citrus orchards of Dezful, Khuzestan province (Farahbakhsh 1961; Shirazi et al.
2011). During two decades (1966–1986), the progress of a national successful
biological pest control against sunn pest, Eurygaster integriceps was due to the
efforts of the entomologist such as Mohammad Kosari resulted in the development
of mass rearing facilities for Platygasterid parasitoid, Trissolcus grandis. During the
later years, millions of parasitic wasps were reared in several insectariums and
released innundatively in the central part of the country. There is no clear reason
related to putting an end to this operation. It might be due to the introduction of
synthetic chemical pesticides particularly the D.D.T. into the country and its extensive use on a large scale on pest species (Heidari 2001). In 1966, to control citrus
mealybug, Planococcus citri, a predatory ladybird of mealybugs, Cryptolaemus
montrouzieri was imported into Iran and reared in the North Iran, Caspian Sea
shores. Still, this ladybird is rearing in some insectariums and is active in the citrus
gardens (mostly in Mazandaran Province as well across the country. Later, to
manage the white peach scale, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona, an aphelinid
endoparasitoid, Prospaltella perniciosi was imported, mass reared and applied in
the infested gardens across the Northern part of the country. Afterward, in the second
half of the 1970s, another species from this genus of aphelinids, Prospaltella berlesi
was imported to control Pseudaulacaspis pentagona. Subsequently, a native population of P. berlesi was used. Due to the restrictions of the chemical pesticide
utilization for controlling the berry’s pests, the Silkworm Company is in charge of
mass rearing and augmentation program of this agent (Abivardi 2001). When
organochlorine pesticides were widely used, the progress of utilizing the natural
enemies like in other parts of the world was slowed down. In the 1970s, paying
attention to the biocontrol agent in the Sugarcane Agro-industrial Complex of
Khuzestan agricultural farms led to mass rearing of a Scelionid wasp,
Platytelenomus hylas as a successful parasitoid of Sugarcane borer, Sesamia
nonagrioides. This plan regulated the pest population and there was no need for
chemical treatment for several years. In 1974, two species of Trichogramma were
imported, reared and applied against the rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis in rice
fields of Northern Iran. In 1988, the predatory mite, Phytoseiulus persimilis was
imported from the Netherlands by Hooshang Daneshvar for spider mite control.
1.5 Hayk Mirzayans Insect Museum
In 1943, Jalal Afshar made his first efforts to create an insect collection by using two
small rooms. In 1945, a few Russian entomologists (Drs. Alexandrov, Chovachin,
Kiriokhin) and some young graduates of Karaj College of Agriculture who had been
Afshar’s students (Ghodratollah Farahbakhsh and Hayek Mirzayans) joined this
laboratory for studying the locust and sun pest control and also collecting and
identifying the Iranian insect fauna (Fig. 1.7). This was the cornerstone and the
first step in the creation of the Hayk Mirzayans Insect Museum (HMIM).
6
J. Karimi and S. Kamali
2011). During two decades (1966–1986), the progress of a national successful
biological pest control against sunn pest, Eurygaster integriceps was due to the
efforts of the entomologist such as Mohammad Kosari resulted in the development
of mass rearing facilities for Platygasterid parasitoid, Trissolcus grandis. During the
later years, millions of parasitic wasps were reared in several insectariums and
released innundatively in the central part of the country. There is no clear reason
related to putting an end to this operation. It might be due to the introduction of
synthetic chemical pesticides particularly the D.D.T. into the country and its extensive use on a large scale on pest species (Heidari 2001). In 1966, to control citrus
mealybug, Planococcus citri, a predatory ladybird of mealybugs, Cryptolaemus
montrouzieri was imported into Iran and reared in the North Iran, Caspian Sea
shores. Still, this ladybird is rearing in some insectariums and is active in the citrus
gardens (mostly in Mazandaran Province as well across the country. Later, to
manage the white peach scale, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona, an aphelinid
endoparasitoid, Prospaltella perniciosi was imported, mass reared and applied in
the infested gardens across the Northern part of the country. Afterward, in the second
half of the 1970s, another species from this genus of aphelinids, Prospaltella berlesi
was imported to control Pseudaulacaspis pentagona. Subsequently, a native population of P. berlesi was used. Due to the restrictions of the chemical pesticide
utilization for controlling the berry’s pests, the Silkworm Company is in charge of
mass rearing and augmentation program of this agent (Abivardi 2001). When
organochlorine pesticides were widely used, the progress of utilizing the natural
enemies like in other parts of the world was slowed down. In the 1970s, paying
attention to the biocontrol agent in the Sugarcane Agro-industrial Complex of
Khuzestan agricultural farms led to mass rearing of a Scelionid wasp,
Platytelenomus hylas as a successful parasitoid of Sugarcane borer, Sesamia
nonagrioides. This plan regulated the pest population and there was no need for
chemical treatment for several years. In 1974, two species of Trichogramma were
imported, reared and applied against the rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis in rice
fields of Northern Iran. In 1988, the predatory mite, Phytoseiulus persimilis was
imported from the Netherlands by Hooshang Daneshvar for spider mite control.
1.5 Hayk Mirzayans Insect Museum
In 1943, Jalal Afshar made his first efforts to create an insect collection by using two
small rooms. In 1945, a few Russian entomologists (Drs. Alexandrov, Chovachin,
Kiriokhin) and some young graduates of Karaj College of Agriculture who had been
Afshar’s students (Ghodratollah Farahbakhsh and Hayek Mirzayans) joined this
laboratory for studying the locust and sun pest control and also collecting and
identifying the Iranian insect fauna (Fig. 1.7). This was the cornerstone and the
first step in the creation of the Hayk Mirzayans Insect Museum (HMIM).
6
J. Karimi and S. Kamali