging bouts, the former species successfully parasitized more hosts than the latter. The advisability of co-releases of both species to improve biological control of first generation B. signatum in Iranian pistachio orchards is discussed.Citation: Mohammadpour, M., Jalali, M. A., Michaud, J. P., Ziaaddini, M., & Hashemirad, H. (2014). Multiparasitism of stink bug eggs: Competitive interactions between Ooencyrtus pityocampae and Trissolcus agriope. Retrieved from http://krex.ksu.ed

Methadone Treatment in Iranian Opiate Addicts: A Preliminary Report

Abstract Background: This study aimed to investigate the initial dosage of methadone and factors affecting it in maintenance therapy. Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytic study was conducted on 157 individuals referring to a methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) clinic. The initial dosage of methadone was 20-45 mg which was adjusted during the treatment based on each patient's evaluation. Three groups were formed according to methadone dosage (less than 30 mg, between 30-50 mg, and more than 50 mg). Findings: Significant relations were observed between increased methadone dosage in the initial phase and marital status (P = 0.03), injection (P = 0.03), medical comorbidity (P = 0.009), and borderline personality disorder (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Further studies with larger sample size and including the history of previous detoxification, substance abuse, omission of self-recording, evaluation of women’s addiction and MMT program performance with counseling support should be performed

Methadone Treatment in Iranian Opiate Addicts: A Preliminary Report

Background: This study aimed to investigate the initial dosage of methadone and factors affecting it in maintenance therapy.Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytic study was conducted on 157 individuals referring to a methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) clinic. The initial dosage of methadone was 20-45 mg which was adjusted during the treatment based on each patient's evaluation. Three groups were formed according to methadone dosage (less than 30 mg, between 30-50 mg, and more than 50 mg).Findings: Significant relations were observed between increased methadone dosage in the initial phase and marital status (P = 0.03), injection (P = 0.03), medical comorbidity (P = 0.009), and borderline personality disorder (P < 0.001).Conclusion: Further studies with larger sample size and including the history of previous detoxification, substance abuse, omission of self-recording, evaluation of women’s addiction and MMT program performance with counseling support should be performed.Keywords: Addiction, Methadone, Personality disorder

Fauna of edaphic mites of the subcohort Dermanyssiae (Mesostigmata: Gamasina) in northwestern area of Kerman Province

Mesostigmatic mites of the subcohort Dermanyssiae (Monogynaspida: Gamasina) are mostly free living predators that have important roles in edaphic ecosystems and food-chains. A faunistic survey was carried out on edaphic Dermanyssiae in northwestern area of Kerman Province during 2011–2012. The samples were taken from habitats randomly. A total of 25 species belonging to 21 genera, 12 families and 6 superfamilies were collected and identified from which Rhodacarus coronatus (Berlese) was regarded as the first record of the species from Iran. Among the collected specimens, Macrochelidae had the highest relative frequency (30.2%) and the families Laelapidae and Melicharidae with 28.8% and 15.7% frequencies, respectively, were situated in the next ranks

Stink bug egg parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Scelionidae) associated with pistachio in Iran and description of a new species: Trissolcus darreh Talamas

Surveys for egg-parasitoid wasps were conducted in Rafsanjan, Iran, on two species of Pentatomidae (Hemiptera) found in pistachio orchards, Acrosternum arabicum Wagner and Brachynema signatum Jakovlev. Five species of Scelionidae (Platygastroidea) were recovered, including one that is here described as new: Psix saccharicola (Mani), Trissolcus colemani (Crawford), T. darreh Talamas sp. nov., T. perepelovi (Kozlov), and T. semistriatus (Nees). In addition to describing a new species, we report new host associations, provide COI barcodes for four of these species, and discuss host-related intraspecific variation in T. darreh and T. perepelovi

Oviposition preference and olfactory response of Diaphania indica (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) to volatiles of uninfested and infested cucurbitaceous host plants

International audienceThe cucumber moth, Diaphania indica (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a major pest of cucurbitaceous plants. The oviposition preference and olfactory response of larvae, mated and unmated male and female adults to volatiles emanating from uninfested and infested plants of four species of cucurbitaceous host plants and odours of conspecifics were recorded. Also the role of experience in the host finding behaviour of D. indica was evaluated. The experiments were done using a wind tunnel, olfactometer attraction assays and oviposition bioassays. The results reveal that fewer eggs were laid on infested plants than on uninfested plants. Females significantly preferred cucumber over squash, melon and watermelon. Cucurbitaceous plants elicited adults of D. indica to fly upwind followed by landing on the plants. The effect of experience on the olfactory preference of D. indica was dependent on the host plant. Females that had experience of cucumber, squash and melon plants were significantly attracted to the same plant, but not in the case of watermelon. Larvae of this pest were attracted only to volatiles of uninfested cucumber, squash and melon, whereas volatiles of conspecifics, infested plants and intact watermelon did not attract larvae. This study is an initial attempt to investigate the role of volatile infochemicals in the host-finding behaviour of D. indica. These results provide baseline information for the development of new control strategies against D. indica