دکتر حسین صادقی نامقی

The jujube lace bug, Monosteira alticarinata Ghauri is one of the important pests of jujube in South Khorasan province which gained great economic importance in recent years. To study the seasonal population fluctuations of M. alticarinata and its natural enemies, sampling was done weekly from the start to the end of the cropping season during 2020-2021. Jujube leaf was selected as sampling unit. Ten jujube trees were selected, at each sampling time200 leaves (20 leaves from each tree) were collected from different geographical directions and the number of different biological stages of the jujube lace bug as well as its natural enemies were counted using a stereomicroscope. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between lace bug density and temperature and relative humidity as variables. The highest population density of egg, nymph, and adult lace bug stages were 394.3±69.09, 114.4±20.5, and 42.4±6.92 on August 15th, September 5th, and August 1st, respectively in 2020 and 434.9±75.31, 126±20.43, and 40±11.50 on August 9th, August 30th, and September 20th, respectively in 2021. In both years, a positive and significant correlation was observed between jujube lace bug total population density (r2020= 0.603, P2020=0.0001 and r2021= 0.475, P2021=0.08) with temperature, however the correlation was negative and non-significant for relative humidity (r2020=-0.265, P2020=0.175 and r2021= -0.349, P2021=0.059). In total, seven ladybird species, one lacewing species, and one parasitic mite species were collected and identified as natural enemies of the jujube lace bug in Birjand. The results of present study can be used in the integrated management of the jujube lace bug.

Pomegranate carob moth with the scientific name Ectomyelois ceratoniae Zeller (Lep.: Pyralidae) is a key pest of pomegranate and causes an economic damage to the quantity and quality of pomegranate fruits. According to the reports, from 20 to 80% of the pomegranate fruits in the gardens and warehouses are attacked by the carob moth and suffer damage (Fotouhi et al., 2021). Various methods have been recommended to control the pomegranate carob moth (Shojaei & Esmaili, 1987), including chemical control, the use of optical traps, fabric nets, flag removal, repellent compounds such as processed kaolin at a 5% concentration applied every 20 days in four stages, the collection and destruction of infected fruits on trees and garden floors, the use of resistant cultivars, and the introduction of Trichogramma wasps. However, none of these methods have yet achieved a decisive reduction in the pest population. Considering the importance of organic pomegranate production, the necessity of further studies on non-chemical pest control methods, especially biological control using Trichogramma wasps, is emphasized (Fotouhi et al., 2021). Field observations indicate that the release of Trichogramma wasps is effective through various factors, including arthropods that prey on parasitized eggs on Trichocards. So far, only a handful of studies have examined the effect of predators on the emergence rate of Trichogramma wasps on Trichocards during the release stage. For example, Al Rouechdi, and Voegele (1981) reported that after installing trichocards on plants due to the phenomenon of predation, a considerable number of wasps were destroyed before hatching and emergence of adult wasps. Also, Bento et al. (1998) and Bento (1999) announced the reduction of Trichogramma wasps (T. cacoeciae) efficiency due to the activity of predators. According to Gomes et al. (1998), ants are one of the important predators of parasitized eggs of cereal willow and thus reduce the efficiency of biological control. Suh et al. (2000) also announced the low efficiency of Trichogramma species (T. exiguum) in controlling cotton pests due to the activity of ants on parasitized eggs during the release of Trichogramma. Perira et al. (2004) evaluated the destructive effects of predators on the Trichogramma wasps (T. cacoeciae) biocontrol agent of olive willow in Portugal and reported that more than 99% of the predators of released parasite eggs are ants. Kerguntiol et al. (2013) in a research in Uruguay on reducing the destructive effect of predators on the emergence rate of Trichogramma wasps from Trichocards, considered two species of ants responsible for the destruction of parasitized eggs and with changes in the packaging of release units to somewhat reduced the effect of ants.Despite the destructive role of predators in release stage of Trichoramma wasps for controlling plant pests, so far, no research has been done in Iran on the identification of the predators of parasitized eggs on trichocards and the extent of their influence during the release stage of Trichogramma wasps for the biological control of carob moth (Ectomyelois ceratoniae Zeller). The present research aims to identify different groups of predators of parasitized eggs and estimate the effect of predators on the loss rate of Trichogramma wasps during the release phase in pomegranate orchards.

A research was conducted in a pomegranate orchard with an area of two hectares located in the village of Hoz Sarkh, in the central district of Torbat-e- Heydarieh, in Razavi Khorasan province of Iran, in 2019. This research was conducted in the form of a factorial two-factor experiment, each factor at two levels in a completely randomized basis with 5 replications. 

Results and Discution:

 In this study, a total of six species of ants namely Pheidole pallidula  (Nylander, 1849), Crematogaster subdentata Mayr, 1877, Tapinoma erraticum (Latreille, 1798), Lepisiota frauenfeldi (Mayr, 1855), and Camponotus sanctus Forel, 1904 from three subfamilies of family Formicidae including Formicinae, Dolichoderinae, Myrmicinae, one species of Dermaptera (Forficula auricularia L.), a species of Hemiptera (Geocoris sp.) as well as a few specimens of a spider were collected and identified from the surveyed trichocards. Also, the results of this study showed that ants and other predators destroy a significant number of the parasitized eggs on trichocards and this cause a significant decrease in the efficiency of this egg parasitoid. The mortality rate of aprasitized eggs on trichocards embedded with grease was significantly lower than those tichocards without grease. Furthemore, the height of the installation of trichocards also showed a significant effect on the loss rate of Trichogramma wasps. In addition, the height of installation of trichocards also showed a significant effect on the loss rate of Trichogramma wasps. So that at high height in both the grease and non-grease treatments at different times, the loss rate of Trichogramma wasps was lower.

 In conclusion, according to the results of this research, in order to protect the trichocards from ants' attacks and reduce the damage caused by them, it is necessary to pay attention to the release plan of Trichogramma wasps in such a way that the maximum number of wasps emerge in less than 24 hours of the initial installation of the trichocards. Moreover, trichocards should be installed at higher height (150 centimetrs above the ground level) by using a wire coated with a sticky substance such as grease.

The jujube, Ziziphus jujuba Mill. is a well-known medicinal plant with various nutritional values and pharmacological properties which grows in South Khorasan province, Iran, as the major producer of jujube in Iran. The jujube lace bug, Monosteira alticarinata Ghauri (Hemiptera: Tingidae) is the second most important pest of jujube trees after the jujube fruit fly, Carpomyia vesuviana Costa (Diptera: Tephritidae) in South Khorasan province. Its occurrence in Iran was reported for the first time in 2012 by Moodi from Birjand in South Khorasan province. Adults of M. alticarinata overwinter on the bark of trees, under fallen leaves and in spring they move to young jujube leaves where they feed and lay eggs on the underside, thus starting infestations. Both M. alticarinata adults and nymphs feed on underside of leaves and produce small chlorotic stippling on the upper leaf surface. Leaf undersides appear specifically black varnish spotted due to lace bug excrement. Their injury reduces photosynthesis and respiration and also causes aesthetically displeasing injured leaves. As a result, foliage becomes bronzed and leaves may drop early. The accumulation of excrements on the leaves, also results in reduction of the gas exchange like other lace bugs. Distribution pattern of an insect population is an important aspect as it represents the interaction between individuals of the species and their habitat. The importance of spatial distribution comes from its central role in ecological theories and its practical role in population sampling theory as well as in the development of rational pest management strategies. For these reasons, a great deal of effort has been invested in characterizing the spatial distribution of insect populations. Spatial dispersion of a population usually follows one of three models: aggregated (or contagious), random (or by chance) or uniform (or regular). To determine the spatial distribution pattern of a given species it is necessary to obtain data on the count of individuals in the ecosystem to be considered. Despite the importance of M. alticarinata in the region, no study has been conducted on the distribution of this pest in jujube plant in Iran. Knowledge of spatial distribution of M. alticarinata is useful for designing, pest management and development of population models and assessment of levels of its damage.

To investigate the spatial distribution pattern of different life stages of M. alticarinata, samplings were done weekly of jujube trees in 2020. Jujube leaf was selected as sampling unit and the reliable sample size with maximum relative variation of 20% was obtained 50. The number of egg, nymph and adult was recorded in three heights of jujube trees (1.5, 2, and 3 meters). The spatial distribution pattern of different life stages of lace bug was determined using mean-variance ratio, Lloyd's mean crowding index, Taylor´s power low and Iwao´s patchiness regression model.

Spatial distribution of an insect is affected by various environmental factors such as food, temperature, light, habitat condition, and other biotic and abiotic factors. The results of the study indicated an aggregated pattern for the spatial distribution of M. alticarinata in almost all heights of jujube. In other words, different heights of jujube did not have any marked effect on the distribution pattern of this pest. Information on spatial distribution of M. alticarinata can be used in estimating the number of samples required from an area to reliably estimate pest infestation levels to develop effective management programs. Similar to our results, the change in plant height did not affect the spatial distribution pattern of Agonoscena pistaciae and Diaphorina citri nymphs and in both cases the pattern of distribution was reported to be aggregated. Aggregated distribution is the most common pattern of spatial distribution in the world of harmful insects which is consistent with the results of this research.

M. alticarinata presented an aggregated spatial distribution in different life stages. The causes of aggregation in these lace bugs might be due to their inherent active aggregative behavioral response such as in a situation where the presence of one individual attracts the others, perhaps for the purpose of feeding and reproduction. Knowledge of the spatial distribution of this pest can be useful in designation of suitable sampling programs and it makes us estimate the density of this pest faster with low cost.

 The idea of sustainable agriculture has been considered recently due to increasing knowledge and concerns about the destructive effects of chemical pesticides. Biological control is an ecologically based pest management strategy with an important role in achieving sustainable agriculture. The success of this beneficial method closely depends on taxonomy, since accurate identification of pests and their natural enemies has a great importance in biocontrol project’s achievement. The gall midges of the genus Feltiella are cosmopolitan species known as highly effective predators of tetranychid mites. Despite the high potential of Feltiella species as a biological control agent, F. acarisuga is the only species commercially available among eleven species of the genus. These predators are difficult to distinguish from each other because of the high similarity and low information about them. Comprehensive taxonomic studies are needed to identify promising species for the control of tetranychid mites. The aim of this study is to determine the status of the native Feltiella species in Iran emphasizing their molecular characteristics.

The native predatory gall midges larvae and pupae were collected periodically from the spider mites colony on various host plants (Urtica dioica, Lactuca scariola and Rubus sp.) in countrysides around Mashhad during 2018-2019 and maintained in a growth chamber (LD 16:8, 21±1°C, RH 75±5%) until emerging adults. Adults were preserved in ethanol for further analysis and identified morphologically based on male genitalia and other structures used in taxonomic treatments of the genus. The molecular genetic analysis was included DNA extraction using the Chelex 100 method, PCR amplification of the mitochondrial COI gene using the LCO/HCO universal primer pair, sequencing the gene, and matching the sequence with those of the related species using BLAST. Nucleotide divergence between sequences was estimated by Maximum Composite Likelihood model and by the Pairwise deletion method in MEGA-X software. Intra- and interspecific distances were calculated using ExcaliBAR software and their frequency distribution histogram was plotted using Excel software. The sequence data were analyzed through the neighbor-joining method using MEGA-X software. Evolutionary distances for the NJ method were computed by Kimura’s two-parameter distances. The resulting tree was subjected to bootstrap analysis with 1000 pseudoreplications. The cecidomyiid genus Endaphis was employed as an outgroup taxon to construct the phylogenetic tree.

Based on morphological studies, specimens of the native acarivorous gall midges from various localities in Mashhad were identified as Feltiella acarisuga Vallot. In spite of the morphological result, the DNA sequence of the native species was relatively different from the corresponding sequence of F. acarisuga available in GenBank. The sequence match between the two species was 92.74% in maximum. The match with F. acarivora sequences was also low (maximum 91.84%). Whereas the BLAST results of the indigenous species sequence matched the corresponding sequence of F. tetranychi with more than 99% homology. Comparing the nucleotide differences between the specimens of the present species with F. acarisuga and F. tetranychi also showed that our Feltiella is a distinct species from F. acarisuga, despite of morphological identification. In the histogram of nucleotide distances, intra and inter specific distances in the COI gene overlapped with each other which were related to the nucleotide distances between individuals of F. tetranychi species in the gene bank and individuals of the species collected in the present study. Based on the neighbor-joining tree inferred from partial sequences of the COI gene related to Feltiella species, Iranian indigenous species and F. tetranychi species were in the same ancestor, while individuals of F. acarisuga species were in separate ancestors from the native gall midges. Therefore, according to our molecular studies, the specimens of the native gall midges of Mashhad were F. tetranychi. The possible interpretation for the difference between morphological and molecular identification results in this study is the difficulty of distinguishing the two species from each other, due to their great morphological similarity. F. tetranychi has been mentioned as a possible synonym for F. acarisuga so far, because of the high morphological resemblance. Personal correspondence with international experts revealed that there are two taxa named F. tetranychi, one named by Rubsaamen and introduced as one of the synonymous names of F. acarisuga, and the other named by Kieffer which is an unknown species and mentioned as a possible synonym of F. acarisuga. To prove or disprove the hypothesis whether F. tetranychi is synonymous with F. acarisuga or completely separate from it, it is necessary to study voucher specimens of Feltiella species. Studying further populations of the gall midges on various hosts around the world through sequencing more than one molecular marker is also needed.

 In this study specimens of the native gall midges were identified as Feltiella acarisuga Vallot based on morphological identification, while molecular studies identified them as F. tetranychi. Since molecular identification is more accurate than morphological one, the present study can show how different the indigenous species is from the well-known commercial species F. acarisuga. The present native species probably has little ability to settle in artificial and manipulated environments despite of its activity in the nature of Mashhad. Its usage as a biological control agent for tetranychid mites requires further bio-ecological studies in the laboratory and its genetic comparison with known species in the world.

Increasing beekeeping activities, it is important to identify the main sources of pollen in a region and their value for bee colonies and pollen production. The latter may have a significant impact on the morphology, behavior, and physiology of all individuals and on the quality of pollination services as well. Therefore, pollen has a great impact on colony health. Several researches have shown that pollen quality varies in terms of the type and quality of amino acids and the amount of total protein, depending on the origin of the flower. For this reason, the palynological diversity of pollen is a good measure of the quality of bees' lives. Pollen and nectar of plants used by bees in some regions of Iran have been investigated in the literature However, there are no data about the status of bee pollen sources in Semnan province. The present work aims to consider changes in the plant composition and pollen concentrations of honey samples during the investigation period. Especially, to determine honey bee forager’s pollen preferences in the study area, and to prepare a guide of a year round floral calendar for beekeepers and farmers for better understanding the blooming periods of bee pollinated plants.

This research was conducted in 2017 in different regions of Semnan province. Semnan province with an area of 97491 square kilometers occupies 5.8 percent of the country's area. This province located between 34º, 13´ to 37 º, 20´ N latitude and from 51 º, 51´to 57 º, 3´ E longitude. In this study, for quantitative analysis of pollen grains, the amount of one kilogram of honey was prepared from 25 beekeepers in Semnan province at the end of summer and the geographical coordinates of the hive locations were recorded using a GPS device. All samples were analysed using the standard pollen analysis a hemocytometer was used to count the number of pollens in a certain volume of solution. Pollen grains were counted using a light microscope with a magnification of 100. These steps were repeated ten times for each sample of honey. To identify pollen grains, one drop of the well-homogenised pollen grain suspension was applied to a microscope slide, covered with a 22 mm × 22 mm cover glass and sealed with nail varnish. For each sample, several microscopic slides were prepared and were observed using light and polarised light microscopy. Pollen grains were identified to species level where possible by comparison to the reference pollen collection prepared from hand-collected pollens from known flowering plants in the study area. The frequency of occurrence was calculated as the percentage of samples, in which one pollen type was observed. Honey samples were classified using the method of Liux et al. (16).

In this research, 505 types of pollen grains were identified in honey samples collected from the study areas, which belonged to 83 plant families. Among these grains, pollen grains of 474 plant species were identified in honey of Abrsaj, Abar, Shahkooh paeen, Bastam, Dibaj Damghan and Rameh Garmsar regions and 31 species of honey from other regions of the province and from the honey supplied by beekeepers migrated to Semnan province. Based on the comparison of the means between the number of pollen grains in standard samples, the highest number of pollen grains was recorded in Qatari and Folad mahalle regions (respectively with an average of 1174 000 and 169000).The lowest number of pollen grains was observed in Comercial sample and Abrsaj2 (with the mean of 17000 and 140000, respectively) (Figure 3). The results of comparing the means as well as the classification table of pollen grains showed that 72% of the studied areas (18 areas) placed in class 3 (100000 to 500000 grains in the standard sample), 16% (4 regions) in class 4 (500000 to 1000000 pollen grains), 8% (2 regions) in class 5 (above 1000000) and 4% (1 region) in class 1 (less than 20000), in terms of the number of pollen grains per 10 grams of honey. In this study, no sample was included in class 2. The results of identifying pollen grains and their abundance in honey samples showed that the most important plant species used by foraging bees were related to Asteraceae, Leguminosae, Lamiaceae, rosaceae, Apiaceae, and Brassicaceae, Liliaceae and Ranunculaceae families, respectively. The results also showed that the range and diversity of plants in the composition of the honey spectrum of each region are of particular importance. The higher density of a plant species and the wider level of its distribution, the more dramatic use of bees. These results help to prove the complexity and heterogeneity of environmental and ecological phenomena in feeding and grazing bees’ process.

The present study complements previous melissopalynological studies from other provinces of Iran and provides additional and new information on regional plant resources for pollen in honey. In this study all honey samples were obtained directly from local beekeepers and the melissopalynological analysis was completed with direct observations of the search behavior of worker bees. Therefore, we were able to determine the origin of the pollen in the honey using the location of the hive, the season and the available flower source. However, more studies are needed to fully understand the preferential behavior of grazing bees and the pollen of honey produced in the area.

The Codling moth Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera Tortricidae) is a pest of worldwide importance that exhibits seasonal phenology that is mainly affected by temperature. This pest is the most important pest in Iranian apple orchards. In order to avoid the unnecessary usage of chemical pesticides, using pheromone traps and degree- day Model is the most effective control way. The pest phenological stages and the best time of spraying can be predicted with the degree- day model and Pheromone Traps. The purpose of this study is determine the best time of spraying Codling moth to Reduce Damage and Environmental Protection.

The pheromone traps and temperature Data Logger were planted in a orchard To determine the best time of spraying Codling moth in Chenaran. sex pheromone traps were planted in the garden and The number of trapped males was recorded every five days. The history of the first males trapped in pheromone traps was considered biofix. Degree-days were calculated and recorded using mean daily temperature and base temperature. temperature datalogger was installed to record the temperature in the orchard. To calculate the base temperature, number of Codling moth eggs kept at different temperatures. The growth rate was calculated at this stage of pest life After determining the number of days needed for egg hatching. The temperature at which the growth rate becomes zero was considered as the base temperature. after Flying Peaks, Thirty Codling moth eggs were sampled and The spraying was done when fifteen eggs were hatched. There were three experimental treatments in the orchard. A: The first treatment was spraying on the proposed degree- day model and pheromone traps. B: The second treatment was spraying according to the farmer's opinion. C: Third treatment The spraying was not done. The degree- day model was evaluated using the percentage of impact method. In this method the percentage of healthy fruits of treatment A was compared with treatment C and the percentage of healthy fruits of treatment B was compared with treatment C.

The basal temperature of codling moth was 8.4 ° C. The first males trapped on 25 April 2019 and it was Biofix. Pheromone Traps data showed three flight peaks. This means that there are three generations of Codling moth in the Study Area. In the Last year, Codling moth lay many eggs in different places. These eggs hatch in the New Year at different times. So the population of the first generation of Codling moth was so many. for the first generation, two spraying stages were performed. The first was done at 168 ° C degree- day and second at 343° C degree- day. Spraying was performed for the second generation at 804 degree- day. Spraying was performed for the Third generation at 1505 ° C degree- day. The fourth generation of this pest was incomplete and Spraying was performed for the fourth generation at 2148 ° C degree- day. These spraying were done in treatment A. The results show the best time to counter the pest is in the first generation, 4 to 6 days after flight peak, the second generations 4 to 6 days after flight peak, the third generations 3 to 5 days after flight peak and the Fourth generations 6 to 8 days after flight peak. In treatment B: The farmer sprayed seven times. The spraying dates were selected experimentally. The percentage of effect in treatment A was 78.5% compared to treatment C and The percentage of effect in treatment B was 49.7% compared to treatment C. the number of sprayers decreased in treatment A compared to treatment B and Treatment A was more effective than treatment B.

Spraying at the best time in addition to reducing the number of spraying, It also reduces damage to the fruit. The Pheromone Traps and degree-Day Model in this study is expected to be useful for field applications in integrated pest management (IPM) systems, for example, to forecast optimal spray times for available insecticides and application of other control measures. By reducing the use of chemical pesticides Useful enemies will do less damage and the environment will be preserved. In order to avoid the unnecessary usage of chemical pesticides, using pheromone traps and degree- day model are the most effective control way.

Codling moth (Cydia pomonella) is one of the most important agricultural pests which annually damages apples, pears, and walnuts orchards. Like other pests, coldling moth development depends to the air temperature. Climate changes have many impacts on the environment and pests are affected by these changes, too. Codling moth has two generations in cold regions and 4 to 5 generations in warm regions per year. The number of this pest generations and the damages which it caused in the orchards depends on the amount of received cumulative temperature during a growing season. Increasing the average daily temperature will increase the cumulative degree-day and subsequently, this can increase the number of pest generations annually. The increase in the number of pests as a result of global warming can damage the environment and food security significantly. One of the effects of climate changes on the pest can be identified with an overview of the codling moth generation and its changes over the past years.

Maximum and minimum temperature data of Golmakan synoptic station (Khorasan Razavi) were used to calculate the number of codling moth generations (1989-2018). Average daily temperature was calculated using maximum and minimum temperatures. To estimate the degree-day, the base temperature was obtained by the growth rate method at different temperatures. In this method, the growth rate of one stage of pest life (egg laying to egg hatching) was recorded at different temperatures and the temperature in which the growth rate becomes zero was considered as the base temperature. Then, degree-day was calculated by subtracting the base-day temperature from daily mean temperature and cumulative degree-day for each year was obtained by summing degree-days biofix to harvest. The biofix date in 2019 was obtained by the pheromone traps and the first male trapped in the pear orchard near Golmakan station. Pest activity initiates at temperatures higher than the base temperature, so the biofix date for each year (1989–2018) was selected based on the mean daily temperature that reached the base temperature and then increased. Biofix in the pear orchard also occurred under these circumstances. Trend of cumulative degree-day was analyzed by Mann-Kendall nonparametric test in the statistical period 1989-2018 to examine cumulative degree-day changes. Pheromone trap data in pear orchards in 2019 and previous studies show that codling moth need about 650˚C degrees-day temperature to complete each generation. Consequently, the number of pest generations for each year was calculated by dividing the cumulative degree-day by 650 DD. The number of male trapped in pheromone traps from biofix to harvest and flight peaks shows the number of the codling moth generations in the area of observation. Finally, the number of codling moth generations in 2019 were compared to the number of generations of this pest in the statistical period 1989–2018.

The average annual temperature in Golmakan station varied from 13.9˚C to 16.7˚C from 1989 to 2018. Considering the codling moth growth rate from laying to hatching at 8, 10, 12, 14 16, 18˚C, base temperature in which the growth rate was zero, was obtained 8.4° C. The cumulative degree-day for codling moth from biofix to harvest in the statistical period 1989–2018 was between 1780˚C in 1992 and 2456˚C in 2008. Recorded air temperature data by data logger in pear orchard showed that the pest received 2251˚C degree-day in 2019. The results of Mann-Kendall test showed an increasing and significant trend for cumulative degree-day. After calculating the cumulative degree-day, it was determined that the codling moth had three generations in the past 30 years except one year. The mean cumulative degree-day was 2067˚C in 1989-1998, 2215˚C in 1999-2008, and 2300˚C in 2009-2018. This shows that the average cumulative degree-day increased by 143˚C in the first ten years and 85˚C in the second ten years. According to the results of this study, at the beginning of the statistical period, pest's life cycle stops at the beginning of the third generation and it enters the pupal and overwintering stage. Toward the end of the statistical period, pest life cycle is going to complete and reach to the fourth generation. In 2019, pheromone traps registered 3 pike flights for codling moth in the pear orchard near the Golmakan station. Thus, in 2019, there were three generations of this pest in the area of observation. If these conditions continue, the fourth generation may be presented in the area of observation in next years.

The results of this study showed that increasing the mean of daily temperature increases the cumulative degree-day and if the temperature continues to rise, the occurrence of fourth generation will not be unexpected in the coming years. Damage to apple, pear, and walnut orchards increases by increasing number of codling moth. Therefore it will be more difficult to control this pest. Under these conditions, using pesticides will increase in agriculture and there will be environmental problems. According to the results of this study in order to manage codling moth, it is necessary to determine the exact number of generations and the appropriate time of spraying due to the time of egg hatching in each region.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the biological traits of the native isolate (K29) of entomopathogenic nematode (EPN), Acrobeloides maximus, from Kerman region against the larvae of Zeuzera pyrina L. (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) the serious pest of walnut trees in Iran. Main purposes were determining the pathogenicity intensities in plate and branch, relationship between host body size and susceptibility to EPNs and reproduction and penetration potential of EPN. Plate assays were performed using a range of EPN concentrations (5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 infective juveniles (IJs) per larva) in laboratory. The LC50 of A. maximus K29 was 12.1 IJs larva-1 against Z. pyrina larvae after 72 h. This EPN caused high insect mortality in branch experiments and dissection of cadavers confirmed nematode infection. The addressing relation between host body size and susceptibility of larvae to nematode showed higher mortality rates in the larger larvae after exposing to A. maximus K29 isolate. The results of the penetration and reproduction assays indicated that A. maximus K29 was able to successfully penetrate and reproduce in the haemocoels of Z. pyrina and G. mellonella larvae. The highest reproduction was recorded at 20 IJs larva-1 in Z. pyrina (30560.5±559.3 IJs). In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that A. maximus K29, is virulent to Z. pyrina larvae and it causes infection and successfully recycles in this pest. Notwithstanding the effectiveness of this pathogenic agent on Z. pyrina larvae, further studies are required for better track of infection of treated larvae within the walnut tree trunks.

Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are social insects with more than 12,000 species, 365 genera and 27 subfamilies. As the most successful living organisms on Earth, have a very positive impact on soil ecosystem. Identification of ant species was performed in Kadkan and Jolge Rokh, Torbat Heydarieh, by sampling from June - September 2016. The samples were first identified in the laboratory using available identification keys and morphological characteristics such as oral fragments, tentacles, seams and body hairs. Then they were sent to Nihat Aktac, Turkey for confirmation of identification. In this study, 12 species belonging to 7 genera in 3 subfamilies were collected and identified. The scientific names of the species and their subfamily and genera are as followed: Subfamily Myrmicinae: Messor structor (Latreille, 1798); Messor ebeninus Santschi, 1927; Messor caducus (Victor, 1839); Monomorium kusnezowi Santsci, 1928; Crematogaster sordidula Nylander, 1849; Crematogaster subdentata Mayr, 1877 Subfamily Dolichoderinae: Tapinoma karavaievi Emery, 1925 Subfamily Formicinae: Lasius neglectus Van Loon; Boomsma and Andrasfalvy, 1990; Formica cunicularia Latreille, 1798; Cataglyphis aenescens (Nylander, 1849); Cataglyphis nodus (Brulle, 1833); Cataglyphis niger (Andree, 1881).

The cowpea seed beetle (Callosobruchus maculatus F.) is one of the most injurious insects infesting a wide range of leguminous stored seeds such as Lens culinaris, Vigna radiata, Vicia faba and Vigna unguiculata (1). This insect also causes secondary infestation during pulse storage, and may cause total loss within three months. The bruchids can cause heavy losses in terms of both quantity and quality (4). Heavy infestations of bruchids can cause heating of commodity, which results in quality loss, and mould growth. Currently, the control strategies of stored product insect pests have exclusively relied upon application of fumigants and protectant synthetic insecticides. Chemical control of pests has led to insecticide residues in stored products and insecticide-resistant insect populations (3, 6). Therefore, there is a need for the ecologically benign methods to control cowpea weevil on chickpea. High temperature application has been used to satisfactorily disinfest stored commodities by various technologies. Microwave radiation is one of the most promising biorational pest management tools for farm stored grain and grain processing industries (29). Microwave is a type of electromagnetic energy that provides rapid heating. It appears that high temperatures in a short time period may be lethal to many stored product pests. The present study aimed to assess the lethal effects of microwave radiation on adults of cowpea seed beetle in stored pulses.
The population of C. maculatus was originally collected from Laboratory of Entomology at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. The cowpea weevils were reared on chickpea, in a growth chamber at temperature of 28 ± 2 ºC, relative humidity of 60 ± 5 % in the dark. Male and female beetles were treated separately with 2450 MHz at power levels of 90-900 W over a range of irradiation periods from 20 to 960 seconds. Corrected mortality data were subjected to two-way factorial analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in which the microwave power and insects’ sex were regarded as independent categorial factors and irradiation period as covariate using SPSS Version 16 software. Prior to the ANCOVA test, Levene's test for equality of variances was performed to examine the assumptions for ANCOVA. Moreover, at each radiation power, the values of median lethal time (LT50), i.e., microwave irradiation period needed for the death of 50% insect population, and 90% lethal time (LT90) with 95% confidence limits were estimated separately for male and female beetles by subjecting mortality data to the maximum likelihood program of probit regression analysis using POLO-PC software. This program has a provision for control mortality.
The results indicated that the mortality rates of both male and female adults increased as the exposure period and/or the power of radiation increased. When microwave power levels increased, the time elapsed to achieve maximum lethal effect decreased; this was implied by the results showing maximum mortality achievement in 960 and 80 seconds at 90 W and 900 W, respectively. Male beetles were more susceptible than females, but this difference was not significant based on the LT50 ratio. The LT50 values for the power levels between 90-900 W varied between 674.8 - 41.40 seconds for males and 741.5 - 47.2 seconds for females. The probit analysis showed that the slope values of mortality - exposure time regression lines were in the range of 3.23 - 5.51. According to the likelihood ratio test of parallelism, the slopes of probit mortality regressions differed significantly among various microwave power levels. However, further likelihood ratio test between the paired combinations concerned revealed that the slopes of probit mortality lines differed significantly only between those of 90 and 900W levels. The present results are in agreement with those of Singh et al. (2012) who worked on Callosobruchus chinensis (26). Also, Sadeghi Nasab et al (2004) working on the effect of microwave radiation on three stored product pests, found similar results (25).
The results from our study showed that microwave radiation has a potential to kill insects in stored beans. It was observed that at certain constant power levels, the mortality of beetles increased as the microwave exposure time elongated and vice-versa. Although this strategy can control insect population in stored beans in a short time whilst deserting no chemical residue on food products, the adverse effects of microwave radiation on nutritional quality of food products and seed germination should be investigated. Further research is also recommended to improve methodology for practical disinfection of stored pulses.

With advanced equipment and development of software in the field of audio signals, it is now possible to record and register the sounds of tiny insects. Subsequently the acoustic features of the insects’ sounds can be extracted and then can be used for insect detection within the storage of bulk materials. One of the big challenge in receiving the audio signals emitted from the tiny insects is their low sound level. The designed audio system utilizes a piezoelectric acoustic sensor for receiving audio signals of the pest which is rice Sawtoothed (Oryzaephilus surinamensis) (Col. Silvanidae) along with a temperature control system. Two audio signals (walking and feeding) of Sawtoothed were captured by the sound system. The audio frequency of Sawtoothed for feeding and walking were 2.1 kHz and 2.8 kHz, respectively. By changing the ambient temperature, it is found that the best temperature range for the pest activity ranged between 25 °C to 27 °C. It was also observed that the pest activity is stopped at temperature below 10 °C. Such a system may be installed within the storages of bulk rice for early detection and other management decision making of the rice Sawtoothed.

The order Mesostigmata is a large, diverse and cosmopolitan assemblage of parasitiform mites. Most of them are free-living predators, and many species are parasites orsymbionts of mammals, birds, reptiles, or arthropods. Because they may play an important role in essential functions of soil mesofauna communities, this group of mites may be used as bioindicators of environmental changes. Due to their high diversity and often great numbers, they are integrally involved in many ecological interactions. In the last few decades, they have gained an increasing interest in the context of bioindication, pests and pest control, decomposition, and human health. Lindquist et al. (2009) divided the order into three suborders as Monogynaspida, Trigynaspida, and Sejida. There are about 12000 species belonging to approximately 70 families which grouped into 26 superfamilies in the world. In terms of Mesostigmatid mite fauna of Iran, Kazemi & Rajaei (2013) reviewing the literature, reported that mesostigmatid mites in Iran (excluding the family Phytoseiidae) consist of 348 species belonging to 128 genera, 39 families, and 17 superfamilies. Compared with the world fauna, it is obvious that the Iranian list of Mesotigmata is far from real number and this list can be increased by further investigation in unexplored areas.
This study investigated assemblages of Mesostigmatid mites inhabiting soil in different agro- ecosystems in Mashhad county, Razavi Khorasan province, Iran. Soil samples were collected from different areas with differing vegetation communities in the region. A total of 300 soil samples were taken from October 2014 to November 2015. The samples, including the soil, manure, and leaf composts collected from an area of about 40 cm2 and depth of up to 15 cm. Mites were extracted from soil samples by using Berlese-Tullgren funnel with a 40 W bulb which was lasted 48 h for each sample. The collected specimens were cleared in Nesbitt’s fluid and mounted as permanent slides using Hoyer’s medium. Primarily identification was done by authors, but all reported species in this study were sent for identification or confirmation to Drs O. Joharchi (Azad University of Yazd, Iran), H. Ostovan ( Azad Univerisity of Marvdasht, Shiraz, Iran) & Sh. Kazemi (Institute for Science and High Technology and Environmental Sciences, Graduate University of Advanced Technology, Kerman). Samples of all mites were deposited in the mite collection of the Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran.
The present survey of mesostigmatic mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) inhabiting soil in Mashhad county, Razavi Khorasan province which carried out during October 2014 to November 2015 resulted in a total of 20 mesostigmatic mite species belonging to 16 genera and nine families. The list of identified species is as follows: Ameroseidae: Ameroseius plumosus*(Oudemans, 1902), A.parplumosus*(Nasr & Abou-Awad, 1986); Ascidae: Arctoseius cetratus(Sellnick, 1940); Halolaelapidae: Halolaelaps sp.; Laelapidae: Gaeololaelaps asperatus (Berlese, 1904), G.angustus (Karg, 1965), G.queenslandicus (Womersley, 1956), G.sclerotarsus (Costa, 1968), Laelaspisella canestrinii* (Berlese, 1903), Haemolaelaps casalis (Berlese, 1887); Macrochelidae: Macrocheles glaber *(Müller, 1860); Melicharidae: Proctolaelaps pygmaeus(Müller, 1859); Pachylaelapidae: Onchodellus karawaiewi **(Berlese, 1920), Pachylaelaps sp.Parasitidae: Parasitus fimetorum **(Berlese, 1904), P.consanguineus (Oudemans & Voigts, 1904), Pergamasus falculiger *(Berlese, 1906); Rhodacaridae: Multidentorhodacarus denticulatus *(Berlese, 1920);Urodinychidae:Uroobovella marginata** (Koch, 1839);Uropodidae: Uropoda orbicularis* (Müller, 1776). Among the identified species in this study, 7 species including Ameroseius plumosus (Oudemans), Ameroseius parplumosus (Nasr & Abou-Awad), Laelaspisella canestrinii (Berlese), Macrocheles glaber (Müller), Pergamasus falculiger (Berlese), Multidentorhodacarus denticulatus (Berlese), Uropoda orbicularis (Müller) were new records for Razavi Khorasan province. In addition, 3 species, namely Onchodellus karawaiewi ((Berlese), Parasitus fimetorum (Berlese), and Uroobovella marginata (Koch) were new records for Mashhad county.
Mite fauna listed for Iran do not sufficiently indicate the real number. The results presented have added nine new species record to the fauna of the study area, so now the number of mesostigmatic mites (excluding family Phytoseiidae) of Razavi Khorasan has reached to at least 54 species. As many parts of the province have not been explored faunistically, with further research in different parts of the province, the recorded mite species will be considerably increased. Not only more faunistic studies are required further research on the biology and ecology of the recorded species is suggested.

During sampling on species diversity of arthropods associated with ash trees in Mashhad and vicinity, a number of specimens of parasitoids from Eulophidae were collected in May 2013. They were identified by Dr. Lütfiye Gençer (Cumhuriyet University of Turkey) as: Aprostocetus catius (Walker, 1839), Chrysocharis pubicornis (Zetterstedt, 1838), Neochrysocharis chlorogaster (Erdös, 1966), Asecodes erxias (Walker, 1848). These species were reported for the first time from Iran. Eulophidae is the largest family in the Chalcidoidea including over 3900 species, 540 genera and four subfamilies including Euderinae, Eulophinae, Entedoninae, Tetrastichinae. So far, 106 species belonging to 37 genera in four subfamilies (Entedoninae, Euderina, Eulophinae, Tetrastichinae) from Iran have been recorded.

During the faunistic survey of aphid species associated with ornamental shrubs in the urban green spaces of Mashhad, the capital city of Khorasan-Razavi province of Iran, in 2015, specimens of the species Appendiseta robiniae (Gillette, 1907) were collected from a colony on Vitex agnus-castus. This aphid species is reported here for the first time from Iran.

The occurrence and activity of mites in stored foods cause a variety of qualitative and quantitative damages, including reduction in the germinating power of the grains, bronchial asthma and allergic skin reactions. Among the mites associated with stored products, species of order Sarcoptiformes especially some species of Astigmatina including the genera Acarus, Suidasia and Tyrophagousare have economic importance and a worldwide distribution. The members of family Histiosomatidae also are cosmopolitan and often found in moist organic materials. In Iran, there have been a considerable number of studies on astigmatic mites. Kamali et al. have provided a list of stored product mites. fthe work of Bahrami et al. on species diversity of Acaroidea in Tehran, Ardeshir on population of stored grains in different seasons in Iran;Sayedi et al. on mites associated with stored rice in Guilan can be mentioned. Reviewing the literature revealed that in the only study that has been carried out in the study area, only 6 species of storage mites have previously been reported from Khorasan-e- 䖬� province). Literature review showed that although Oribatida consists of 9000 known species in the world, the number of recorded species from Iran is not considerable. Iranian studies on oribatid mites have limited to a few specific areas and recent years. By considering the limitation of knowledge on species diversity of stored product mites in the study area, the present study aimed to improve our knowledge on the mite associated with the stored food products in Mashhad city and the vicinity.
Material and During years 2011−2012 a variety of food storages in Mashhad region were visited and sampled. These stored food products included wheat, barley, wheat bran, rice, flour mill, factories of pasta and bakeries, stockpiles of livestock’s food, and potato and onion storages in different parts of Mashhad. Mite specimens were extracted from infested materials by using Berlese-Tullgreen funnel. The specimens were cleared using either pure Lactic acid or Nesbitt’s mixture and then mounted in Hoyer's medium as microscopic slides. Using relevant references, mites were identified and then sent to the third and fourth authors for confirmation. Type specimens are held in the Acarological laboratory, Department of Plant Protection, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran.
Among the identified species, Histiostoma sapromyzarum (Dufour) has reported from Iran for the first time. New records for the study area are indicated by an asterisk. The list of identifying species is as below: I- Astigmatina- 1- Family Acaridae: Aleuroglyphus ovatus (Troupeau)*, Caloglyphus berlesie Michael, Acarus siro Linnaeus, Rhizoglyphus echinopus (Fumouze & Robin)*, R. robini Clapared, Tyrophagus longior Gervais*, T.putrescentiae (Schrank), 2- Family Chortoglyphidae: Chortoglyphus arcuatus (Troupeau)*, 3- Family Glycyphagidae: Lepidoglyphus destructor (Schrank)*, 4- Histiostomatidae: Histiostoma feroniarum (Dufour)*, H. sapromyzarum (Dufour), 5- Suidasiidae: Suidasia nesbitti Hughes*.
II- Oribatida- 1- Family Aphelacaridae: Aphelacarus acarinus (Berlese)*, 2- Family Cosmochthoniidae: Cosmochthonius sp.*, 3- Family Ctenacaridae: Ctenacarus araneola (Grandjean)*, 4- Family Galumnidae: Galumnadis cifera Balogh*, Galumnakarajica Mahunka & Akrami*, 5- Family Haplozetidae: Haplozetes sp.*, 6- Family Mesoplophoridae: Mesoplophora sp.*, 7- Family Oppiidae: Lasiobelba sp.*, 8- Family Oribatulidae: Oribatula (Oribatula) sp.*, O. (Zygoribatula) sp.*, O.(Zygoribatula) connexa Berlese*, O. (Zygoribatula) exarata Berlese*, 9- Family Scheloribatidae: Scheloribates fimbriatus Thor*.
In this study, 12 species of Astigmatina belonging to 9 genera of 5 families and 13 species of oribatid mites were collected and identified. Among them, one species, namely Histiosomas apromyzarum (Dufour) is a new record for the fauna of Iran. Twenty species were reported for the first time from Khorasan-e- Razavi province. Certainly, this list is far from reality. As many parts of the province have not been explored faunistically, with further research in different parts of the province, the recorded mite species would be considerably increased. Not only more faunistic studies are required further research on the biology and ecology of the recorded species is suggested. Also, it should be noted that on the basis of our records, the species T. putrescentiae was found to be the most common mite in the stored food products in Mashhad city and its vicinity.

Rose (Rosa hybrida (L.), Rosaceae) has been grown on earth for millions of years and has been used for beauty and decoration of gardens, extraction of perfume and in medicine. But main use of roses is in cut flower industry and landscaping. Roses are attractive for insects, especially aphids (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 11, 17, 27, 28, 35, 38). Among them, the predominant aphid that feeds on the cultivated roses in outdoors is the rose aphid, Macrosiphum rosae (13, 27, 28, 29). The rose aphid has a wide distribution throughout Iran and the world (27, 28, 29). Rose aphids generally initiate feeding on roses in early spring as the new flush of growth emerges. Like other aphid species, rose aphids tend to congregate or cluster in large numbers feeding on the terminal growth including leaves and stems, and developing flower buds, and on leaf undersides. Their feeding causes deformity flower buds and leaves which may result in flower buds aborting or falling off prematurely before opening. In addition, aphids secrete honeydew, which attracts ants, wasps, hornets and serves as a growing medium for certain black sooty mold fungi. Rose aphids are attacked by anvarray of natural enemies including parasitoids and predators such as ladybird beetles, green lacewings, syrphids and several other groups of arthropods. These may provide natural regulation depending on the number of rose aphids present and other biotic and abiotic factors. Although many herbivorous arthropods may attack roses but many roses cultivar can resist against these pests (23, 26, 28, 40). An important factor influencing this success is careful selection of varieties, which vary significantly in susceptibility to pests and disease problems (9, 13, 19, 21, 23, 30, 40). Of course, other factors such as agricultural practices and the presence and activities of natural enemies of pests are also important. This study aimed to determine any resistance against rose aphid in different rose cultivars in landscapes of Mashhad and also to determine the diversity and abundance of the rose aphid predators throughout the seasonal growth in the study area.
Material and Research to investigate the resistance of different rose cultivars against rose aphid and the biodiversity of its predators was conducted at the campus of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad from Mid-March of 2013 to late march 2014. Six rose cultivars including Ice berg, Miniature, Josephine bruce, Piccadilly, Fairy & Blessing were sampled weekly in three sampling sites. For sampling, four cut sections (5 centimeters of terminal part of randomly selected shoot) of each cultivar in each site were cut and put in a plastic bag and brought to the laboratory for counting the number of different stages of rose aphid as well as the associated predators. For purpose of identification of immature stages of the aphid predators, immature stage was kept until they reach to adult stage in the laboratory.
A seasonal fluctuation of rose aphid was recorded throughout the season on six rose cultivars (Table 1). Overall, this aphid was more numerous in spring and early fall on all studied cultivars (Figure 1). By approaching the summer, the population of rose aphid on all rose cultivars, except the Fairy and Miniature varieties declined to zero. Analysis of variance showed that differences in mean population of rose aphid among studied cultivars was significant (P