hussein sadeghi namaghi

During a survey of gall-inducing aphids on pistachio trees in Razavi-Khorasan Province, larvae of a parasitic mite were collected inside the galls of Forda hirsuta (Aphididae). The mite was identified as Erythraeus (Erythraeus) pistacicus Haitlinger, Mehrnejad & Šundić based on morphological, and molecular data. This is the first record of this mite from the host aphid, F. hirsuta, and also the third record of the occurrence of the mite in Iran. The survey of possible infections with bacterial symbionts in natural populations of E. (E.) pistacicus from Mashhad and Feizabad localities in northeastern Iran revealed the presence of three bacterial symbionts, Wolbachia, Planomicrobium, and Cardinium at different infection rates (55%, 30%, and 10% respectively), while Arsenophonus, Rickettsia, and Spiroplasma were not detected. Investigating bacterial symbionts in predatory insects/mites provide a valuable framework for better understanding the complex interactions between symbionts and their hosts and will lead to developing more efficacious biocontrol strategies particularly, those seeking to decrease reliance on chemical pesticides.

Trichogrammatid wasps are the most common natural enemies around the world used for biocontrol many important lepidoptran pests. Therefore, the availability of suitable storage methods for these parasitoids is valuable in biological control. In this study, the performance of Trichogramma brassicae reared on two different hosts and in two different cold storage periods was investigated. Wasp pupae formed on Ephestia kuehniella and Ectomyelois ceratoniae eggs, were kept in 10 ᵒC for 30 days and then in 4 ᵒC for 4 and 8 weeks. The effect of the treatment combinations on wasp's emergence rate, sex ratio and the number of female and male parasitoids in parental wasps (F0) and their progeny (F1) were estimated. In addition, adult wasp's shape (wingless and abnormality) and parasitism rate were investigated in parental wasps (F0) and their progeny (F1). The results of this study showed that emergence rate of T. brassicae in F0 was significantly influenced by the interaction between host and cold storage period. The highest and lowest emergence rate were respectively found on E. creatoniae in control and E. kuehniella in 8 weeks cold storage period. Sex ratio and the number of female parasitoids in F0 and F1 were significantly influenced either by host or cold storage period, whereas interactive effect of these factors did not affect significantly sex ratio and the number of females in both generations. Also, wingless and abnormality of wasps in F0 was not significantly influenced by any treatment combination. Parasitism rate of wasps reared on both hosts in F1, significantly decreased by increasing in cold storage duration. Finally, the results indicated that the most of qualitative characteristics of wasps grown on E. ceratoniae, were clearly better than those of wasps grown on E. kuehniella both in F0 and F1

Soil-dwelling Entomobryomorphan Collembola from the Northeast of Iran were sampled for the first time as part of a biodiversity surveying study with the aim of improving ecosystem conservation. Materials were obtained by sampling in three different ecosystems including forest, rangeland and agricultural fields between 2018 and 2019. The specimens were cleared using either Nesbitt’s fluid or lactic acid and permanent microscopic slides were prepared using Hoyer’s medium. As the result of this study, twenty-nine species belonging to twenty-two genera and five families of the order Entomobryomorpha were identified. Among them, two genera and eight species are recorded for the first time from Iran. The new records are Desoria trispinata (MacGillivray, 1896), Drepanosira hussi Neuherz, 1976, Heteromurtrella sp., Orchesella flavescens (Bourlet, 1839), Willowsia bartkei Stach, 1965, Agrenia sp., and Isotomiella gracilimucronata Rusek, 1981. Micrographs of their important features and a key to the species are also provided.

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.

Pesticide-resistant populations of the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, have been reported in many countries. This problem has led to the search for alternative control methods. One of these alternative strategies is aqueous ozone. During a series of preliminary test, the effect of different concentrations of aqueous ozone on mortality of T. urticae on pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) was evaluated in greenhouse conditions at 25 ± 2 °C; 50 ± 5% RH and 16:8 (L:D) photoperiod. Then efficacy of ozone to control the pest was evaluated in different experimental conditions including three exposure times (5, 10 and 15 seconds), different time of spraying (8 am, 2 pm and 8 pm), and different ages of the host plant (4, 8 and 12 weeks old). Each experiment was carried out in a randomized complete design with six replications. Based on the screening tests, ozone concentration of 43 g/m3 was found to give efficient results in terms of mortality rates of the mites and morphological traits of the host plant. The mortality rate of the mites increased with increasing exposure time. Although the interaction effect between ozone concentration and exposure time was significant, in other experiments, no significant difference in the mortality percentage of the mite among either times of application, or ages of the host plant was found. In none of these experiments, no symptom of injury to the host plant foliage such as chlorosis, necrosis, yellowing or malformation was observed after aqueous ozone spraying. Based on these results, aqueous ozone at a specific concentration and conditions can reduce the population density of T. urticae without any visible damage on the pepper foliage. However, more research needs to be done before ozonated water can be deployed commercially as a pesticide.

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 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.

Mutualistic interaction between aphids and ants is one of the classical examples of mutualism. The current study was carried out during 2013-2014 in Golestan province, North-eastern Iran, to investigate the myrmecophilous aphids and their relationships with ants. In this study, 11 ant species representing seven genera and two subfamilies associated with 12 aphid species belonging to two subfamilies were collected on different host plants. Among aphid species, Aphis gossypii Glover 1877 and A. craccivora Koch 1854 were observed frequently associated with ants, while among ant species, Crematogaster subdentata Mayr 1877 and Plagiolepis taurica Santschi 1920 had more frequent interactions with aphids. Moreover, except Formica persica, all ant species were reported for the first time from Golestan province. More detailed studies are needed to investigate aphid–ant mutualistic relationships in Iran to understand their complicated relationships in nature.

Ozone is a powerful oxidant capable of killing insects and microorganisms has been used in the food processing industry in the gaseous and aqueous states. In a laboratory study, the susceptibility of immature stages of an important stored-product pest, the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella Hubner to ozonated water was investigated. Ozone was applied as aqueous form at four concentrations (0, 2, 3 and 5 ppm) for four different periods (30, 60, 90 and 120 min) on eggs, larvae and pupae of, P. interpunctella. The results indicated that in all tested stages, the rate of mortality increased concomitant with increasing of concentration and exposure time. This study showed that 5-day old larvae were more susceptible than other stages (12-, 17-day old larvae, pupae and eggs) when exposed to 5 ppm ozone for 120 min. Following 5-day old larvae, 12-day old larvae, 17-day old larvae and pupae had the highest sensitivity to ozonation. At the highest concentration of ozone for the longest time, the least mortality rate was recorded for one day old eggs. According to these preliminary results, ozonated water has potential of reducing population density of P. interpunctella, one of the most important pests of dried fruits such as date, almond and pistachio in storage.

To evaluate the effects of presence of insect pollinators on quantity and quality of seeds of two common cultivars of onion (Allium cepa L.), namely Red Azar Shahr and Yellow Sweet Spanish, an experiment in a factorial randomized complete block design was carried out at two sites. Bulbs of equal size were planted with plant to plant 35 cm and row to row 50 cm spacing. At each site, experimental groups differ only in pollination method. About a week before flowering start, at each site 3 groups of 10 individual inflorescences as block replications of each treatment combination (pollination × cultivar) were selected randomly and marked. For each onion cultivar, half of the plants were left uncovered (free pollination), whereas the other ones were isolated from insect pollinators by using wooden cages covered with cloth net. When about 10 percent of black seeds were visibly exposed in the umbels, harvest was done. After drying, the number and weight of seeds produced per inflorescence as well as 1000 seed weight was measured for each treatment combination. Four weeks after the harvesting date the germination test of seeds produced in each treatment combination was evaluated. Non availability of insect pollinators during the flowering period of onion caused substantial reduction on seed number and seed weight per umbel. Also, free pollination flowers showed higher germination capacity than those isolated from insect visitors. However, varieties as well as experimental sites did not show significant influences on seed setting of onion.