Tolerability of Populus deltoides 69/55 to poplar clearwing moth Paranthrene tabaniformis Rott (Lep: Sesiidae) damage in Mazandaran province

In recent years planting and extension of Poplar species such as Populus deltoides have een widely accepted in northern Provinces of Iran. This valuable species is attacked by several species of insects and pests which poplar clearwing moth, Paranthrene tabaniformis Rott (Lep: Sesiidae), is accounted as the most important one. There is not many information about damage, resistance or susceptibility of P. deltoides to this pest. Therefore, thirty non-infected saplings and thirty infected one year saplings were selected from colon P.d. 69/55 and replanted in six rows with five saplings and 1.5 × 1.5 meter distance at the experimental site. Quantitative traits such as height and cordial diameter of saplings measured and annual growth evaluated for two successive years. Results showed that growth rate for infected saplings was less than noninfectedsaplings in the first year (two years saplings), but there was not any observe significantdifferences between them in the second year (three years saplings) and infected saplings grew as well as uninfected saplings. There were not significant differences between cordial diameter growth of infected and uninfected saplings in the first and second years.