Influence of climate factors on population density and damage of the leopard moth, Zeuzera pyrina L., in walnut orchards, Iran.

The effect of climate factors (temperature, humidity, precipitation, and frost days) on the population changes, damage, and infestation area of the leopard moth, Zeuzera pyrina L., was studied during 2006-2018 in four parts of Iran including Saman, Arak, Najaf-abad, and Baft. For trend analysis, the Mann-Kendall test was run on time series data of both climate and pest population. According to the results, the annual mean (Kendall's statistics, T = 0.64 and 0.48), annual minimum (T = 0.60 and 0.42), and January mean (T = 0.64 and 0.61, respectively) temperatures showed increasing trends in Saman and Najaf-abad. Moreover, the annual mean minimum and January temperatures (T = 0.41 and 0.45, respectively) in Arak and the annual mean maximum temperature (T = 0.79) in Baft showed increasing trends. The number of frost days/year (Kendall's statistics, T = -0.63, -0.53, -0.32 and -0.37) and annual mean relative humidity (T = -0.43, -0.63, -0.64 and -0.42, respectively) showed decreasing trends in Saman, Arak, Baft, and Najaf-abad stations. Trend analysis indicated significant increases in the mean number of moths caught (T = 0.59, 0.76 and 0.90), the percentage of infested branches/tree (T = 0.66, 0.58, and 0.90), the number of active holes/tree (T = 0.79, 0.55, and 0.68) and the infested areas (T = 0.99, 0.73, and 0.98, respectively) in Saman, Arak and Najaf-abad stations. According to stepwise regression, the mean temperatures of January, autumn, and winter were the most effective variables for increasing Z. pyrina damage and population, while relative humidity and the number of frost days played the major role in reducing it.

Integration of resistant variety and biological agent to control tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), under greenhouse conditions.

Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) is considered as a major pest of tomato worldwide that causes significant losses in the crop production. This study aimed to evaluate integration of two effective and environmentally safe methods (host plant resistant and biological control) for sustainable management of the pest under greenhouse conditions. The experiment was conducted based on the factorial design with ten replicates under greenhouse conditions (22 ± 3°C, 50 ± 10 RH and 14 L:10 D photoperiod). Infestation to T. absoluta was conducted at the first-flowering stage of the plants by introducing a pair of newly emerged adults (one female and one male) per plant. Ten days later, the biological agent, Trichogramma brassicae, was released on the treatments by hanging a card contained 50 parasitized eggs in each replicate. Observation was performed weekly on ratio of infested leaves per plant (%), number of larvae/plant, number of mines/leaf and ratio of infested fruits/plant (%). Results indicated that the susceptible variety alone (Izmir) supported the highest ratio of infested leaves (42.92 ± 1.95%), number of larvae/plant (12.86 ± 0.71), number of mines/leaf (1.29 ± 0.07) and infested fruits/plant (18.8 ± 1.10%), whereas the lowest (6.12 ± 0.42%, 1.85 ± 0.13, 0.18 ± 0.02 and 0.12 ± 0.06%, respectively) were observed in combined resistant variety (Cherry) and parasitoid released treatment. Integration of these methods not only decreases damage caused on tomato leaflets and fruits, but also reduces insecticide applications which are adversely impact human health and environment.

Description of a new species of Gaeolaelaps (Acari: Laelapidae) from Iran.

A new species of Gaeolaelaps (Acari, Mesostigmata, Laelapidae), Gaeolaelaps izajiensis sp. n. is described based on the morphological characters of adult females which were collected from soil sample in the Izeh and Ghaletol regions of the Khuzestan province, Iran. It can be distinguished from the other members of the genus by some morphological characteristics of dorsal shield, form and reticulation of epigynal shield, the exopodal plates, and the peritremes.