New synonymies in the genera Cymindis and Brachinus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in Iran

Lebia zaboli Jedlička 1968 و Cymindis (Cymindis) petrovitzi Mandl 1973 در اینجا به‌ترتیب به عنوان مترادف­های جدید Brachinus (Cnecostolus) bagdatensis Pic 1902 و Cymindis (Petrovitziella) persica Jedlička 1968 تلقی می­شوند.  Cymindis (Cymindis) transversa Morvan 1972و Brachinus (INCERTAE) strictus Morvan 1971 نیز به‌ترتیب مترادف­های جدید Cymindis (Cymindis) picta (Pallas, 1771) و Brachinus (Brachinus) crepitans (L., 1758) در نظر گرفته می­شوند

Genus Trichis (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and its new synonymies in Iran

در این مقاله گونه‌های Trichis petrovitzi Mandl, 1973 و T. iranica Mandl, 1973 به عنوان مترادف گونه T. maculata Klug, 1832 معرفی می‌شوند

A uni- and multivariate analysis approach to reveal sexual size dimorphism in Iranian populations of Hypera postica (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Body size dimorphism between genders is a commonly observed phenomenon in insects, usually manifested in larger female body size. Sexual Size Dimorphism (SSD) varies from species to species, the degree and direction influenced by certain evolutionary pressures. Intraspecific variation in SSD may also occur between populations. The Hypera postica (Gyllenhal, 1813) is a well-known alfalfa plant pest that shows a degree of morphological divergence in its populations. The female alfalfa weevils are very fecund and have a larger body size compared to males. To improve our knowledge on magnitude and direction of SSD in alfalfa weevil, we studied 200 specimens of H. postica from four Iranian populations (Karaj1, Karaj2, Tuyserkan and Jovein). 10 morphological variables from three external anatomic parts (pronotum, elytra and rostrum) and 45 ratio characters were statistically analyzed in order to determine the amount of SSD in Iranian populations. In addition we investigated for morphological divergence pattern in mentioned populations. The results of this study show that a low degree of morphological divergence occurs in Iranian populations. Measured variables indicate that the SSD pattern of H. postica is compatible with the Rensch's rule, and is related to high fecundity of females and a lack of strong sexual selection. Also it is mentioned that the larger rostrum in females may correspond to its unique role in egg laying

The spider genus Pterotricha in Iran, with the description of a new genus (Araneae, Gnaphosidae)

The spider genus Pterotricha Kulczyński, 1903 (Gnaphosidae) is surveyed in Iran. To date, three species of this genus were known in the country: P. loeffleri (Roewer, 1955), P. lentiginosa (C. L. Koch, 1837) and P. pseudoparasyriaca Nuruyeva & Huseynov, 2016. Here two new species are described, P. kovblyuki Zamani & Marusik, sp. n. (♂, western Iran) and P. montana Zamani & Marusik, sp. n. (♀, central and southwestern Iran), and P. cf. dalmasi Fage, 1929 (from Algeria to Jordan) is reported in Iran for the first time. Pterotricha tikaderi Gajbe, 1983 syn. n. (India) and P. loeffleri (Roewer, 1955), syn. n. are synonymized with P. strandi Spassky, 1936 (hitherto known from Turkmenistan only). The record of P. lentiginosa from Iran is apparently based on misidentification. A distribution map of the genus in Iran with new provincial records is provided. In addition, Iranotricha Zamani & Marusik, gen. n., a new genus closely related to Pterotricha, is described from southeastern Iran with the type species I. lutensis Zamani & Marusik, sp. n

Developmental differences of local populations of alfalfa weevil (Hypera postica) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Many invasive insect pests show phenotypic variation between local populations across their geographical range. Understanding and integrating such differences will help to improve pest management. Population differences are the result of local adaptation to environmental conditions and may be detected using ecological analyses. Immature stages may represent especially interesting study objects as they represent important stages in the life cycle of insects and in many cases may be the most destructive stage. The alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal, 1813), is a variable worldwide pest that heavily damages alfalfa fields and is widely distributed in Iran. The lack of information about Iranian populations of H. postica has motivated us to examine immature life stages of three western populations (Karaj, Hamedan, Tuyserkan) and one eastern population (Jovein) under laboratory conditions. We measured the percentage of survival and the developmental times of each immature stage. The results suggested that the mean duration of the pupa stage significantly differs among the eastern population and all western populations (P < 0.005). Egg survivorship was lower in the eastern population (72.5%). The importance of differences in development times between populations is discussed in regards of pest management strategies

Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) of Taleghan Region (North of Iran) with reporting of ten new records for Iran

The faunistic knowledge of Iranian weevils is still relatively low, especially in comparison with the vastness and rich environment of this country. During the years 2014-2015, a faunistic study on superfamily Curculionoidea was done in Taleghan Region. This region is located on the southern slope of the Alborz Mountains and irrigated by several rivers. Taleghan Region is known mainly for its green landscape which is covered mostly by rangelands, grasslands, but also agricultural farms and fruit gardens. Recently, several human activities have shaped into the Taleghan landscapes and then it resulted in a dramatic reduction of vegetation. In our study a total of 51 species of weevils were confirmed for this region and 10 of them (Hemitrichapion pavidum (Germar, 1817), Protapion laevicolle (Kirby, 1811), Pseudoprotapion elegantulum (Germar, 1818), P. astragali astragali (Paykull, 1800), Mecinus labilis (Herbst, 1795), Mogulones asperifoliarum (Gyllenhal, 1813), Tychius astragali Becker, 1862, T. callidus Caldara, 1990, T. tridentinus Penecke, 1922, and T. trivialis Boheman, 1843) have been recorded in Iran for the first time. In addition, a brief discussion is given for several species considered as rare weevils or interesting records for Iranian fauna. Finally, the environmental factors with influence effect into the weevil community in Taleghan Region are discussed

Prey Preference of Predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii (Athias-Henriot) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) on untreated and Beauveria bassiana-treated of Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae

Introduction The predator Amblyseius swirskii and entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana are important biocontrol agents of Trialeurodes vaporariorum. Determination of the host preference of predators in the fields when receiving signals related to either untreated and Beauveria bassiana-treated pest is important. Materials and Methods In this research, the prey preference of adult female (2 days old) of A. swirskii was determined on untreated and Beauveria bassiana-treated of Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) in various treatments base on Manly Index. These different treatments consisted of two time intervals; 24 and 48 h post-inoculation of greenhouse whiteflies with 1×105 conidia /ml of B. bassiana with 13 replicates. 24-h starved predators were added to the leaf discs singly then the number of consumed untreated and B. bassiana-treated T. vaporariorum in each Petri dish was assessed after 24 h. Results and Discussion The results revealed that mean number of consumed B. bassiana-treated T. vaporariorum in two time intervals; 24 and 48 h. after inoculation were 4/15±0/19 and 2.23±0/12, respectively. This investigation showed a significant preference of A. swirskii towards untreated T. vaporariorum in 24 (P< 0.0034) and 48 h. (

Evolutionary view on sexual dimorphism and shape variation in Iranian populations of Hypera postica (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

The alfalfa weevil (Hypera postica) is a worldwide variable pest that is established in almost all Iranian alfalfa fields. As a result of the large distribution range and the climatic diversity in Iran, population differentiation had been observed, which was largely unstudied. Previous morphological studies have suggested a local adaptation of Hypera postica populations; yet, traditional morphological markers are not powerful enough to reveal subtle changes in morphological characters among populations or even gender within populations. The robust statistical geometric morphometric analysis promised to be able to detect small changes in shape. In this study, we used Fourier outline analysis to compare the shape of pronotum, elytra and rostrum of five Iranian populations of the alfalfa weevil from three well-separated geographic areas (Karaj, Jovein and Tuyserkan). Besides population divergence, the sexual shape dimorphism was investigated. The results show a significant shape difference between males and females, at inter- and intrapopulation levels for H. postica. These results suggest the influence of a local natural selection on the studied characters