A new bee fly species of the genus Phthiria (Diptera, Bombyliidae, Phthiriinae, Phthiriini) from the west of Iran.

Phthiria portokali sp. nov. is described and illustrated from the west of Iran based on specimens collected by white pan traps. The new species is unique in having a large tortoise-shell-shaped orange pattern on the dorsum of the mesonotum of the female specimens. This character has not been seen among the other species described from the Palaearctic Region.

Two new species of Phytoecia Dejean, 1835 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) from Iran.

Two new species are described from Iran: Ph. (Helladia) euimperialis Faizi Danilevsky, sp. n. (Kurdistan prov., Marivan-county, Bardeh Sepi) and Ph. (s. str.) ambrusi Faizi Danilevsky, sp. n. (Kurdistan prov., Marivan county, Chuin). Moreover, Phytoecia (Helladia) imperialis dorud (Sama, Rapuzzi Rejzek, 2007) is elevated to species rank as Ph. (Helladia) dorud (Sama, Rapuzzi Rejzek, 2007), stat. nov.

Morphological and molecular identification of the Iranian bark and ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae).

A faunal and molecular taxonomic study of Iranian bark and ambrosia beetle species based on field collections, museum specimens and literature data was carried out from in the period 2011-2016. A total of 29 genera and 84 species were found for Iran. A morphological key for species identification is provided. Molecular identification based on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (CO1) barcoding region gene was also performed for the collected specimens to confirm morphological identification, and an exclusive DNA barcode was provided and registered for the samples collected in this study. Host plants and distribution of each species in the Palearctic region and in Iran are reported in the key.

Micronutrient Fertilization of Greenhouse Cucumbers Mitigates Pirimicarb Resistance in Aphis gossypii (Hemiptera: Aphididae).

The nutritional status of host plants can have direct impacts on herbivore physiology and insect-plant interactions. We investigated the effect of micronutrients, including manganese, iron, zinc, and copper, on cucumber plant physiology, and on the biology and physiology of a strain of Aphis gossypii Glover selected over 12 generations to be resistant to pirimicarb. The micronutrient treatment increased the activity of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in cucumber plants, and also increased levels of total phenolics, hydrogen peroxide, salicylic acid, and total chlorophyl, whereas malondialdehyde levels were unaffected. Pirimicarb-resistant cotton aphids that fed on micronutritient-amended cucumber plants expressed significantly decreased levels of acetylcholinesterase and detoxifying enzymes, specifically glutathione S-transferase, and carboxylesterase. Analysis of energy reserves in resistant A. gossypii fed on micronutritient-amended plants revealed decreases in the lipid and protein contents of aphids, whereas glycogen and carbohydrate contents showed no response. Resistant cotton aphids fed on micronutritient-amended plants showed significantly reduced fecundity, longevity, and reproductive periods, and a 1.7-fold reduction in pirimicarb LC50 compared with those fed on control plants. We conclude that micronutrient amendment negatively impacts the biological performance of insecticide-resistant cotton aphids, and diminishes their resistance to pirimicarb. Both direct effects on plant health, such as enhanced inducible defenses, and indirect effects on aphid fitness, such as reduced biological performance and detoxification abilities, were implicated. Therefore, optimization of micronutrient amendments could be a useful complement to other tactics for managing insecticide-resistant A. gossypii on cucumbers, and warrants exploration in other contexts.

Notes on the fauna of the genus Dorcadion Dalman, 1817 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) of Kurdistan Province, Iran, with description of a new species.

Dorcadion (Cribridorcadion) darakiensis sp. nov. from Kurdistan Province, Iran, is described, illustrated and compared with a similar species: D. serouensis Kadlec, 2006 from western Azerbaijan Province, Iran. Distributional data on three other species of the genus are provided and represent first records for Kurdistan Province.

A study of the genus Cyrtosia Perris (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae: Platypyginae) in Yazd province, Iran, with description of a new species.

The genus Cyrtosia Perris (Mythicomyiidae: Platypyginae) was studied in Yazd province in the center of Iran. Three species were collected and identified. A new species, Cyrtosia trivitta sp. nov., is described and its diagnostic characters are illustrated. This species is clearly different from all described species of Cyrtosia in Iran by presence of three black longitudinal stripes on mesonotum, leaving prescutellar area yellow opposite to the other species that have a large seamless black mark.

New records of Iranian bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) and their host plants.

Bark and ambrosia beetles from the subfamily Scolytinae are among the most important pests in forests of Northern Iran. During investigations conducted in 2013-2016 in different parts of northern forests, the species Crypturgus cribrellus Reitter, Liparthrum bartschti Mühl, Scolytus varshalovitchi Michalski, Scolytus sulcifrons Rey, Scolytus triarmatus (Eggers) and Trypophloeus granulatus (Ratzeburg) were recorded for the first time in Iran; Trypophloeus and Liparthrum were new genera for Iran. As new host plants we found Zelkova sp. for Scolytus varshalovitchi, Michalski, Populus sp. for Liparthrum bartschti, Mühl, Alnus sp. and Pterocarya fraxinifolia for Taphrorychus lenkoranus Reitter, Pterocarya fraxinifolia for Ernoporicus caucasicus (Lindemann), Carpinus sp. for Pteleobius vittatus (Fabricius), Parrotia persica for Scolytus intricatus (Ratzeburg), Alnus sp. and Pterocarya fraxinifolia for Hypothenemus eruditus (Westwood).

Molecular and morphological identification of pistachio armored scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), with description of a new species.

Members of the family Diaspididae (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) can be devastating pests that suck parenchyma cell contents from crops and cause severe damage to pistachio trees (Pistacia vera L.). The current research collected and characterized diaspidid species from pistachio orchards in Kerman province, Iran, according to their morphological and molecular features. Lepidosaphes pistaciae Archangelskaya, Suturaspis davatchi (Balachowsky & Kaussari) and Melanaspis inopinata (Leonardi) are redescribed and a new species, Melanaspis pistaciae Hosseininaveh & Kaydan sp. n., is described. Phylogenetic trees based on molecular analysis of COI and 28S rDNA fragments placed all the species in separated clades and confirmed M. pistaciae as a new taxon which is concluded by morphological differences. Molecular analysis suggests non-monophyly of the populations of each species. Melanaspis pistaciae sp. n. has spread to most cultivated pistachio areas in Iran and has probably been misidentified as M. inopinata in the past. Further investigation of the biology of this species may lead to development of more effective approaches for controlling this pest.

Checklist of the Iranian Ground Beetles (Coleoptera; Carabidae).

An up-to-date checklist of the ground beetles of Iran is presented. Altogether 955 species and subspecies in 155 genera belonging to 26 subfamilies of Carabidae are reported; 25 taxa are recorded for Iran for the fist time. New localities are listed and some previous distributional records are discussed.

Revision of the Urophora xanthippe species group, with description of new species (Diptera: Tephritidae).

The xanthippe group of species of the genus Urophora Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 is revised and keyed. It contains seven species with a yellow area on the scutum medial to the notopleuron: Urophora bakhtiari new species (from flowerheads of Cousinia archibaldii), Urophora dirlbeki new species (from flowerheads of Onopordum acanthium), U. iani Korneyev & Merz 1998, U. impicta (Hering 1942) (= Urophora hermonis Freidberg 1974, new synonym), U. kasachstanica (Richter 1964), U. stalker Korneyev 1985, and U. xanthippe (Munro 1934). All the species are described, illustrated and keyed.

Ontogeny and reproductive biology of Diadegma semiclausum (Hym.: Ichneumonidae), a larval endoparasitoid of Diamondback Moth, Plutella xylostella (Lep.: Plutellidae).

In this article, the ontogeny and reproductive biology of Diadegma semiclausum (Hym.: Ichneumonidae), an important parasitoid of Plutella xylostella (Lep.: Plutellidae) are described in detail. We did dissect parasitized P. xylostella larvae in phosphate-buffered saline and determine the external morphology of its parasitoid at all developmental stages. The developmental duration of its immature stages, adult longevity, total oviposition period and fecundity of the parasitoid are determined at 24 ± 1 °C, 65  ±  5% R.H., and a photoperiod of 16:8 h L:D. The mean duration of egg and larval stages is 9.56 days and the prepupa and pupa stages last for 8.27 days. In average, female longevity is 1.31 times longer than that of males, and females lay 300 eggs in total. The peak of D. semiclausum oviposition is on the eighth day after mating. The egg loading pattern of D. semiclausum was investigated to determine the parasitoid 'ovigeny index' throughout the female's parasitoid lifetime. Initial egg load in immature females (<2 h age) is 1.45 per female and the mean lifetime potential fecundity (total immature and mature oocytes), at four interval ages, is 34. With an ovigeny index value of 0.038, D. semiclausum is considered moderately to strongly synovigenic. In the absence of the host, after 3 days, the number of eggs is decreased in D. semiclausum. Our results demonstrated that there is a negative relation between the ovigeny index and egg resorption in this parasitoid.

Food stress prompts dispersal behavior in apterous pea aphids: do activated aphids incur energy loss?

The pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hem: Aphididae), has been repeatedly used as a model species in a wide range of biological studies including genetics, ecology, physiology, and behavior. When red pea aphids feed on low quality plants in crowded conditions, some individuals lose their color shade and become pale yellowish, while other individuals on the same host plants remain changeless. The pale aphids have been shown to walk significantly faster and migrate more frequently to neighboring plants compared to the original red ones. We hypothesized that the color change and higher activity of pale aphids are directly associated with their suboptimal nutritional status. We showed that the pale aphids have significantly lower wet and dry weights than red ones. Analyses of energy reserves in individual aphids revealed that the pale aphids suffer a significant loss in their lipid and soluble carbohydrate contents. Our results provide a strong link between host quality, body color, dispersal rate, and energy reserves of pea aphids. Apparently, utilization of energy reserves resulted from an imbalance in food sources received by the aphids stimulates them to walk more actively to find new hosts and restore their lost energy. This reversible shift enables aphids to quickly respond to deprived host plants much earlier than the appearance of winged morph and restore their original status when they find appropriate host.

A new species of Angelopteromyia Korneyev, 2001 (Diptera, Platystomatidae) from Iran, with the key to the species.

Angelopteromyia korneyevi Mohamadzade Namin, sp. n. from Iran is described and figured. The new species is similar to other species of Angelopteromyia in having abdominal spiracles 5 of females not approximated medially, as well as clypeus extended postero-ventrally, antenna shorter than face, and R(1) and R(4+5) setulose on dorsal side. It differs from other species of Angelopteromyia by having mostly brown wing with 3 hyaline crossbands and a few hyaline spots, and dark brownish basal and costal cells without hyaline spots.

Inbreeding and the evolution of sociality in arthropods.

Animals have evolved strategies to optimally balance costs and benefits of inbreeding. In social species, these adaptations can have a considerable impact on the structure, the organization, and the functioning of groups. Here, we consider how selection for inbreeding avoidance fashions the social behavior of arthropods, a phylum exhibiting an unparalleled richness of social lifestyles. We first examine life histories and parental investment patterns determining whether individuals should actively avoid or prefer inbreeding. Next, we illustrate the diversity of inbreeding avoidance mechanisms in arthropods, from the dispersal of individuals to the rejection of kin during mate choice and the production of unisexual broods by females. Then, we address the particular case of haplodiploid insects. Finally, we discuss how inbreeding may drive and shape the evolution of arthropods societies along two theoretical pathways.

A modified trap for adult sampling of medically important flies (insecta: Diptera).

BACKGROUND: Bait-trapping appears to be a generally useful method of studying fly populations. The aim of this study was to construct a new adult flytrap by some modifications in former versions and to evaluate its applicability in a subtropical zone in southern Iran. METHODS: The traps were constructed with modification by adding some equipment to a polyethylene container (18× 20× 33 cm) with lid. The fresh sheep meat was used as bait. Totally 27 adult modified traps were made and tested for their efficacies to attract adult flies. The experiment was carried out in a range of different topographic areas of Fars Province during June 2010. RESULTS: THE TRAPS WERE ABLE TO ATTRACT VARIOUS GROUPS OF ADULT FLIES BELONGING TO FAMILIES OF: Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae, and Faniidae. The species of Calliphora vicina (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Sarcophaga argyrostoma (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) and Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae) include the majority of the flies collected by this sheep-meat baited trap. CONCLUSION: This adult flytrap can be recommended for routine field sampling to study diversity and population dynamics of flies where conducting of daily collection is difficult.

A new species of Urophora Robineau-Desvoidiy, 1830 (Diptera, Tephritidae) from Iran.

Urophora merzisp. n. reared from flower heads of Centaurea behen Linnaeus is described from Iran. It is similar to Urophora campestris, Urophora sachalinensis, Urophora stylata, Urophora tsoii and Urophora vera in wing pattern with 3 well developed crossbands and indistinct subbasal crossband, differing in aculeus tip with two pairs of diminished preapical steps and different host plants.