family Braconidae, Megalommum pistacivorae (van Achterberg & Mehrnejad) (Van
Achterberg and Mehrnejad 2011).
The bark beetles, Scolytinae Latreille (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), are an important group of beetles in orchards and forests. Their larvae feed on barks and the
adults from the buds of their hosts. So far, 79 species of Scolytinae have been
recorded from Iran (Beaver et al. 2016). Table 7.5 shows that members of the family
Braconidae are the main parasitoids of the bark beetles in the superfamily
Ichneumonoidea in Iran. This is in congruence with other parts of the world. For
example, there have been globally recorded 27 parasitoid species of the superfamily
Ichneumonoidea on Scolytus rugulosus (Muller) just from the family Braconidae
(Yu et al. 2012).
Apple blossom weevil, Anthonomus pomorum (L.) (Col.: Curculionidae) is a
small beetle that distributed in all apple areas of Iran. The beetle mainly feeds on
apple but it can attack the pear. In Iran, the beetle has one generation a year and
overwinters as the adult stage. Adults feed on leaves, flowers and buds of apple trees
but the main damage caused by the larvae which feed on the inner tissues of the apple
flowers (Rajabi 2011). There have been established 66 species of Ichneumonoidea
associated with A. pomorum in the world (Yu et al. 2012) but only one species of the
family Braconidae, Apanteles sp. have been yet reported as a parasitoid of this beetle
from Iran (Rajabi 2011). There is no any documented information on the parasitism
rate of hymenopterous natural enemies of Apple blossom weevil in Iran.
The alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal) (Col.: Curculionidae) is the key
pest of alfalfa widely distributed in Iran. Adults and larvae of the alfalfa weevil feed
on leaves and apical meristem of alfalfa plants but the main damage caused by the
larval stage (Khanjani 2004). In order to find natural enemies of the pest, several
investigations have been carried on within Alfalfa fields of Iran which dates back to
about 1960 (Gonzalez et al. 1980; Mirabzadeh 1968). Some of the collected parasitoids were subject to classical biological of the alfalfa weevil (Barttlet et al. 1978).
So far, there have been identified four parasitoids on this pest in Iran (Table 7.5). The
alfalfa weevil has 29 parasitoids from the superfamily Ichneumonoidea and 26 parasitoids from the superfamily Chalcidoidea worldwide (Yu et al. 2012). Most of the
studies conducted on the Alfalfa weevil parasitoids have not gone beyond estimating
the natural parasitism rate of different species or reporting the adverse effects of
sublethal doses on survival and parasitism rate of its parasitoids. The parasitism rate
of Bathyplectes anurus (Hym.: Ichneumonidae) as a dominant species of alfalfa
parasitoids has been estimated as 56% in Maku and Chalderan region (West
Azerbaijan province, Northwest of Iran) (Alizadeh et al. 2000). Similarly, the
highest and lowest parasitism rate by B. anurus was estimated at 63% and 1.25%
in Chahar-Mahal va Bakhtiari province (Rowshandel 2000). The adverse effect of
phosalone spraying on B. cucrculionis showed that the residue level of phosalone
1 week after treatment is still harmful to B. curculionis and thus the treatment should
be used at least 7 days earlier (Sabahi and Talebi, 2006). Moreover, in a similar
study, the undesirable effects of etrimfos on the saurvival of B. anurus larvae and
life-history parameters of Oomyzus incertus (Ratzeburg) (Hym.: Eulophidae) had
been confirmed (Sabahi et al. 2002; Sabahi and Talebi 2004). Alioghli et al. (2012)
262
H. Lotfalizadeh and A. Mohammadi-Khoramabadi
Achterberg and Mehrnejad 2011).
The bark beetles, Scolytinae Latreille (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), are an important group of beetles in orchards and forests. Their larvae feed on barks and the
adults from the buds of their hosts. So far, 79 species of Scolytinae have been
recorded from Iran (Beaver et al. 2016). Table 7.5 shows that members of the family
Braconidae are the main parasitoids of the bark beetles in the superfamily
Ichneumonoidea in Iran. This is in congruence with other parts of the world. For
example, there have been globally recorded 27 parasitoid species of the superfamily
Ichneumonoidea on Scolytus rugulosus (Muller) just from the family Braconidae
(Yu et al. 2012).
Apple blossom weevil, Anthonomus pomorum (L.) (Col.: Curculionidae) is a
small beetle that distributed in all apple areas of Iran. The beetle mainly feeds on
apple but it can attack the pear. In Iran, the beetle has one generation a year and
overwinters as the adult stage. Adults feed on leaves, flowers and buds of apple trees
but the main damage caused by the larvae which feed on the inner tissues of the apple
flowers (Rajabi 2011). There have been established 66 species of Ichneumonoidea
associated with A. pomorum in the world (Yu et al. 2012) but only one species of the
family Braconidae, Apanteles sp. have been yet reported as a parasitoid of this beetle
from Iran (Rajabi 2011). There is no any documented information on the parasitism
rate of hymenopterous natural enemies of Apple blossom weevil in Iran.
The alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal) (Col.: Curculionidae) is the key
pest of alfalfa widely distributed in Iran. Adults and larvae of the alfalfa weevil feed
on leaves and apical meristem of alfalfa plants but the main damage caused by the
larval stage (Khanjani 2004). In order to find natural enemies of the pest, several
investigations have been carried on within Alfalfa fields of Iran which dates back to
about 1960 (Gonzalez et al. 1980; Mirabzadeh 1968). Some of the collected parasitoids were subject to classical biological of the alfalfa weevil (Barttlet et al. 1978).
So far, there have been identified four parasitoids on this pest in Iran (Table 7.5). The
alfalfa weevil has 29 parasitoids from the superfamily Ichneumonoidea and 26 parasitoids from the superfamily Chalcidoidea worldwide (Yu et al. 2012). Most of the
studies conducted on the Alfalfa weevil parasitoids have not gone beyond estimating
the natural parasitism rate of different species or reporting the adverse effects of
sublethal doses on survival and parasitism rate of its parasitoids. The parasitism rate
of Bathyplectes anurus (Hym.: Ichneumonidae) as a dominant species of alfalfa
parasitoids has been estimated as 56% in Maku and Chalderan region (West
Azerbaijan province, Northwest of Iran) (Alizadeh et al. 2000). Similarly, the
highest and lowest parasitism rate by B. anurus was estimated at 63% and 1.25%
in Chahar-Mahal va Bakhtiari province (Rowshandel 2000). The adverse effect of
phosalone spraying on B. cucrculionis showed that the residue level of phosalone
1 week after treatment is still harmful to B. curculionis and thus the treatment should
be used at least 7 days earlier (Sabahi and Talebi, 2006). Moreover, in a similar
study, the undesirable effects of etrimfos on the saurvival of B. anurus larvae and
life-history parameters of Oomyzus incertus (Ratzeburg) (Hym.: Eulophidae) had
been confirmed (Sabahi et al. 2002; Sabahi and Talebi 2004). Alioghli et al. (2012)
262
H. Lotfalizadeh and A. Mohammadi-Khoramabadi